Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was very pleased recently to attend the annual Banana Festival, a remarkable festival in my electorate. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Tweed Valley Banana Festival, a great achievement for the region. From its very humble beginning in 1956, the festival has grown and developed into a huge celebration of our region's agriculture, history and community. Festival coordinator Eryn Young summed it up when she said, 'It's a chance for people from a range of community groups to get together and celebrate everything that is good in the region.' Thousands of festival goers were in Murwillumbah watching the main parade, which had a wide variety of floats and entertainment. There are the festival mascots, Banana Jim and Sugar Sue, and the theme 'Banana Festival Through the 60 Years' was evident in the parade and entertainment.

Whilst the produce of our region has changed over time, many locals and families still have very strong connections to the banana industry. I would especially like to congratulate Brooke Magnum, from Kingscliff, who was crowned festival queen, and I congratulate all the other winners. The Banana Festival is also an important fundraising event. In 2015 alone the Banana Queens raised over $27,000 for local charities, a great achievement. It really is testament to the civic-mindedness and hard work of all the Banana Queen entrants but also our local business organisations, community organisations and all those individuals who continue to generate so generously to our community. I thank you all for participating and donating. It is a wonderful fundraising event. The 60th anniversary of the festival is a tribute not only to its very rich history but also to our very strong community.