Mundubbera Community Morning Tea

North Burnett Regional Council Mayor, Councillor Les Hotz and CEO Ms Margot Stork; Councillor Susan Payne and community members.

I begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we gather and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and to all First Nations people here today.

Graeme and I are so pleased to be in beautiful Mundubbera, on our first official visit to the North Burnett Regional Council area, and thank you for your warm welcome.

We are only sorry we missed Sunday’s famous seven-a-side cricket match, which I believe has been running here for an incredible 39 years, because this event, alongside others, including the Agricultural Show in May, and September’s Blueberry Festival, not only showcase the capabilities of the region, but also its wonderful, unique character.

The rich river soils of this region are renowned for producing top quality fresh produce, with citrus now joined by the growing of many other delicious premium fruits, including mangoes, stone-fruit, avocados, blueberries and table grapes to name a few—that are enjoyed by us at home, and exported around the world.

Graeme and I are looking forward to visiting Smart Berries Blueberry Farm later today, to happily provide our taste-testing expertise! 

Yet the economic buoyancy of such industries—and their wider contribution to the fortunes of our State—is underpinned by a determination on behalf of all who live here, to strengthen and to continually enhance the Mundubbera way of life.

In this place known as the “meeting place of the waters” or “footsteps in the trees”, both equally poetic indigenous descriptors, it is the people who make it thrive—deeply proud of past achievements, yet firmly committed to building a magnificent future.

Before our morning tea, I was privileged to visit the Mundubbera Multipurpose Health Service, and Mundubbera State College—where every day, passionate and talented medical and teaching staff do all they can to serve others.

And each of you joining us today, represent a community that comes together to offer support, motivation and a helping hand when it is needed.

Across the region—in council, in local businesses, in the emergency services, not-for-profit, sports, arts and cultural organisations, clubs and societies—individuals are working hard to make this community not just strong, but ever more vibrant.

I am also sure that many of you wear multiple hats—giving back through volunteering, local sponsorships, and in a myriad of other ways that life in the country both encourages and relies upon.

As Governor of Queensland, I therefore thank each of you for your significant contribution to our State’s success, and for showing that such outstanding enterprise does not come at the expense of genuine thoughtfulness.

Thank you for welcoming us so warmly.