Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today I rise to talk about a hidden gem of Western Australia: Swan Valley. I recently had the pleasure of showcasing the Swan Valley to Kevin Hogan, the shadow minister for trade and tourism. The valley, of course, is in the electorate of Hasluck. It was a day of flowers, chocolate and great wine.

The Swan Valley is just a short 30-minute drive from Perth's CBD. It was my pleasure to showcase where vines were first planted in Western Australia nearly 200 years ago. Our first stop was the award-winning Swan Valley Visitor Centre, where we received a briefing on the history of the valley and information on the 150-plus wineries, breweries, distilleries and, of course, fine restaurants. I thank the City of Swan very much for your very warm welcome.

Our second stop was an amazing small business—actually, not so small anymore—called Wafex. This extraordinary family business, through passion and multiple generations of hard work, now has over 100 staff, and they're distributing Aussie flowers to 25 countries globally.

Our next stop was the magical Margaret River Chocolate Company and also Providore, which is well-known to all Western Australians in Margaret River, but not many know that there is also a factory and an outlet in the Swan Valley. Not only did we purchase our Easter goodies; we also got to see how the magic is made and how chocolate Easter eggs and their many other delicacies are made. It's a must for any—