Rick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last Friday I travelled to Laverton, one of the most remote towns in O'Connor, to celebrate the reopening of their visitors centre. The Great Beyond Visitor Centre was established in 2006 to help inform tourists visiting the iconic goldmining town of Laverton and beyond. Thanks to a proactive shire and the hard work of facility manager Laurinda Hill and her terrific team, the newly refurbished Great Beyond Visitor Centre now boasts a cafe and community event space, a gift shop featuring local Indigenous crafts, and the Explorers Hall of Fame, where technology transports visitors to a time of exploration and endeavour viewed through the eyes of those who persevered in the face of the most challenging and remote conditions.

Gold was discovered in the former British Flag area in 1896, with Laverton named after the local Doctor Charles Laver, who travelled to London many times raising capital for mining ventures. Today, Laverton's mining revenue exceeds $5.2 billion annually. Laverton also marks the start of the iconic Outback Way, a 2,700 kilometre transnational route linking WA to western Queensland via the red centre. Our last Coalition budget dedicated $678 million for the completion of the Outback Way. I take the opportunity to commend the Shire of Laverton, the Outback Way Development Council and the Great Beyond Visitor Centre for keeping Laverton well and truly on the map.