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Thursday, 3 August 2023
Page: 81

Ms WELLS (Lilley—Minister for Aged Care and Minister for Sport) (09:52): Brisbane turned on its best winter weather last Sunday for Sandgate's annual Einbunpin Festival in my electorate of Lilley. More than 15,000 Northsiders turned out for this much-loved event on the Brisbane festival calendar, which has well and truly shaken off its post-COVID hangover to celebrate its 31st iteration.

My first stop at the festival is always to secure my jams from the Nashville State School stall, where I purchase some of their very popular range from mothers, before heading to the Nundah Rotary Club stall for a sausage sizzle. I was also impressed, as I am every year, by the wares on display from the Sandgate men's shed. One of their famous clocks, which is made from the old wooden pylons of the old Shorncliffe Pier, takes pride of place in my office. I was able to don my federal sports minister cap to join with state member for Sandgate and Queensland sports minister Stirling Hinchliffe and Counsellor Jared Cassidy to assist in the judging of the hotly contested egg-and-spoon races. Then Minister Hinchliffe and I turned our skills to adjudicating the biggest event in the Lilley calendar, the annual Einbunpin mullet-tossing competition, which is a highly competitive event in which I am pleased to say no real mullets were harmed. I congratulate Natasha from Sandgate and Walter from Taigum on taking out the open women's and men's categories this year.

As always, I extend my congratulations to the festival chair, my good friend the councillor for Deagon Ward, Jared Cassidy. It takes months and months for him and his organising committee of volunteers, local businesses and festival sponsors to pull such a huge event together, but it is a great Northside tradition, and I'm glad it was a rousing success again this year.

On 19 July, I was able to roll up my sleeves and get my hands dirty planting trees alongside the students from Everton Park State School in my electorate of Lilley. Thank you to the amazing principal, Aminta Miller, for inviting me to participate in the official opening of the school's new butterfly arbour, which was made possible with Commonwealth government funding. Prep students, together with year 6 students, worked to plant their legacy trees around the school, including a flame tree. I look forward to returning to Everton Park State School to see firsthand the progress of the arbour and those trees as the years go on.

This week, Airservices Australia has launched the next phase of the community engagement around the Brisbane aircraft noise action plan. Residents in Lilley have been invited to have their say on proposed new flight path options to be developed over the next two years. Residents can register to attend one of 14 drop-in sessions across the city, including one at Everton Park Bowls and Community Club on Saturday 12 August, this weekend. Community feedback is open until 10 September. I would urge all northsiders who care about this issue to have their say in this process.