Lord Howe Island Central School – Tanya Plibersek visit

In mid-September, we were pleased to host a visit by our Federal Member and Minister for Social Services, Tanya Plibersek.

Tanya spent time with the 3-6 students during an art lesson, met with school leaders, and had a lovely time connecting with our school community.

She also reunited with our Years 5 and 6 students after they met her on their Canberra trip, and followed up on a letter Emi, Bronte, and Liana had presented to her at the time.

A great experience for our students.

Dear Islanders,

Thank you for making my recent visit to your very special island such a pleasurable and memorable experience.

Beginning with Rachael who greeted us on the tarmac to take us to our accommodation, it was like returning to see old friends, catching up on Island life in the three years since I last visited.

After dropping off our luggage, we walked down to Campbell’s bike hire then cycled on to the school. Principal Darren Denmead, and teacher Raven Bendersky, introduced us to the pupils who presented me with a card they had made, filled with wonderful vignettes from their daily lives. It now sits on display in the Sydney electorate office. It was great also to see the children back on their home turf, hearing about their adventures when they visited me on their trip to Canberra. Sounds like the snow was the biggest hit.

Next stop was the Board to catch up with CEO, Suzie Christensen, who updated me on the Island’s new infrastructure plans. We then met the biodiversity team, Liam, Krissy, Daryl and Chad who updated me on the rodent eradication program (I’ve never seen so many woodhens!), and on progress with the Phasmid project. I look forward to seeing their release into the Island again. We also talked about weed eradication – a never ending challenge.

While I was meeting the local resident board members, Anna Connor and Lea Ohiback, were busily setting up the ceremony to welcome Luke Phillips- Page and Tim Solomon as Australian citizens. It was a pleasure to preside over their ceremony. Congrats Tim and Luke!

Dinner at the Bowls Club was a good chance to chat with Lindy, Amy and members of the executive team and the Club. And a great chance to try some delicious local beef!

The following morning, we walked down to the Coral Café for coffee and to say hello to Stephen Sia and his team. A side trip to see how one of the cattle farms operates followed.

Then back to the bikes to cycle to the church hall to meet the LHI playgroup. My Department of Social Services provides some funding and it was great to see the opportunity it supports for the kids – and their parents. Of course, we also spoke about the search for a new pre-school teacher, which I hope has now been successful.

Next was a visit to the community centre for morning tea with the residents. Over tea and sandwiches supplied by the Anchorage, I heard from locals about the jetty, boat slipway and crane, the roads, the runway and other new and proposed infrastructure issues, which I will discuss with the relevant Ministers.

From here we cycled to the Museum to meet Ian Hutton and talk some more about the unique and beautiful natural wonder of LHI.

We then rode uphill to Distilling Co to see Anthony Riddle, to congratulate him on his Royal Easter Show President’s medal, and to marvel at how he and Christian Young are using local botanicals and utilising the bi-products.

There are many others who took time out of their day to show me around and talk about some of their issues, including respite for older residents, the cost of boarding schools, the operations of the air service, and a range of other challenges particular to living in such a remote location.

I was also pleased to see the difference that our government’s investment in remote telecommunications has made, even with basic things like paying for items in shops all the way through to remote learning.

As always, I left LHI planning to return and in the meantime, I will be following up on the issues that you have raised.

Please call or email if you have other issues, you need me to follow up on. 

Tanya

See all the pictures in the issue.
This article appeared in The Lord Howe Island Signal, 30 September 2025.