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Merry Christmas From Philip DavisSeason’s greetings. As the Liberal Member for Gippsland Province, I’m delighted to take this opportunity to wish all Gippslanders a very merry Christmas and a safe and happy new year. By Philip Davis - 16th December 2004 - Back to News I would like to extend thanks and well wishes to all Gippslanders for their support and confidence over the past year, in our attempts to make Gippsland and the whole state of Victoria, a better place to live, visit and invest.
May you all enjoy Christmas in your special way, and make the most of this valuable time with friends and family.
In coming together, may we look forward with optimism to the coming year. May we find ways to strengthen our families and our communities, to improve our lifestyle opportunities for the next generation.
The fighting spirit of Gippslanders has been particularly prominent this year, with communities sticking together for many common causes. Many examples come to mind, but to mention just a few:
The affects of the drought began to ease for Gippsland farmers, who started to emerge from the dust and re-build their livelihoods. Lake Glenmaggie spilled for the first time in many years, and Macalister Irrigation District farmers received their full allocation.
South Gippslanders banded together to fight inappropriate windfarm developments in their backyards, and used their vote in the Federal election to send a clear message to the Labor Party that they will not be pushed around.
Those in the educational and farming sectors successfully fought the relocation of agricultural courses from Melbourne University’s McMillan campuses, ensuring the future of industry-linked agricultural training for our young people and keeping them living and working in the region.
The re-building and healing from the 2003 East Gippsland bushfires continued, with the community coming together to produce a remarkable book capturing their experiences and struggles through that devastating time.
During the holiday season, we must also remember to include in our celebrations those people who are not as fortunate. Christmas is a time for sharing and the joy of helping others is more rewarding than any gift you will receive. It only takes a small amount of effort to make a big difference in others’ lives.
With the strong community spirit that exists throughout Gippsland, I am confident we can all continue to work together to make our own communities and the region a better place to work, live and raise our families.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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