Rural Ambassador of the Year Award

The Hon. M. EL DANNAWI (14:48): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Will the minister inform the chamber about the winner of the 2024 Rural Ambassador of the Year Award?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:48): I thank the honourable member for her question. This year marks the 25^th anniversary of the Young Rural Ambassador of the Year Award. It is with great pleasure that I inform the chamber that the winner of the 2024 Rural Ambassador of the Year Award is Ms Kayla Starkey. Representing the Mount Pleasant show, Kayla was named the winner of the prestigious award at this year's Rural Ambassador Award dinner, held at the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds during Show week, and I was delighted to be able to attend and present the award to Kayla.

Kayla is an agricultural science teacher at Murray Bridge High School and is passionate about educating youth about the agricultural sector. She is dedicated to her local community, serving as chairperson of the Mount Pleasant Community Association Incorporated and president of the Mount Pleasant Tennis Club. Kayla has apparently been around country and royal shows since before she could walk due to her family's rich involvement with stud merino, Polwarth sheep and wool. Kayla enjoys running her family's fifth-generation property in the Mount Pleasant area, all the while finding time somehow to convene and steward at multiple country shows in her area in sheep, wool and cookery.

The government of South Australia through my department, PIRSA, has been a proud sponsor of the Rural Ambassador Award program, delivered by the Agricultural Societies Council of South Australia (Country Shows SA) for more than 20 years. The Rural Ambassador Award program aims to highlight the importance of young people in rural South Australia, and in particular the agricultural show movement. The program is open to 20 to 30 year olds.

Among other assessment activities, entrants are interviewed at the awards dinner about their involvement in country shows, their community participation, ambitions, goals and interests. They receive points for their responses, presentation, enthusiasm and knowledge about rural life and agricultural shows. This year, there were seven Rural Ambassador Award state finalists. In listening to the finalists speak, and reading their bios, I was struck by the talent and accomplishments they all share in the country shows arena and the diversity of interests, study and work. Through sharing their stories and ideas for agricultural shows in our state, they will inspire and motivate change and no doubt encourage other young people to join and make a contribution in their own way.

Indeed, I have seen a number of changes in recent years at a number of country shows and have had the pleasure of catching up with finalists and winners of those awards. They have been able to talk about the changes that they have made and the things that have worked well and those that perhaps still need further refinement. It is great to see the innovation and enthusiasm that is evident.

As sponsor, PIRSA supports the involvement of young people in rural communities and also provides educational opportunities by exposing finalists to the roles and functions within the agency. Through the Rural Ambassador Program, PIRSA works alongside Country Shows SA to develop a platform on which young people can build on their local community involvement, which has positive flow-on effects for regional communities and facilitates the growth of the next generation of community leaders. As the winner of the state final, Kayla will represent South Australia at the national Rural Ambassadors award final next year. I wish her all the best at this event, and I have no doubt that she will do South Australia proud. Well done Kayla.