Barry Haase (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It gives me a great deal of pleasure to rise this evening to speak about awards. On last Saturday evening at the Burswood Entertainment Complex, the Tourism Council of Western Australia, an independent organisation governed by members within Western Australia, held the Western Australian tourism awards. This is brag time for me because of the 30 awards available in Western Australia the electorate of Durack took out 13 gold, four silver and six bronze. That is an outstanding effort, Mr Speaker, I am sure you would agree. I would like to refer the House to some of the winners.

Under tourist attractions we got a silver medal for the Western Australian Museum in Geraldton. For festivals and events we got a gold for the Argyle Diamonds Ord Valley Muster. For ecotourism we got a gold for Pearl Sea Coastal Cruises and a silver for Eco Beach Wilderness Retreat. In Indigenous tourism we got a gold for the Eco Beach Wilderness Retreat, a silver for the Home Valley Station and a bronze for Uptuyu Adventures. For tour and/or transport operators we got a gold for Kimberley Wild Expeditions and a silver for Pearl Sea Coastal Cruises. Under adventure tourism we got a gold for Ningaloo Reef Dreaming and a bronze for Three Islands Whale Shark Dive. Under tourism education and training we got a bronze for Home Valley Station. For tourist and caravan parks we got a gold for Aspen Park’s Exmouth Cape Holiday Park. For backpacker accommodation we got a gold for Blue Reef Backpackers and the Aspen Park’s Exmouth Cape Holiday Park. Under unique accommodation we got a gold for Eco Beach Wilderness Retreat. For deluxe accommodation we got a gold for Kununurra Country Club Resort and a bronze for Habitat Resort Broome. For luxury accommodation we got a gold for Pinctada Cable Beach Spa and Resort. For new tourism development we got a bronze for Skydive of Jurien Bay. The Qantas award for excellence in sustainable tourism was won by the Eco Beach Wilderness Retreat.

I will not go on with all of the details but in addition to the wins mentioned we won the Sir David Brand Medal, the Sir David Brand Young Achiever Medal and the Sir David Brand Award for Tourism. So there were three awards in Sir David Brand’s memory and all three were won by the Durack electorate. Let me explain to you about those special awards. The award for tourism went to Willie Creek Pearls. Willie Creek Pearls is now an institution in Broome, providing an all-round opportunity for tourists who want to understand the pearling industry, to enjoy luxury, to take a chopper ride over Broome and up the magnificent coast and to have the opportunity to purchase those luxury silver south sea pearls from the Broome area.

The Sir David Brand Medal went to Jon Jessup. Jon Jessup in the past 25 years has devoted 100 per cent of his time to the Western Australian tourism industry. He is a shrewd businessman, there is no doubt about that, but he is prepared to put in the hard work. Currently he is the marketing manager for Kalbarri Edge and he is also operating two regional resorts as director. He has very little spare time, I can assure you.

The winner of the Sir David Brand Young Achiever Medal, which is a particular award that we like to underline because it indicates that we have got good young stock coming up through the tourism industry in Western Australia, was Frances Jones. Frances moved into the Western Australian tourism industry in 2008. Starting her career at Edge Resorts, Frances developed her passion for tourism which drives her today. Later in 2008 Frances took up a full-time position at Wooleen Station as tourism manager and now resides there permanently with her partner David Pollock. In 2009 Frances started a degree in ecotourism through Murdoch University, and studies externally at the station. In late 2009 she took up the position of chair for Gascoigne and Murchison Tourism Inc. and in mid-2010 was elected to the board of Australia’s Golden Outback. Golden Outback represents well the magnificent attractions and services provided by those businesses in the Durack electorate. I believe that I am absolutely justified in bragging about these achievements on behalf of my electorate and God bless the Western Australian tourism industry. (Time expired)