Waikerie Football Club

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE (Chaffey—Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development) (15:16): Today, I rise to acknowledge a great event that happened in the Riverland over the weekend to celebrate a 110^th birthday, which I attended down at Waikerie. It really was quite a celebration. It was the 110^th birthday of the Riverland Football League's reigning premiers, the Waikerie Football Club. I will give some history. From humble beginnings in 1908, the Waikerie Football Club Magpies began as a foundation member of the Mid Murray Football League. It was not long until they won the inaugural premiership and enjoyed a hat-trick from 1911 to 1913.

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE (Chaffey—Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development) (15:09): Today, I rise to speak about a recent visit to the Riverland by members of the prestigious Great Wine Capitals global network. This is a world-renowned network of wine and industry leaders. I joined network members in the Riverland, including Napa Valley president, Clay Gregory; dean of the Wine and Spirits Academy at Kedge Business School in Bordeaux, Jacques-Olivier Pesme; and the general manager of the Monverde Wine Experience Hotel, Miguel Ribeiro from Portugal.

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE (Chaffey—Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development) (15:23): I would like to speak about a local event in Chaffey over the weekend and also thank the member for Light for his presence up there for the unveiling of the Italian migrants statue in the main street, in Vaughan Terrace, up at Berri. It was a cold, brisk Saturday morning, but it was a really good commemoration of some of the migrants who had moved into the Riverland over many years.

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE (Chaffey—Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development) (15:25): It gives me great pleasure today to rise and speak about an important initiative undertaken in the Riverland community that is having a positive impact and creating future leaders in the region.