Wendy Askew (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If you were to assign a symbol that would recognise human ingenuity and encapsulate the technological advancement of our society, what would it be? A plane or a car? Perhaps a computer, or something that might appeal to our younger generation? A smart phone? I want to make the case tonight for something a little bit humbler, a bit more traditional but, nonetheless, remarkable, the windmill. Whether it's for milling grain, pumping water, milling timber or generating power for our cars, computers and smart phones, windmills have many uses. When you think about windmills, you would be forgiven for thinking that they're better known as an icon of Holland, but hear me out.

My home state of Tasmania also has a strong connection to windmills, and one in particular. When you travel around Tasmania there are many landmarks you can see. If you are travelling to Hobart on one of our major highways, there's one landmark that might just stand out a tiny bit more than the rest: Callington Mill at Oatlands. This mill is the oldest operating Georgian mill in the southern hemisphere. It was built in 1837 and has been an integral part of the village's history. Callington Mill has had a turbulent past. Its ups and downs have be inextricably tied to the ups and downs of the Oatlands economy itself.

Five years ago it was reported that Oatlands was not riding the wave of success that other regional towns across Tasmania were. Despite the mill having undergone a refurbishment of over $2 million, tourists were not stopping. The supermarket, shops and other tourism businesses were at a standstill. They were losing money, and some had even closed their doors. But, in the fashion that has become exemplary of Tasmanians, Oatlands has been quietly undergoing a transformation thanks to the dedication of its community leaders. This transformation is in no small part thanks to the revitalisation of Callington Mill. A nod to the village's history, the mill has become a thriving tourist hotspot, complete with distillery, restaurant and playground. The site also offers heritage tours to ensure history will never be forgotten. A site that had been lost to the relentless march of time, what owner John Ibrahim and his team have done is create a new vision and future for the mill without erasing its historical significance. I want to take this opportunity to congratulate them on this remarkable achievement.

However, while what has been achieved at Callington Mill is incredible, it's only one small part of the village's transformation. Along with the Callington Mill development, Oatlands has also recently opened a $10 million aquatic centre, and the Southern Midlands Council is also working on a project to establish an $18 million boutique hotel. The proposal, from THN Hospitality, which currently operates the Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel in Hobart and Hadley's Orient Hotel in Hobart, would result in a 43-bedroom hotel and associated retail infrastructure. This rebirth has been driven, in part, thanks to the ingenuity of businessmen and entrepreneurs and also by the Southern Midlands Council, who have reinvented the town for tourists and for its residents.

That laser focus on the future has paid off in dividends for Oatlands. The village was recently announced as the Keep Australia Beautiful Tidy Towns state winner for 2022. Oatlands will compete against all the other state winners at the national awards to be held on King Island—another Tasmanian success story—later this year. Keep Australia Beautiful state judge Lona Turvey noted the number of initiatives to improving the financial and social wellbeing of the community and noted not only the financial developments but the enormous impact of the town's volunteering community. One example of that is the highly successful Heritage and Bullock Festival, which injects about $280,000 dollars back into the community.

Ms Turvey also recognised the Callington Mill destination playground as a perfect example of how the council valued the opinions and needs of the community to help it grow. The playground was developed with the input of Oatlands District High School students and has opened to great fanfare and much pleasure from young people. The Callington Mill is the symbol of Oatlands. It's used in the town's wayfinding sign and branding, and its rebirth has heralded in a new future for that quaint village to ensure any visitors who are travelling past will stop.

This town's evolution deserves an accolade, and I want to take this opportunity to wish Oatlands well in the national Tidy Towns awards later this year. Congratulations to the Oatlands community. All of Tasmania is behind you when you represent our state on the national stage.