TOURISM, WINE AND FOOD

Ms CICCARELLO (Norwood) (15:03): My question is to the Minister for Tourism. How is the state government promoting South Australia as a wine and food destination?

The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH (Adelaide—Minister for Education and Children's Services, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (15:03): I thank the member for Norwood for her interest in this matter. She, of course, represents the great wine and tourism centres of Norwood where food and wine is part of the culture. This week, we are celebrating the 10^th year of Tasting Australia, which is occurring in both Adelaide and the regions. It is a perfect time for visitors to recognise our brilliant blend of events. This biennial Tasting Australia event showcases South Australia's produce and rich culinary tradition. It features countless opportunities to indulge, blended with informed discussion and cooking demonstrations by many of the world's great chefs. Tasting Australia this year has something for everyone, with 73 events taking place over eight days.

Thousands of people took the opportunity to spend a day at the Lifestyle Food Channel Feast for the Senses, which was held over two days at Elder Park. This time, for the first year, it started on Saturday afternoon and we had an extra day of the event in order to capitalise on the nearly 10,000 Masters Games competitors who were in town on Saturday afternoon and could enjoy the event by the banks of the Torrens. There were 75 exhibitors featuring gourmet South Australian food, fine wine and premium beer.

Today, the James Squire Food, Beer and Wine Writers Festival started at the SA Museum. This is a free event, featuring 50 national and international food, drink and travel authors, TV presenters and chefs, who will entertain audiences with a variety of gastronomic topics. In addition, there has been a food summit, again discussing fine food but with a bias towards youth health and nutrition. The Adelaide Food Summit (which finished yesterday) focused on these areas of concern for the health portfolio, as well as the education portfolio but, in particular, worked with primary industries.

Every event that has been running over the past week has had media involvement and for this, the 10^th year, over 100 local, national and international media guests have been here from Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Northern Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, The Netherlands, the UK and the United States. In 2005, Tasting Australia attracted more than 2,000 event-specific visitors, generating $4.1 million in economic benefit to the state, and we anticipate this year's event will be an even bigger boost to our economy and see South Australia figure in some of the best print and visual media around the world, because there will be so many journalists taking back vignettes and articles about the fine food, wine and beer in South Australia.