90 second statement – Bundaberg Netball Association

Mr PITT (Hinkler) (16:32):  I rise to congratulate the Bundaberg Netball Association, who have successfully lobbied to hold the 2018 Primary Schools Cup in September this year. They didn’t do it alone. We made a commitment at the 2016 election of $500,000 to help them expand the Bundaberg Super Park so it could attract events just like this. I know what the opposition candidate said at the time: ‘This is all not true. It will never be delivered.’ Well, here it is. It is built and it is delivered. We have kids out there on those the courts in regional Queensland—in one of my regional centres, Bundaberg. An event of this size will attract more than 1,000 children in years 4 to 6 from around 100 schools.

Madam Deputy Speaker Claydon, I know that you know what this will do for a regional economy—this is people in hotels and people at restaurants; this is people out shopping and seeing our local tourism facilities and attractions. And, hopefully, they come back, because this is such a wonderful place to live and visit. I congratulate the former president Karen Holloway and the current president Anthony Lewis for their passion and dedication in seeing this project come to fruition. It has been a very long haul. The original netball courts were at a location called Kendall’s Flat. They were damaged by floods in 2010. In 2013, they had a trawler parked on the roof of the building following the 2013 floods. This has been a boon for our local community and our local sports people. It’s great for young girls in particular. I look forward to the benefits that this will bring to our local economy. Congratulations to the Bundaberg Netball Association.