Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Australian government has, in the past—thank you, Senator Cameron. When you're down in Tasmania I look forward to taking you out there to have a look. The good thing is that it also teaches locals ways of being able to grow their own food, harvest their own food and cook. These skills have been lost by many in the younger generation, so I commend those at the community houses, and at Waterbridge in particular, for putting this program on and supporting locals in the way they have. Particularly, I want to place on record my thanks and commendations to Cheynee, Helen and Chelsea from both of the community houses. They do a great job there.

It was fantastic also to see the work that was being undertaken in the community gardens of both houses. Those community gardens are open to members of the public who want to come on in and harvest their own fruit and veg. It was put to me that they use the best fertiliser in Tasmania—so good, apparently, that someone was pilfering it at night. It's not one of those things I would look to steal—or anything, for that matter!—but someone out there was taking their fertiliser.

Senator Urquhart interjecting—

I will try and get the recipe for Senator Urquhart; we could all use it. So, there are a couple of fantastic entities there. I commend them and all the community houses around Tasmania for the work that they do in supporting disadvantaged Tasmanians and disadvantaged communities, teaching them healthy eating habits and providing the services that they do. I commend them, and I ask all Tasmanians to support them.

Moving to the east coast of Tasmania, I had the good fortune to visit the team at the Triabunna Village, an entity set up by the East Coast Regional Development Organisation. The village is a great little space where community groups of all shapes and sizes come together to meet, to practice their hobbies and to run a number of events. It was great to catch up with Glynis Flower, who showed me around the site and gave me an insight into what they're doing and what support they need into the future. I look forward to working with them on the things that they are looking to expand into, and also to hearing about the work of Tom Tenniswood, who is one of the coordinators there on site. The village, which is community run and community owned, is home to the Spring Bay Youth Hub, which meets regularly, and the village market, which, like many other events in the small towns around Tasmania, is an event where local craftspeople and manufacturers of fine produce can come and sell their wares to locals. That happens once a month.

It's also home to the Spring Bay Community Boat Shed, which I was most interested to attend. The Spring Bay Community Boat Shed is part of the Tasmanian Men's Shed Association, another group of organisations that do a fantastic job, especially in small communities. Men's sheds are doing great work in Triabunna, and they service the surrounding area, the Glamorgan-Spring Bay municipal area. One of the projects I was shown by one of their coordinators, David Gatenby, is their restoration project of the Una, a wooden vessel from the Strahan harbour that is rich in history. They've done a great job and are hoping to display this vessel at the next Wooden Boat Festival. It's held every two years in Hobart. So I wish that group very well in their efforts and, indeed, look forward to supporting them as well.

The village is also home to the Spring Bay Potters, which is another group of locals who come together to try their hand at arts and crafts. It was great to visit their new facility and meet with their coordinator, Dorothy Duncan-Jackson. Dorothy is very much, I could see upon my encounter, a force of nature. She was leading the group into their new facility and teaching them all sorts of new tricks. I didn't try any pottery because I know it's not my strong point! But these sorts of groups and organisations do good things for people who might be retired or might be easing out of the workforce. They give them things to do in the community, such as the men's sheds, the community houses, the Spring Bay Potters, the Spring Bay Youth Hub and the Spring Bay boat shed. All of these organisations do a wonderful thing for the people who participate in their activities. So, again, I say to those who are involved in running these organisations that I commend you and thank you for what you do and look forward to supporting you into the future.