TOURISM EVENTS

Ms CICCARELLO (Norwood) (15:06): My question is directed to the Minister for Tourism. Will the major events taking place in South Australia in the next few months generate economic benefits to our state?

The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH (Adelaide—Minister for Education and Children's Services, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (15:06): I know that the member for Norwood is a great supporter of festivals, events and the tourism sector generally, and I thank her for her question. I know that her interest relates to the fact that those events are not only good for the community and are community building but also that they provide jobs and economic benefit to the state. We have had an incredibly busy January with international cricket, tennis and our very first Pro Tour outside of Europe. South Australians and visitors have come to South Australia and enjoyed much of what we have to offer, but in fact the fun is not over. We are gearing up for a stellar line-up of events that will take us forward into the next two or three months.

In March alone we can look forward to the Clipsal 500, the Adelaide Fringe, the Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts, WOMADelaide and the Australian Beach Volleyball Championships (back-to-back with our first SWATCH FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour), which will be an amazing event for South Australia. I encourage all South Australians to get down to Glenelg. It will be an amazing activity. I know that I can expect the Premier to be there cheering on the top athletes. In addition, there is the Adelaide Cup and the Oakbank Easter Racing Carnival. These events, of course, support local businesses, in not just the hotel sector but restaurants, cafes and a whole range of small businesses that benefit from the activity in the state and around the regions.

The government again is committed to continuing to balance our calendar of events to help the hotel sector have a year-round activity program. In April we can look forward to another extraordinary event. I encourage all members to go to the International Rugby 7s even if they are unused to rugby because, of course, it is not a prominent state sport. The rugby 7s are extraordinarily exciting because they are fast and furious. It is two days of excitement. The event is one that we all welcomed to South Australia because it attracted around 3,500 interstate and international visitors, and we expect this year's ticket sales for the second event to be even stronger.

Another event that fits into our cycling program is, of course, the BMX activity. Members may not realise that BMX super cross and BMX championships are often the proving grounds for elite cyclists who go on to the Tour Down Under and other Pro Tour events—

The Hon. M.D. Rann: Like Cadel Evans.

The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH: Like Cadel Evans. Many of those cyclists prove themselves in BMX activities. It is extraordinarily exciting. It looks very dangerous, and I encourage members to go and watch it because it is a fun sport. I think it is one of those feeder sports that we want to support because it actually helps cycling in Australia. It is a matter of encouraging elite cyclists into the sport and it continues our focus on cycling not just for health and fitness but the support we get through national parks and the trails, as well as the international media coverage through our elite events, such as the Pro Tour Down Under.

On the horizon we have the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, the Police Tattoo, our wonderful beloved Royal Adelaide Show and Classic Adelaide, as well as the Christmas Pageant. I would say that those events meld in with a whole range of convention activities to bring a year-round series of activities mainly to Adelaide. It is important that we recognise regional South Australia and that is why around $600,000 a year goes into some 88 regional events and festivals; because we know that it is good to pull tourism and dollars out of the city and into regional areas. Of course, for those towns which enjoy events such as Jazz in the Monster Mine, or the recent Taste the Limestone Coast Festival, as well as the West Coast Country Music Festival, the Coober Pedy Opal Festival, or the Pinnaroo Spud Fest—whatever they are—those events generate local community enthusiasm.

It is important that we recognise that the government has been highly strategic in targeting a calendar of events and ensuring that those dollars are spread generously around the state and not just held in Adelaide, which would be too easy for us to do.