Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The annual country show season in my electorate of Blair is kicking off with the Ipswich Show in mid-May. We're blessed to have seven country shows in Blair and the City of Ipswich, in country towns like Rosewood, Marburg, Lowood, Esk, Toogoolawah and Kilcoy. The show society movement is the biggest volunteer movement in Australia. Country shows contribute more than $1 billion to the Australian economy every year. Agricultural shows play a vital role in the fabric of regional Australia, including in my electorate, which takes in the rural parts of Ipswich and the rural Somerset region. They provide significant social and economic benefits to regional communities and agricultural industries. In an electorate like mine, which spans urban and rural areas, they help bridge the divide between city and country. Regional communities depend on shows to reconnect with neighbours, build relationships, exchange knowledge and support local businesses. They provide a great way for me to keep connected with my local constituents by having information stalls. I'm having stalls at each and every country show. At Ipswich Show, once again this year, I'll be with the state member for Ipswich West, Wendy Bourne, for three days.

I'm proud to support many of the country's shows, for example, by sponsoring prizes at the Toogoolawah show, poultry prizes at the Rosewood, Marburg and Lowood shows and the primary school art prizes at Rosewood. I'm delighted to donate hampers for raffles and print programs for some of the country shows, like the Kilcoy show, and I've done that for a number of years.

As well as being used for annual shows, showgrounds are often used as community gathering points during emergency situations and as venues for other events and local festivals, which is why I advocated for and secured funding over the years for buildings in Kilcoy, toilets and sheds in Lowood and lighting at Toogoolawah at all their showgrounds. This is why I was so pleased to secure a 2022 election commitment of $6 million to upgrade the Ipswich Showgrounds, which includes $4.5 million for general upgrades and $1.5 million from the government's Disaster Ready Fund to improve amenities, such as showers and toilets, for use by residents during emergencies. During floods, showgrounds provide emergency accommodation for local residents, including local residents who are cut off from other country towns. When their homes are inundated, those showgrounds provide places of refuge and relief.

I want to thank the sponsors, exhibitors and volunteers who assist in all of the country's shows in my electorate. The talent, skills and abilities—from showing cattle and horses to quilting, painting, crafts and crocheting—are all there on display. These local shows and their volunteers are the lifeblood of country communities. I am so pleased to represent a vibrant rural and regional electorate in South-East Queensland.

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