Josh Dolega (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

As a senator for Tasmania, I have the great privilege of being able to work across my home state, especially across the north-west of Tasmania, and getting to meet with community members, community groups and businesses. I recently spent the day in Circular Head, connecting with the community. For those who haven't been, it's a great place. It's magical, and it represents great examples of Tasmania's natural beauty. Throughout the day I met with some truly inspirational people and organisations and I learned about the incredible innovation happening in the far north-west, including in an incredible small business that is using automation in farming. What really stood out to me was the pride, resilience and deep sense of community in every single person that I met.

My visit began with meeting the team from the Circular Head Aboriginal Corporation. The team is dedicated to preserving and promoting culture and country—work that is both deeply vital and meaningful. The CHAC is a key community support organisation that prides itself on how it supports the entire Circular Head area by running 21 programs, not just for the Aboriginal community but for the entirety of Circular Head. CHAC is dedicated to promoting and preserving language and culture, keeping it alive and strong for future generations. They also care about health and wellbeing. They provide youth programs and mental health support, and they operate a healthcare centre that provides culturally safe care close to home. There is so much more to say about the work that this amazing organisation does than I have time for here today, but I thank them for the work they do in the community.

From there I had the opportunity join the local Pride Coffee group, organised by the team at Working It Out. I had the great pleasure of enjoying a long black while speaking with Emma, Parker, Garry and Nicole, who are proud members of the local LGBTQIA+ community. Working It Out is Tasmania's sexuality, gender and intersex support, education and advocacy service. They support LGBTQIA+ Tasmanians and they play a role in fostering inclusion and understanding across our state. I really want to acknowledge and thank Garry for the work that he does in creating safe places for people to come together and to enjoy each other's company.

I then had the opportunity to meet Sergeant Lee-Anne Walters, Circular Head's citizen of the year. With four decades of service to Tasmania Police, Sergeant Walters exemplifies dedication to public service and to community. I also had the great pleasure of then visiting the Stanley Discovery Museum, and I had lunch at the local pub before returning to Smithton to meet with the Circular Head Council. They are an example of a great local council that's got such a strong vision. They've got really great plans to attract investment and to create opportunity for the region. I congratulate Gerard on the work that he and his team are doing.

Later in the day I visited the Wyndarra Centre, where I met both staff and clients, whose warmth and positivity left a lasting impression. Wyndarra has been an integral part of our community since 1982, providing a wide range of services, including housing support, specialised disability accommodation and an on-call service. It's there that I met Noelene O'Halloran, the municipality's senior citizen of the year. She's a tireless volunteer whose contribution to her community is just amazing. She is a true Tasmanian gem.

My last stop was to La Cantara Artisan Cheeses, where I met Genaro. He and his wife, Rosselyn, have created something truly special. Their business reflects the strength, resilience and innovation in Tasmania's agricultural sector. Genaro and Rosselyn migrated to Australia from Venezuela with the dream of having their own small business. An idea for what was originally to be a cheese operation out of a shipping container is now a state-of-the-art facility that uses automated technology to organise their cattle for milking, feeding and cleaning of their sheds. Genaro told me that he is looking forward to the business growing and to starting to employ local workers. They are a great story of what migrants can bring to our country.

Last week I had the great opportunity to tour TasRail's shiploader ore reclaim system and the new infrastructure at the Port of Burnie. This $64 million Australian government investment represents a significant commitment to Tasmania's economic future. It's already improving efficiency, increasing capacity and supporting the movement of goods across the state, and it's ensuring that our mining sector has a strong future in which to export Tasmania's great resources to the world.