TOUR DOWN UNDER

Mr BIGNELL (Mawson) (14:42): My question is to the Minister for Tourism. How has South Australia benefited from the Tour Down Under gaining Pro Tour status?

The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH (Adelaide—Minister for Education and Children's Services, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (14:42): I thank the member for Mawson for his question; he is, of course, the best educated cycling enthusiast in this room. He knows so much about cycling events and, with the member for Norwood, has campaigned to have Pro Tour status in South Australia. The decision by the South Australian government to pursue Pro Tour status for our Tour Down Under was both bold and audacious, but depended on the state government's commitment and absolute confidence in the events division of the SATC, plus our confidence in race director Mike Turtur and the UCI to deliver this high quality event on time, following a decision made only three or four months before.

What started as the first UCI Pro Tour out of Europe ended as one of the most successful sporting events ever staged in this state's history. Whilst the vast majority of South Australians—and, indeed, the visiting media—embraced the Pro Tour Down Under, it is really disappointing that the member for Morphett chose to denigrate this wonderful event in a way that can only do damage to our state, the tourism industry and the cycling fraternity. In the current 2008 edition of Bicycling Australia magazine there is an article written by Greg Griffiths, a well-known UCI commissaire, cycling identity and writer, who was in Adelaide and who witnessed an extraordinary Pro Tour event. I will not read the article, but I am very happy to provide a copy for the member for Morphett should he care to read what the cycling fraternity made of his ill-informed attack on the tour event.

South Australia's Tour Down Under set new records this year. Over its six days of racing, it was estimated that a crowd of 545,000 people turned up to see the event. In addition, many thousands of people attended the number of street parties, community events and other associated elements of this festival of cycling, with a record 4,207 people taking part in the Škoda Breakaway Series. Preliminary economic impact and research figures demonstrate that the 2008 Pro Tour Down Under has increased economic impact, visitor numbers, participation, spectator numbers and media coverage, and I am delighted to inform the house that, overall, 21,000 interstate and overseas visitors attended the event, including 4,900 people from overseas. Of these 15,100 were event-specific and came to South Australia specifically to see the event, and that is 43.8 per cent more than in 2007. This injected $17.3 million into the state's economy, a 50.4 per cent increase over 2007.

The media coverage was incredible, with 202 accredited media covering the event, and that is a 44 per cent increase over 2007. The Tour Down Under has generated 550 online media articles in 25 countries so far, and they are still being published. To date, editorial media coverage generated is valued at $41.7 million; that is more than 76 hours of broadcast television going to our key tourism markets around the world—places such as the UK, Italy, France, Belgium, India and New Zealand. As the Premier has said over and over again, this is not showing an event in a stadium or an indoor circuit: this is actually taking the television cameras through the most picturesque and attractive parts of South Australia.

The government is very proud to have brought Pro Tour cycling to South Australia. It is not only exciting but it encourages fitness, promotes Australian elite cycling and, more than anything else, it showcases our regions and has an enormous benefit to the economy. It is a tragedy that those opposite single out this event for denigration. I am most disappointed, and I say shame on the member for Morphett. He not only talked down this event but he did so when the facts were being given to him by experts. Furthermore, he insulted not only our own Olympic track and road stars but also those from around the world.