South Australian Young Rural Ambassador Award

The Hon. T.T. NGO (15:16): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Can the minister tell the council about the South Australian Young Rural Ambassador Award presentation dinner held last month?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:16): I thank the honourable member for his question. It was my great pleasure to attend the presentation dinner for the announcement of the South Australian Young Rural Ambassador Award and to celebrate the hard work, achievements and contributions of the finalists. This award is open to people aged between 16 and 20, and it honours emerging leaders deeply committed to agricultural industries and the agricultural show movement.

The award also reflects the shared commitment of everyone involved to help foster young talent and leadership within the South Australian agricultural community and creates a sustainable future for country shows. The government of South Australia, through the Department of Primary Industries and Regions, has been a proud sponsor of the Rural and Young Rural Ambassador program, as well as the Young Judges competition, for more than 20 years.

The program offers a wonderful platform and network to the young people of our state to build on their involvement with their local agricultural shows and to amplify their contributions to rural and regional South Australia. Providing personal and professional development opportunities through the program is important to keep young people engaged and to support them to reach their highest potential. It was wonderful to hear from Elsie, the 2024 Young Rural Ambassador, about her experiences over the past 12 months. I commend Elsie for making the most of the opportunity and using it to progress her own development and learning as a young leader.

Local shows bring people together, and young people play a big role in making shows vibrant and exciting places by volunteering, participating in competitions and organising events. The energy which young people bring to country shows strengthens local pride and community bonds, which are even more needed now in times of drought. The close involvement of young people cannot be underestimated for keeping country shows relevant, evolving and, importantly, fun. In turn, engagement in the organisation and running of country shows helps young people to further develop their critical skills, such as leadership, responsibility, teamwork and problem solving. These skills are valuable to the future of local, regional and rural communities, and to our state as a whole.

Country shows hold a cherished position in the hearts of country and city folk alike across South Australia, and intergenerational exchange is critical to ensuring much-loved country show traditions are preserved where needed, which is why it's so fantastic to see country show volunteers of all ages here supporting and cheering on the next generation.

The seven finalists in the running for the Young Rural Ambassador Award were all impressive individuals. Among the seven finalists there were show stewards and judges, secretaries and presidents of show societies and, of course, show entrants and competitors. On top of their show commitments, the finalists are also pursuing education and careers in pharmacy, veterinary medicine, sports and recreation, and agriculture.

Angus Schiller, Maddie Zoanetti, Belinda Jaeger, Shayla Lepse, Ellie Oster, Lacey Cains and Tilly Keller should all be extremely proud of their dedication to their communities and their commitment to agricultural shows. Their contributions to the ag show movement deserve recognition, and I am delighted they put themselves forward to take advantage of the platform offered by this award program.

The runner-up this year was Ellie Oster from the Yorke Peninsula. Ellie was recognised for her contribution as a convener of the children's section of the Maitland Show and a member of the show committee. Ellie also works at her local early learning centre and supports children with special needs.

The winner, the Young Rural Ambassador 2025, is Shayla Lepse. Shayla is currently employed as a station hand at Konetta Station in the South-East. Shayla was not born and raised in a regional area. She in fact developed her love for agriculture at school, attending Urrbrae Agricultural High School in Adelaide, and had to move away from her family to work in the South-East. It was lovely to meet her parents there on the night.

Both Shayla and Ellie are very deserving winners and I look forward to seeing how they make the most of this fantastic opportunity over the next 12 months. To the other finalists, I encourage them to keep up their fantastic work in their communities and to continue their learning and development, and I commend them for their commitment to agricultural shows.