House debates

Thursday, 28 October 2010

Statements by Members

Robertson Electorate: Mangrove Mountain Country Fair

1:57 pm

Photo of Deborah O'NeillDeborah O'Neill (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I rise to congratulate the Mangrove Mountain community and its community leaders, who pulled together to celebrate life on the mountain at the annual Mangrove Mountain Country Fair on Saturday, 24 October. The fair is a celebration of community that brings together people from right across the Central Coast. People flocked from all over our region to attend the fair. It is testament to the organising committee that attendance is increasing every year. I congratulate the president of the organising committee, Neil Berecry-Brown, his fellow committee members and all those who arranged events and stalls; Rowena Wilcher, who organised the stage appearances; Dr Christine Wade, who organised the very entertaining pig races and the livestock displays; and Dennis Fisher, a school farm assistant, who ran the petting farm and who was also ably assisted by several local students. I am pleased to inform the House that Somer, the Somersby school pig, was the winner of the pig race, and Mud House won the Battle of the Bands. So, if members want to be as happy as a pig in mud, I recommend they visit next year’s Mangrove Mountain Fair.

Importantly, this year’s event raised $24,000. The CWA stall alone raised $2,400. All this money will go back into the community—into local schools, community organisations and sporting clubs, including the local bush fire brigade. I warmly congratulate the organisers and supporters of the Mangrove Mountain Fair for their enterprise and community spirit. I look forward to supporting their event and their community for many years to come.