Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to celebrate the incredible success of Beef2024 and to look forward with great anticipation to Beef2027, which will once again put my electorate of Capricornia, and specifically the great city of Rockhampton, under the international spotlight. Beef Australia is more than just an event; it's a world-class organisation dedicated to promoting, advancing and celebrating a sustainable beef industry. What started as a one-off event for the 1988 bicentenary has grown into the premier cattle industry exhibition in the Southern Hemisphere.

The numbers from Beef2024 are simply staggering and speak to the vital importance of this industry to our national economy. We saw a record attendance of 125,576 people descend on the beef capital of Australia. These weren't just locals; we had visitors from 39 different countries and over 1,200 international delegates. The economic impact for Central Queensland was massive, with a total direct and incremental expenditure of $102 million, supporting 721 full-time jobs. This is a win for our hotels, our small businesses and our hardworking producers. During that week we served up 37.5 tonnes of beef across 276 ticketed events, including the new M'Eat Street dining precinct.

But Beef Australia isn't just about the numbers; it's about the people. It brings together producers, scientists, chefs and exhibitors. It's also about the next generation. I was proud to see over 5,100 school students participate in the 2024 program. Applications for the Graeme Acton Beef Connections Program opened last month and close at the end of the week. This program runs for 14 months and will ensure the beef community stays strong for decades to come by continuing to mentor our future industry leaders.

Our industry is also leading the way in innovation and sustainability. Beef2024 featured 65 industry based seminars and tech talks, proving that our producers are at the cutting edge of global agricultural technology. The success of this event has been recognised nationally, with Beef Australia taking out gold at the Australian Tourism Awards in 2024 in two major categories—major festivals and events, and excellence in food tourism. This is a testament to the hard work of the board, the team and the hundreds of volunteers who make it happen.

We aren't resting on our laurels, and the plans for Beef2027 are already taking this event to the next level. With 417 days to go, the countdown to Beef2027 has already begun. From 2 to 8 May 2027, Rockhampton will once again host this week-long celebration. Nominations are already open for the 2027 national carcass competition, and the team is busy implementing their new strategic plan. We are going to see a bigger and better Beef TV, with a massive push towards our international beef community, building on the 79,000 global viewers who tuned in to see the action from Rockhampton last time. We're also going to have an even greater focus on tech in agriculture, ensuring our producers have access to the latest innovations and the kinds of industry-leading seminars and tech talks that made the 2024 event such a runaway success.

Of course, we're making sure that there are more opportunities than ever to sample great Australian beef, because we want every visitor to taste why our product is the envy of the world and we want to well and truly surpass the 37.5 tonnes we served up at the last event. So I invite the Prime Minister; the Premier of Queensland; you, Mr Speaker; and every member of this House to join us in Rockhampton in 2027. Come and see firsthand why the beef industry is the backbone of our regional communities. Central Queensland is ready, our producers are ready and I can guarantee that the steaks will be world class.