The Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott, and the Shadow Minister for Education, Christopher Pyne, joined Alex Hawke to announce the Coalition’s Real Action Plan to Stop Labor’s School Halls Waste.

Under the Coalition’s plan principals will decide on the priorities for each school, not the state bureaucracy. In addition, once the planned construction is complete, schools will retain any remaining money for other education or infrastructure initiatives.

Mr Abbott and Mr Pyne were able to meet members of the local community at Annangrove where the school community had sought a new hall under the BER, but was offered a library, despite already having a library.  Annangrove public school is a clear example of the need for taxpayers’ money to be spent wisely.

Growing up in the Hills, the Orange Blossom Festival was something which was always an important occasion on our community’s calendar.

Be it the street parades, the garden competition, the Crestwood Fair, or the other festivals—these events were an important cultural exchange in our local community.

The Orange Blossom Festival was significant to many locals, especially those who had lived in the Hills Shire for a long time and can still recall the open spaces and agricultural areas that covered the entire district.

Each year many local residents volunteered to serve on boards, help to organise events, and spent countless hours ensuring the success of events making up the Orange Blossom Festival.

The name Orange Blossom Festival reflects an ongoing tradition that stretches back some 40- 50 years and reflects the importance of the citrus industry to our past and an ongoing link with our agricultural history.

But the changing the name of the Orange Blossom Festival to ‘Hills Fest’ has led to much disappointment among many residents in the Hills Shire. At best, Hills Fest is underwhelming and it is a name that I believe will take a long time to receive even a moderate amount of recognition or support.

Can you imagine other areas abandoning their identities? For example the Ryde Council dropping the name Granny Smith Festival, held each year in Eastwood in favour of Eastwood Fest?

There should not be a rush away from the names and traditions which are important to many in our community. I fear this name change is more to do with modern marketing-speak than accurately reflecting community sentiment.

Council should reconsider this re-branding decision, recognise the importance of this festival to our past, and retain the name Orange Blossom Festival. It a distinct, unique name that reflects our Shire’s history and tradition.