AgriFutures Rural Women's Award

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (15:09): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Will the minister inform the chamber about the progress of the 2023 national AgriFutures Rural Women's Award?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:09): I am delighted to be able to provide an update to the chamber, and I thank the member for his question and his interest. The AgriFutures Rural Women's Award was established in the year 2000 to raise the profile of talented and passionate women involved in primary industries and rural Australia.

Over the past 22 years, the award has provided more than 250 women with opportunities to achieve positive change in rural and regional Australia through diverse and innovative projects. I had the pleasure of attending the 2023 SA AgriFutures Rural Women's Award event in Adelaide on 9 May, where I had the chance to catch up with previous years' finalists who continue to show how valuable the AgriFutures program is across a range of industries, projects and regions.

At that event I was also able to congratulate this year's SA winner, Ali Paulett, the Managing Director of her Clare Valley family business, Paulett Wines. The initiative for which Ali was recognised is truly innovative, educative and practical. Located adjacent to the Bush DeVine Winery Restaurant in the Clare Valley, the Indigenous Australian native sensory bush food garden was the first of its kind when it opened in 2010.

Ali's passion for bush foods came from her love of foraged foods and the paddock to plate concept. Her bush food garden was planted with the dual purpose of creating a unique garden and walking path and supplying the restaurant with fresh native produce. The garden is a tangible and sensory experience for visitors where they can smell, taste and touch the produce. The garden is also used for educational purposes and it is visited, too, by walkers at the end of the Wine and Wilderness Trail.

As part of winning the South Australian award, Ali received a $15,000 grant from Westpac to further progress her bush garden project. Ali's plans include improving the educational signage in the garden, enhancing the website content to be more interactive and include high-quality videography, and expanding the garden to include additional plants and spaces for picnics and gatherings. Ultimately, the garden aims to become a showcase for educators, visitors and anyone who wishes to connect with the land, its history and the local First Nations Ngadjuri people.

Ali will tonight represent South Australia at the AgriFutures Rural Women's Award gala dinner and national award announcement at the Great Hall in Parliament House, Canberra. All of us, I am sure, wish Ali all the best in tonight's contest.

The AgriFutures Rural Women's Award highlights the role models who perform critical functions at the heart of their rural communities and who are inspirations to many other regional women. Applications for the 2024 award open tomorrow, and I encourage all those involved with rural and regional businesses and community organisations to think hard about the outstanding women in their networks and to encourage them to apply for this important award.