Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

All Queenslanders who are suffering from the devastation caused by Cyclone Debbie are all very much in our thoughts. They can take slight heart, though, that they have a very good man who is coordinating the recovery efforts. Brigadier Chris Field AM grew up in the outskirts of Lismore at Richmond Hill. His mother, Pat, was a nursing unit manager at the orthopaedic ward at Lismore Base Hospital, while his dad, Neville, was a local builder.

Chris was a leader from an early age, and he was captain of the local high school, Kadina high, in year 12 in 1983—indeed, in fact, in the same year at the same school as my wife. After completing school, he left the area to join the Army. All Chris ever wanted to do was to join the Army, and I am sure that the people of Queensland will be thankful that he has. With the important work that he is doing, Chris is also a great role model for young people around the country, particularly students from his old high school. I would like to thank Chris for taking on this important role. And I wish all those affected by the cyclone well.

I would like to make everyone aware that the Yamba Golf & Country Club, which has hosted a pro-am event every year for the last 15 years, has won the regional pro-am tournament of the year award at the 2017 Queensland Golf Industry Awards. It saw off much larger regional contenders like Rockhampton and Townsville to take out the award in front of a crowd of about 450 people at Jupiters casino last week. The determining factor in this prestigious award is the vote from the pros themselves, proving that Yamba Gulf and Country Club can compete with the best of them.

Yamba Golf and Country Club's Annual Pro AM takes place in September, and it draws over 50 professional golfers to the region, not to mention many amateurs as well. The event runs over two days, which is unique—most others are single-day events—and this is what makes Yamba so popular. The prize purse is $25,000 and the event is certainly growing in stature. I would like to acknowledge and congratulate the organising committee of pro golfer John Wright, Operations Manager Chris Durrington, life member, David Miles, Function Coordinator Jo Court, the manager, Luke Stephenson, and President Tony Moran. They arrange not only the Men's Pro-Am but also the Ladies Pro-Am.. The lady's event was also recently held, with a fantastic result. It is great to see local businesses getting behind these events as well. Crowe Horwath, BWAC Regional Employment Services do a fantastic job in helping these competitions succeed. It shows that places like Yamba can attract accolades of Australia's golfing elite, and it is a great thing for our community. Again, congratulations to everyone involved.

Today I would like to highlight a fantastic spirit that takes place in the Woolgoolga community, who have come together to assist the Woolgoolga Scouts. Over the last 12 months the Woolgoolga Scout Hall, originally built in 1953, has undergone a huge restoration under the guidance of Group Leader Pat Johnson. The project was initially made possible after Vicky Hooper from Nortec approached Pat with the idea of utilising the federal government's Work for the Dole program to restore the 63-year-old building currently used by the 30 children who are members of Woolgoolga's Joey Mob, Cubs and Scout groups. Pat was also able to organise a number of volunteers and tradespeople from the local community, and, between all who were involved, the hall is now looking fantastic. Special mention also has to be made to Barry Kelly, Allan Crouch, Michael Hope, Ken Boyle, John Moon and Mike Sharman from the Woolgoolga Lions Club, who work tirelessly raising funds for community groups in the area and were able to donate funding for the new roof, guttering, plumbing and external cladding. Again, congratulations to all involved in the project and to Group Leader Pat Johnson, who I know is very passionate about the Scouts and instilling their motto of 'Prepare for adventure, prepare for life' into her Woolgoolga Scout members.

Without a doubt, dairy farmers on the North Coast produce the best-quality milk in Australia. You need look no further for proof than my local dairy cooperative, Norco, which has just won the 2017 Canstar Blue Award for the most satisfied customers. Australia's milk drinkers scored Norco an outstanding 5-star rating for overall satisfaction and also scored Norco exceptionally high for taste, freshness, value for money and packaging design. Established in 1895, Norco is now one of the few remaining true Australian farmer-owned dairy cooperatives in this country, with more than 330 members across northern New South Wales and South-East Queensland. Norco is a great cooperative comprised of small family farmers that produce a large range of high-quality dairy products and competes against the big brands and the supermarkets. My congratulations go to all the members of the cooperative, and the board chair, Leigh Shearman, and the chief executive, Greg McNamara, along with directors Michael Jeffery, Heath Hoffman, Elke Watson and Greg Billings. Of course, no producer could win this award without the very best dairy farmers in Australia supplying it, and this award is for them as well. Farming of all sizes is still very much the backbone of Australia, and the clean and green approach taken by Norco is a testament to its ability to adapt to changing consumer tastes and the future of dairying in Australia.