PORT ELLIOT SHOW

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (15:35): I rise today to acknowledge and congratulate the Port Elliot Show Committee for the wonderful job it is doing with respect to royal country shows on the Fleurieu Peninsula.

On Saturday 8 October and Sunday 9 October 2011, the 134^th Port Elliot Show was put on at the Port Elliot Showgrounds. I was invited to attend but, unfortunately, due to a personal situation, I was not able to on this occasion. However, I have attended the show on other occasions and always thoroughly enjoyed the broad range of events and the exhibits and exhibitors. In fact, with my father-in-law, I have previously exhibited Jersey stud cattle at that show. I want to congratulate the executive committee on the good work it has done again. In particular, I will single out the secretary, Gayle Garrett. A secretary's job is never easy (my wife is the secretary of a netball club) and Gayle did a sterling job in ensuring that every t was crossed and every i dotted.

Mayor Kym McHugh officially opened the show at 12 noon on the Saturday, and I spoke to him a couple of days later. He said that he was amazed by the number of people in attendance—families, young people, farmers, people with particular gifts and talents in arts and crafts, people with animals who get so much enjoyment out of them and show them in competitions for prizes, poultry, and the list goes on.

I also want to reinforce the importance of these shows throughout country South Australia. Another show in our area I always enjoy when I get the chance to attend is the Strathalbyn Show. We had our own Mount Compass Show, but it could not continue, as was the case with a lot of other shows. We still have a very good show at Yankalilla. These are fantastic opportunities for city people to come and get a real feel for country South Australia and the country lifestyle because they are all within about one hour of the city.

However, there has been a reduction in the number of shows available throughout the state, and there has been a lot of consolidation. In fact, the Port Elliot Show is part of the Southern Agricultural Society Inc. which incorporated my own home town show at Mount Compass, Victor Harbor, Port Elliot, Middleton, Currency Creek and Goolwa.

As I said, it was the 134^th annual show. I looked through the life members list and many of those people were known to me; sadly, some of them are now deceased. Much of the reason the Port Elliot Show has been going for 134 years has to do with the commitment and quality of the volunteers who are involved with its organisation. As I understand it, once one Port Elliot Show finishes very soon afterwards the committee is already getting ready for the next one.

These shows provide very important cultural and community benefits to country areas and, as I said, they also give a great opportunity for young people to become involved and to get a real taste of the benefits of breeding stud cattle, favourite poultry and birds, sheep, goats—whatever the animal may be. Of course, there are also horse competitions, particularly at Port Elliot where they have led ring, novelties and encourage show jumping—the list goes on. Michael Scott is one of the people who focuses there. Having worked with Michael Scott when I was emergency services minister, I know he is an amazing volunteer with the ambulance service at Goolwa and at the Port Elliot show.

I want to conclude my remarks by saying that these shows only happen because of a fantastic commitment by the volunteers. Again I congratulate all of them involved in the Port Elliot Show and, indeed, all people involved in country shows that are happening left, right and centre at this time of the year. I congratulate them and encourage them to remain committed to ensure that these shows go on for at least another century.