Mildura electorate
Ms CUPPER (Mildura) (09:53): Following two frustrating years of pandemic-related false starts, cancellations and tentative bookings, Team AC is finally back in action in outback Victoria, because lately we have been all over the place. A couple of weeks ago our team was treated to a full day of visits and activities in Nullawil, a little Mallee town which punches above its weight, especially when it comes to wheat production and football premierships. Thanks to the Nullawil Historical Society, we were provided a full guided tour of the Nullawil heritage museum, which has a rich local history. The sprawling site provides a home for historical treasures from across the Mallee, from schoolbooks to churches. We were so grateful for the local hospitality and especially the organising efforts of our own Nullawil girl, Sandy Pollington, who was also busy with preparations for the official opening of our Southern Mallee electorate hub in Birchip. Although the hub has been operating for a while, it was great fun to officially introduce the community to our new base, which has helped us to stay connected and accessible across the vast expanse of the Mildura electorate. The opening was well attended by locals from Birchip, Nullawil and Wycheproof, and it was a great excuse to spend some time and money in two of Birchip’s premier nightspots, O’Donnell’s wine bar and the Birchip pub.
It is a privilege to represent this part of the world. Mallee farming communities are made of tough stuff. They farmed the desert and turned it into a multibillion-dollar economic powerhouse. Thanks to ancestry.com, I can confirm that I am related to most of them.