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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 12 Hansard (13 November) . . Page.. 3543 ..

MR SMYTH (4.02): Mr Hargreaves is to be congratulated for putting this motion on the notice paper. He is also to be congratulated for his long-term involvement in the festival. John is one of the guys who are always there who, along with people like Michael Lindfield, help to keep it alive. Well done, Mr Hargreaves.

A great deal has been said already, and it is hard to say anything new without covering old ground. I would simply comment on what a wonderful variety of events there was at the festival-cycling, choirs, fireworks and concerts. Thanks to the community, organisations like the Guises Creek Bush Fire Brigade-which I belong to-made some money out of the festival. We always have a bucket on hand-to collect. It is great to see patrons willing to give of their time and participate in the festival-and willing also to support other people in kind. They rewarded us with several hundred dollars, which we will put to good use over the coming months.

Mr Hargreaves listed all the sponsors, so I will not go over them again. Suffice it to say that the sponsors are many and varied. They are incredibly representative of the support which comes from the Tuggeranong business community, as well as community groups from the clubs and social organisations down there. To Michael Lindfield and his committee, and the many silent workers who are never seen but who are heard-in the expressed joy of the residents of Tuggeranong at their festival-congratulations, and well done.

Mr Speaker, the beauty for me of the Tuggeranong festival is that it showcases a community. It shows a community that is diverse and accepting, active and involved-and willing to get out and spend time together, just in the sheer pleasure of one another's company, in the enjoyment of the events that are put on. The fact that it has been conducted for 14 years shows the huge amount of support from that community for its own festival. That is great. I hope to see it grow and remain a strong and vibrant indication of the sort of community the people of Tuggeranong see themselves being.

MR PRATT (4.04): Mr Speaker, I rise to speak in support of this motion. Like all festivals, the Tuggeranong Community Festival is important to the social and economic development of Tuggeranong. It has been very important for the Tuggeranong community to develop its own festival activities. It has been a great challenge to the community to be able to develop activities which are in competition with the wonderful array of established festival activities already existing across the ACT. This the Tuggeranong community has done, and the program of successful activities in the south is proof of that.

The fact that 7,000 people attended on the night of the concert and that 12,500 attended over the last weekend of the festival speaks volumes for the success of that festival. The pull of a big band-at least the pull of that band, to get it involved-reflects well on the organisation and determination of those behind the festival.

In answer to Mr Hargreaves' stated concern that Mr Pratt of Pratt's Tackle Box may be connected, I do not know about that. There is probably a relationship there somewhere. In debate on one of the earlier motions in the day, Richard Pratt was named. I suppose we can all be happy that the Pratt name is reflective of so many positive outcomes!

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