Kristy McBain (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I had the immense pleasure of helping to celebrate the achievements of a bunch of fantastic young people in Queanbeyan last Friday, all who completed their qualifications in hospitality training with Embrace Disability Group. Congratulations to Tara, Robbie, Jack, Ayden, Bryce, Abbilea and Emily, who have successfully completed their Certificate III in Hospitality through their traineeships at Jerrabomberra High School.

Embrace Disability Group is really taking the lead in providing opportunities and delivering catering services in the Queanbeyan region while also creating social change. This team of culinary experts working alongside individuals living with disability use locally sourced produce to craft menus that tantalise the tastebuds and create unforgettable dining experiences. A big congratulations to all the students, and a big thank you to Matt Morrisey, Trish Deveau and the Embrace Disability Group for their commitment to students and for providing them the opportunity for skills development and empowerment.

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to again take part in Tumbatrek, a privilege that I now have carrying on as the custodian of Tim Fischer's walking stick. Around 150 participants walked through the beauty of the region's landscape, including Paddys River Dam, Reef Creek and Duffers Gully, which is part of the Hume and Hovell track, as we head to the 200th anniversary of the Hume and Hovell expedition. The aim of the trek is to bring together community groups, all levels of government and businesses to talk about many things. We talked about tourism, bushwalking and other business opportunities for the region. I want to give a big shout-out to the years 11 and 12 Tumbarumba high School students who are doing the Kokoda trek and used this as an opportunity for training. Well done to Tumbarumba Rotary, especially Glenn McGrath, Grant Harris and Bruce Wright, for all you do in making those students ready for that trek.

I recently wrote a letter of support for a remarkable community member, and it struck me that she deserves much more recognition for the work that she is doing. Zita Vafiopulous started a group called Snowy Valleys Heroes which is committed to preserving the memories of our Snowy veterans. Zita and the group have spent the past 14 months researching veterans from across the Snowy Valleys for inclusion in the first book, called Snowy Valleys' Heroes Book 1 1850-1920. They now have 3,603 veterans' comprehensive information on the men who enlisted from the region. The team have shown tremendous dedication in their quest to preserve the memories of Snowy veterans, and I congratulate Zita for all of her for work.

Finally, I want to make a quick acknowledgement of and to thank the amazing Mrs Pearce. Mary Pearce has been teaching in our public schools for 50 years. Mrs Pearce, you are so loved, you are so knowledgeable and we are incredibly grateful for the impact you've had on so many families.