Wendy Askew (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For decades, the hard work of John Bennett AM was done in the shadows—in the soft grey light of early morning and the pitch black of cold Tasmanian evenings. Day in, day out, rain, hail or shine, the Bennett family would work. The work would often go unnoticed, but it was crucial work that ensured that thousands of Tasmanians started their day off right—with breakfast. How many of you started off your day this morning with a bowl of cereal? If not that, how many of you had a cup of coffee? What do these two things have to do with John Bennett? Both of these items are mostly served with milk, and there is no-one more synonymous with the dairy industry in Tasmania than John Bennett AM.

John was the co-founder of Ashgrove Farms. If you've not heard of them, they are the homes of the happiest cows in Tasmania. John, sadly, passed away last month, and I think it's incredibly important that we take a moment to consider his legacy to agriculture, not only in Tasmania but in Australia. There are many words that could be used to describe John Bennett—icon, founding father, entrepreneur, pioneer and visionary—but he was, first and foremost, a family man, a father and, of course, a farmer. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my condolences to his family on their loss.

The idea for Ashgrove was initiated by John and his brother Michael, and their wives Connie and Maureen, in the late 1980s after John spent many years studying agriculture and cheese manufacturing on family farms in the UK. At the time, unemployment on the north-west coast of Tasmania was high, and dairy farmers in Tasmania were among the worst-paid in the world. Decades later, Ashgrove is a dairy-producing powerhouse and an iconic tourism destination. Its innovative Dairy Door at Elizabeth Town attracts thousands of visitors every year, following a $2 million investment in the facility recently. Ashgrove is unique. It was one of the first examples of agritourism in Tasmania, and it has paved the way for the industry to thrive. John Bennett and Ashgrove Farms wanted to throw open the gates rather than shut them, and people loved it.

None of this would have been possible without the vision of John Bennett, who had a lifelong commitment to serving his community. John's mark on the dairy industry will never be forgotten. He paved the way as a founding member of the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association and was a member of the inaugural National Farmers Federation. He first represented dairy farmers in 1972 as a delegate to the northern dairy division of the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association and was elected in 1974 as chair of the state division of the Dairy Council. He was president of the Australian Dairy Farmers Federation from 1976 to 1985 and deputy chair of the Australian Dairy Corporation from 1981 to 1986. As inaugural chair of the Australian Dairy Conference, from 1976 to 1985, he was responsible for bringing together farmers and dairy manufacturers for the first time. In 1980, he initiated the establishment of the Australian Specialist Cheesemakers Association. And in the seventies and eighties John held the role of director of the Asia Dairy Industries and, following that, was appointed as president-commissioner of PT Indomilk and director of the Thai Dairy Industry Company between 1980 and 1987. His standing on the international dairy scene was cemented when he was elected vice-president of the International Federation of Agriculture Dairy Division in 1982. In 1992 he was named a Member of the Order of Australia for his services to the Australian dairy industry.

A common thread throughout the life of John Bennett is service. Not only did he serve the dairy industry but he was also fiercely passionate about serving his community, which he did until his recent passing. John served his community as a Deloraine municipal councillor from 1970 to 1979 and as a member of the Deloraine Rotary Club for 20 years, where he served as president between 1997 and 1998 and was named a Paul Harris Fellow in 2002.

While farming was in his blood, the importance of community events and tourism was also paramount in the mind of John Bennett, which was evident in one of his smaller but nonetheless significant roles. For three years John Bennett was director of the extremely successful and popular Tasmanian Craft Fair, between 2000 and 2004. The Craft Fair is organised by the Rotary Club of Deloraine in conjunction with other service clubs in the area and has become an iconic event for our state.

John Bennett was a leader, a passionate community member and a farmer. But he was also much more: a craftsman, a fisherman and a family man—a father and grandfather. He was a visionary who looked beyond the present and manifested a future in which we can all benefit. Thank you, John, for your lifetime of service. Vale, John Bennett.