FOOD AND WINE TOURISM

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (15:12): My question is to the Minister for Tourism. What has the minister done over the past 14 weeks to support new tourism developments to showcase the premium food and wine that come from our state's clean environment?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson—Minister for Tourism, Minister for Recreation and Sport) (15:12): I guess 14 weeks must be around 100 days. It seems to be a common theme today. I was delighted to be with the member for Chaffey last week when we were in the Riverland at the Woolshed Brewery at Wilkadene Station—the homestead there. This is a fantastic addition to South Australia's tourism attractions.

On the bend of the Murray River, upstream from Renmark at Wilkadene—it's a lovely part of the world—there is a brewery run by Tom and Sarah, who have gone out on the family property and started what is an outstanding brewery, but now they are turning that into an outstanding tourism destination as well. It's all part of the South Australian Tourism Commission's move to align itself with the federal government's move towards bringing food, wine and tourism all together.

Earlier last week, I was up in the Hills at the Sticky Rice Cooking School, where they've opened three new luxury villas, which are a fantastic addition to the Adelaide Hills tourism attractions. No doubt we will see people coming from around Australia and, indeed, around the world to go and enjoy the sort of experience at Sticky Rice that many South Australians have savoured over the past few years, where chefs of international renown lead cooking courses up there so that people can take home all the tips that they will get from the cooks and cook up the sort of food that others can only dream of getting.

Here in South Australia, we have our clean green food which, of course, for people in China and other parts of the world, is something that they just can't get their hands on readily enough, whereas in South Australia we do enjoy that. So, there is a big linkage to food, wine and tourism here in South Australia. We know from our recent visits to China and Hong Kong (the Premier and I went there) that we were coming across tourism operators who were saying that this is the sort of experience the Chinese tourists want. They want to come here and be able to catch some yabbies in the Murray.

We saw $5 a yabby in Hong Kong; that is what they are selling for. The member for Chaffey can give them a bucket full of yabbies; he is a very good yabby catcher and cook, and they can cook them at a great place along the banks of the river. Next week, we will be up with the member for Schubert launching our new tourism ad. Last year, everyone will remember, the focal point for our tourism ad was around Kangaroo Island, and it was a very successful campaign.

The Hon. I.F. EVANS: Point of order. The question was about what he has done in the last 100 days, not what he is doing next week.

The SPEAKER: I will listen carefully to the minister. Minister for Tourism.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Over the last 100 days, we have been putting a lot of planning into next week's launch. We will be up there and we have the member for Schubert coming along and it all fits in beautifully with this push to tell the rest of Australia that South Australia is the food and wine capital of this great nation. They might be able to go to a fancy restaurant in Melbourne or Sydney, but when they want to go to the source of the freshest and the best food and wine in Australia they need to get on a plane or a train and get over here to South Australia and enjoy all the great food and wine that we have.

I must say it has been a pleasure, over the past 100 days, to get out into the regions and I want to thank all those members opposite and those on this side who were out in the regions and have come along to our functions and joined with us as we have worked with the private sector, which is really the engine room of tourism in South Australia, so that both sides of parliament can work together to increase from $5 billion to $8 billion the economic benefit of tourism in South Australia.

Mr Pisoni: I draw your attention to sessional orders, sir.

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is wrong. Accordingly, I warn him for the second time, but shortly after he sat down the time did expire. I now call the member for Unley.