Carpentaria Shire Council Mayor, Councillor Jack Bawden and Mrs Cathy Bawden; Mornington Shire Council Mayor, Councillor Richard Sewter and Ms Helen Moon; Pormpuraaw Aboriginal Shire Council Mayor, Councillor Ralph Kendall Jnr and Mrs Erin Kendall; ladies and gentlemen.
I begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the lands around Brisbane, the Turrbal and Jagera people, paying my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and acknowledge the First Nations people with us this evening.
Thank you all for travelling so far to join Graeme and me for tonight’s dinner at Government House. I am so glad to have the opportunity to meet you again, so soon after our trip to the Gulf of Carpentaria, because it gives me the chance to reinforce my gratitude to you—not just for making us feel so welcome in your communities, but for your passionate and dedicated leadership.
One of my greatest privileges as Governor is to meet Queenslanders where they live, and I have to say that your regions are all very special places—not just because of their diverse natural beauty, but because of the way the Councils and residents are working together to shape a future that takes into account the specific needs and wishes of the locals.
Visiting your communities in person enabled me to more fully appreciate your successes and challenges, and to understand more deeply the complexities and hard work that go into developing strategies to propel your shires forward.
I know that the role of a mayor is not an easy one. Alongside your responsibilities for overseeing the day-to-day operations of Council, you are required to manage the complex issues that are affecting your communities; many of which—like food security, health, and access to schooling on country beyond the primary years—are made more difficult by your remote locations.
Yet, on that same point, I saw how forming effective partnerships—such as that which led to the establishment of Normanton FoodWorks, now providing reasonably priced fresh food and other supplies to the community––are addressing some of these challenges.
While there are obvious differences between your regions, I was struck by the determination you share to build thriving communities that value the involvement of all, encourage the preservation of Indigenous traditions—particularly through arts and crafts, song and dance—and support the key industries that benefit our whole state.
There is a very clear effort to harness the abilities and creative spirit of young people, and to inspire them to lead their communities in the future—and I commend you for the incredible initiatives being implemented to foster their interests in such positive ways.
I must say, Graeme and I absolutely loved reading to the children at your schools, and seeing the focus being made to support learning. At the other end of the schooling spectrum, I was pleased to learn of the Gulf Christian College’s planned expansion in Normanton to include Years 11 and 12, allowing students to complete their education closer to home.
So, tonight, I want to thank each of you—and the family, friends and colleagues who work with you—for your immense contributions, and for being such strong voices for your shires.
Graeme and I are looking forward to spending a lovely evening in your company, and we hope you enjoy your visit to the beautiful Fernberg Estate.
