RING CYCLE

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (15:29): I seek leave to make another ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.D. HILL: I know that this matter will cause great grief to the Treasurer. I wish to update the house on the current status of a possible remount of the State Opera of South Australia's production of Wagner's Ring Cycle. The 2004 production of the Ring Cycle was a major artistic and cultural tourism event of national significance, which attracted a large national and international audience. It did, however, require a significant funding investment through a joint South Australian and Australian government partnership.

In September 2005, following the success of the 2004 Adelaide production, I announced that the South Australian government, through Arts SA and the South Australian Tourism Commission, would commission a study into the feasibility of remounting the Ring Cycle and its possible longer term future as a major event on South Australia's and Australia's cultural tourism calendar. At that time, I stated that the future of the Ring Cycle in South Australia would depend on a shared financial commitment between the Australian and the South Australian governments.

Following consideration of the findings of the Ring Cycle feasibility study undertaken by Ernst & Young and discussion with my cabinet colleagues, the Minister for Tourism and I wrote to the Australian government in December last year to determine its interest in contributing to a remount. The Hon. Peter Garrett AM, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, has now replied to our letter, advising that the Australian government is declining to support a remount. Without a shared financial commitment, the South Australian government will not be able to proceed with a remount of the Ring Cycle in 2011. I must say, it gives me great sadness to have to announce that.

Whilst this is disappointing, it does not detract from the success of the 2004 production and its enduring legacy, namely, the enhancement of Adelaide's reputation for artistic excellence and the significant flow-on benefits for the arts in this state. In addition to attracting critical accolades at the time, including an unprecedented 10 Helpmann Awards in 2005, the production continues to be acclaimed around the world, as the Melba recordings of the Ring Cycle operas are successively released. In particular, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra acknowledges that the Ring Cycle significantly improved the quality of its playing and enhanced its reputation, giving it access to conductors and agents it was previously unable to approach, and leading directly to a special concert performance in Malaysia.

The State Opera of South Australia, which produced the 2004 Ring Cycle (a great achievement for a small dynamic team) continues to go from strength to strength not only presenting outstanding mainstage operas, but also contributing to the development of new works and emerging artists through its innovative Studio program.