Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is nice to rise in this place and talk about some good news and some positive things for a change. Last weekend provided a great showcase of the community spirit that is evident in my electorate of Forde. We had two great events—the Beenleigh Cane Festival parade on Saturday, which has been going for more than 100 years, and on Sunday the Ormeau car rally and Norfolk Village State School fete, both in their second year. Both events were extremely well supported by the community. In what have been challenging times for many in my electorate, it was terrific to see the community spirit—people out smiling and enjoying themselves as they were able to forget maybe for a few hours the cares of the world and have some fun. It was a time for people to make new friends and to catch up with old friends that they had not seen for a long time.

On Saturday we had the Beenleigh Cane Festival parade, which featured over 60 floats and bands. It took slightly over an hour to wend its way through the streets of Beenleigh and back to its starting point at the showgrounds. Once back at the showgrounds, everyone had the opportunity to visit the various stalls and stands, and the day was capped off with a spectacular fireworks display. My congratulations go to the Rotary Club of Beenleigh for again organising a great event. It took many months of planning. My thanks go also to the many sponsors without whose support this event would not continue.

On Sunday the Ormeau community held their second annual car rally. This is held in conjunction with the Norfolk Village State School. The rally, not a race, wends its way through the picturesque countryside, starting and ending back at the school. This year there were over 70 entrants and a great time was had by all. However, I do feel for the snowman atop one of the decorated vehicles as he lost his head along the way!

This year, rather than being on the school oval, due to the wet weather the stalls for the fete were set amongst the school buildings. This created a wonderful atmosphere for everybody. As I said, it was a great weekend for all concerned. My family and I certainly had a great time. It was a wonderful demonstration of the community spirit both in my electorate and, I hope, in the rest of the nation.