ADJOURNMENT

Senator DEAN SMITH (Western Australia) (16:28): I rise this afternoon to recognise the Brabham Gujarati community and the wonderful Garba night recently held in Beechboro. It was a night filled with colour, music, dance, food and, above all, a tremendous sense of community. Garba is one of the great traditions of Gujarati culture, bringing people together through music and dance in celebration of faith, family and community.

What was particularly striking was the energy in the room and the number of families and young people taking part in the celebration. Events such as this play an important role in keeping cultural traditions alive and in passing them from one from one generation to the next. They also give the wider Western Australian community an opportunity to experience and enjoy the extraordinary cultural diversity that has become such an important part of Western Australia.

WA's Indian community continues to make an enormous contribution to our economic, professional, cultural and community life. Senator DEAN SMITH: Senator Ghosh is cheering from the sidelines. The Gujarati community is an important part of that story.

Community events on this scale do not happen by themselves; they require months of preparation and the commitment of people willing to give their time freely for the benefit of others. I particularly acknowledge and congratulate the organisers and the many volunteers whose hard work made the evening possible. I also congratulate the many thousands of people who came together on that night to celebrate.

It was a privilege to share in such a vibrant celebration of Gujarati culture and community in Western Australia. Jai Mata Di. I'd like to recognise this evening Nepal Festival Perth 2026 and the contribution of the Nepalese community to Western Australia.

Since beginning in 2014, the festival has grown into an important celebration of Nepalese culture, bringing thousands of people together to experience Nepal's music, dance, food, heritage and traditions. This year's celebration carries particular significance following the devastating floods across Nepal and the Himalayan region. Lives have been lost, homes and livelihoods have been destroyed and many Western Australian families have faced the anguish of watching events unfold thousands of kilometres away.

Yet, from tragedy, we have again seen the strength, generosity and resilience of the Nepalese community. That same spirit was evident at Nepal Festival Perth—people coming together, supporting one another and proudly sharing their heritage with the wider Western Australian community. Australia and Nepal share more than six decades of diplomatic relations, but the strongest foundation of that friendship has been and will continue to be our people-to-people ties.

In Western Australia, the Nepalese community makes an important contribution across business, education, professions and community organisations. The festival represents multiculturalism at its best: Australians proud of where they've come from, proud of the country they now call home and eager to share their traditions with others. I especially congratulate the Non-Resident Nepali Association Western Australia and the organisers, volunteers, performers, sponsors and community organisations who made the festival possible.

I extend my warmest and best wishes again to the Nepalese community of Western Australia and to the people of Nepal.