Andrew Willcox (Dawson, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing and Sovereign Capability) | Link to this | Hansard source

There is an old saying up our way that the sunshine grows everything bigger and better. Our region has always been blessed with natural beauty, but the real gold in Dawson is the talent and grit of our people. When 75,000 Queenslanders voted in the state government's All the Best awards, they gave our local businesses right across Dawson a well-deserved moment in the sun.

Taking out the No. 1 crown as the absolute best florist in the entire state is our very own Fiorella Florals. in my home town of Bowen. To Lily and the team at Fiorella, where you can walk in for a bunch of flowers and walk out with a beautiful bouquet, a coffee and a New York-style cookie: thank you for bringing so much colour, flavour and blooming elegance to the heart of Bowen.

In our local businesses where you can get warmed up, Mal's Pies and Pastries in Oonoonba took out silver, fuelling an army of tradies for 30 years with beaut pies while also backing our community. Back in Bowen, Meraki Whitsundays took out second place for the best café, serving up world-class brews and yummy tucker to satisfy the strongest tummy grumbles. Down at Bowen's marina, Bird's Fish Bar snagged second place for the best fish and chips, serving the freshest coral trout right on the water's edge, and, down the road, Deb's Hair & Beauty in Proserpine secured an incredible second place for the best hairdresser and barber in Queensland—a magnificent result for longstanding local favourite.

The judges did give us a bit of a chuckle, awarding the world-famous Whitehaven Beach third place. Third place? They're dreaming! We all know Whitehaven, the best beach in the world, was completely robbed, but we'll let them off the hook this time with a cheeky warning. If you head further down south in Dawson to Yalboroo in the Mackay region, you can find Hold It Flats, which took out a well-deserved second place for the best camping and four-wheel-drive spot. They have proven what locals already know: we have the most spectacular backyard in Queensland.

These awards show what happens when local legends roll up their sleeves and put their heart and soul into our communities. From our beaches to our main streets, the future is exceptionally bright up our way, because, when it comes to excellence in enterprise, our local establishments outshine them all. Congratulations to all our local champions. You set the gold standard for what makes Dawson a great place. Please, everyone, come holiday. You will love it!