Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Shadow Treasurer) | Hansard source

Tonight I rise to congratulate Mr Rob Gillam of Dongara in WA's midwest on being appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in this year's King's Birthday honours list. This recognition is richly deserved and reflects a lifetime of service to Western Australia's agricultural and pastoral communities.

Rob Gillam is one of those remarkable regional Western Australians whose contribution has left a lasting mark on our state and nation. From his early years farming at Irwin and, later, pastoralism at Gabyon station near Yalgoo, he developed a deep understanding of rural Western Australia and dedicated his life to serving the industries and communities that sustain it. His service has spanned local government, the Geraldton port authority, the Agricultural Protection Board, the Lord Mayor's Distress Relief Fund and leadership of the Pastoralists & Graziers Association of Western Australia.

During some of the toughest periods faced by Australian agriculture, Rob Gillam stepped forward. As a director of Wool International, he was at the centre of the wool stockpile crisis, travelling the country facing hostile meetings and helping guide an industry through immense hardship. As chairman of the Pastoralists & Graziers Association, he was also a tireless advocate during Labor's devastating live cattle export ban, fighting for producers whose livelihoods were threatened by a decision that sent shockwaves throughout regional Australia. What stands out most is not the positions Rob Gillam held but the way he carried them out. He was known for answering the phone at any hour, listening to struggling farmers and offering practical advice, support and encouragement.

Western Australia has long relied on people like Rob Gillam—quiet achievers who strengthen their communities through service, leadership and integrity. I congratulate Rob Gillam, his wife, Ros, and their family on this well-earned honour and thank him for his outstanding contribution to agriculture, to regional Western Australia and, indeed, to our whole nation.