House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1) 52 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale BAROSSA VALLEY AND MCLAREN VALE Mr BIGNELL House of Assembly Mawson BAROSSA VALLEY AND MCLAREN VALE Mr BIGNELL (Mawson) (14:07): My question is to the Minister for Urban Development, Planning and the City of Adelaide. Can the minister inform the house about the progress of the consultation relating to the protection of the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale? The Hon. J.R. RAU House of Assembly Enfield Deputy Premier Attorney-General Minister for Justice Minister for Urban Development Minister for Tourism Minister for Food Marketing BAROSSA VALLEY AND MCLAREN VALE The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice, Minister for Urban Development, Planning and the City of Adelaide, Minister for Tourism, Minister for Food Marketing) (14:07): I thank the honourable member for his question and acknowledge that for a long time he has been a very fierce advocate for protection for, in particular, the McLaren Vale area and has also worked with people from the Barossa Valley in relation to these matters. The house would remember that the Premier made a pledge earlier this year that the McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley areas would be protected by legislation. I do not think I need to remind everyone that these are unique and very important areas of South Australia that are very close to the city of Adelaide, and they need to be protected and safeguarded for future generations. A discussion paper entitled 'Protecting the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale' was released in June of this year, and it proposed to protect almost 180,000 hectares of land in the Barossa and McLaren Vale areas from housing. An honourable member interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! Members interjecting: The Hon. J.R. RAU House of Assembly The Hon. J.R. RAU: You don't seriously want housing in Belair National Park do you? While we are doing it we might as well make that safe as well! However, consultation on the discussion paper closed on Friday 22 July, and I am advised by the Department of Planning and Local Government that as at Monday 25 July it had received just over 200 submissions. I think all members would appreciate that that indicates a very active involvement by members of the community in this issue. I intend—and I hope members opposite will take the opportunity to take advantage of this—that these submissions will be publicly available and on line in due course. I am told that submissions have been received from the following members of parliament: the Hon. Robert Brokenshire (and I have quickly had a look at his submission); the member for Mawson (and I have had a look at his submission, which is quite a lengthy one); the Hon. Bob Such, member for Fisher; and none other than the member for Schubert. I have received your letter and, not surprisingly, the honourable member is keen to see the German heritage of the area preserved. I thank the honourable member for that contribution. I am also keen to consider contributions from local councils including the Barossa Council, Light Regional Council, City of Onkaparinga, Adelaide Hills Council and the District Council of Mount Barker—and the member for Davenport might be interested to know that we are also expecting one from the City of Mitcham. I am informed that a significant number of the submissions have focused on recommending other areas for similar legislation, including the Adelaide Hills. I have to say that I have never been opposed to looking at how protective legislation of this type might benefit other areas of the state, but the proximity of McLaren Vale and the Barossa to suburban Adelaide means that the urgency of this task in respect of those two areas is probably greater than elsewhere. I also want to make sure that the framework that is developed in the context of working up the papers and the legislation on the Barossa and McLaren Vale is able to be translated into other places, if that is the wish of people living in those communities. I take the public's interest in the Adelaide Hills and will ask the department to investigate the need for legislation there, and obviously— The Hon. I.F. Evans House of Assembly The Hon. I.F. Evans: Ask them to get out Susan Lenehan's file from about 1989. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. J.R. RAU House of Assembly The Hon. J.R. RAU: No doubt the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Davenport, in that event, will have many things that they wish to talk to us about. The other significant region of the state which I intend to focus discussion on in the future is Kangaroo Island. Clearly, Kangaroo Island is a very special place, and to the extent that that might be threatened by inappropriate development which detracts from that place as both a tourism destination and a very important agricultural opportunity for the state needs to be looked at. As the Premier announced this weekend, any development on the island must protect the unique natural heritage and the pristine environment on Kangaroo Island. I think all of us on this side of the house were delighted to have spent a few days there over the weekend. We will be looking to introduce new planning legislation before the year is out to protect the island from inappropriate development. Obviously, we will be talking to the island community, the member for Finniss and the member for Bragg about those matters. Members interjecting: The Hon. P.F. Conlon House of Assembly The Hon. P.F. Conlon: You are just antidevelopment everywhere. What happened to Liberal Party? The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. J.R. RAU House of Assembly The Hon. J.R. RAU: I look forward to working with the new Kangaroo Island Authority and— The Hon. I.F. Evans interjecting: The Hon. J.R. RAU House of Assembly The Hon. J.R. RAU: Well, we are doing something about it now. I look forward to working with the new Kangaroo Island Authority, another state government initiative announced by the Premier last weekend, on this important work. I am also keen to review the public's comments on protecting the Barossa and McLaren Vale, and I intend to circulate the legislation to effect the government's commitment to protect these areas in coming months.