House of Assembly: Wednesday, November 09, 2011

Contents

MAWSON ELECTORATE

Mr BIGNELL (Mawson) (15:34): I rise today to update the house on some events in the electorate of Mawson during the past few weeks. Last Wednesday night, it gave me great pleasure once again to chair the Hackham West Community Centre Annual General Meeting. I would like to put on the record in this place our thanks to the people who do such a good job at that community centre, not only volunteering to be on the board but also the people who do so much to help so many in our community.

The Hackham West Community Centre really is the focal point of Hackham West, and it has turned around so many lives of people of all ages, from kids to older residents who, perhaps, missed out on an education earlier in their life and have come back to train on computers or do some other study and then move on to get grades either at secondary school or through some other further education institution.

A couple of weeks ago we also had the McLaren Vale Business Association 10th Annual Regional Business Awards, held at the Hardys Tintara winery—always a great night on the social and business calendar of McLaren Vale—and I would like to congratulate the winners on the night. Business of the Year was won by Peter Busbridge from Southbound Locksmiths. He has done a great job since he started up his business; he works incredibly hard and is very popular with the local people, who call him out to help with their locksmith requirements.

The Customer Service Business Award went to Jenny McGrath and Ciaran Cryan from Bellevue Bed and Breakfast; they also picked up the Environment Award on the night. The Customer Service Individual Award went to Gail Blount from the McLaren Vale Pharmacy, which has won many awards over the years at the McLaren Vale Business Awards. The Home Based Business Award went to Amanda White from Horsing Around, and the Youth Employee Award went to Lauren Mackay from Beyond Beautiful Style Lounge.

The Retail Business Award went to Ellis Butchers, and the Professional Services Award went to the McLaren Vale & Districts War Memorial Hospital. That was a great win by a great hospital that does so much for our community and is run so well by management and staff, as well as their incredible volunteer work force, that does so much for the hospital.

Amanda Rishworth, the federal member for Kingston, is a great supporter of the McLaren Vale Business Association and its awards nights, and once again this year she sponsored the Manufacturing Trades Award, which also went to Peter Busbridge, the overall winner from Southbound Locksmiths.

Employee of the Year went to Brett Lier from the McLaren Vale Bakery. We have some outstanding bakeries in the electorate, and McLaren Vale is no exception. They keep serving up fantastic pies and pasties, and that doesn't help when you are trying to decrease your waistline.

Recently, we also had the McLaren Vale Grape, Wine and Tourism Association awards, and I would really like to congratulate Steve Pannell, from SC Pannell Wines, a great winemaker whose wines are seen in the best restaurants and the best wine stores all around Australia. He is one of the younger brigade in McLaren Vale, who bring their personality and put it into the wines. It is one of the features that make our part of the world so special. Steve won the Bushing King title for his tempranillo touriga, which is a little bit different to the normal shiraz and cab savs that we serve up in McLaren Vale. It is an outstanding wine, and I recommend it to everyone.

One of the big awards at the McLaren Vale Grape, Wine and Tourism Association Bushing King awards day is the Greg Trott Award, which is awarded in memory of the great man from Wirra Wirra Wines who died a few years ago. This year the Greg Trott Award went to the Petrucci family. So to Joe Petrucci, his brother John and his sister Vicki Vasarelli I extend my congratulations. They are great people in our community, who have done so much. They moved there as a family with their father, set up wineries and grew grapes in the area, and have also been part of the development of the McLaren Vale Piazza della Valle, which was opened by the Premier on Sunday.

It was a fantastic day, and it was great to see the community come up with that idea seven years ago. The government chipped in $1 million and helped them bring what was their idea to reality; we just provided some money and some support, and let them run with the idea. They designed the piazza, and it is a fantastic addition to the main street of McLaren Vale. I congratulate the Petruccis and everyone else involved.