REGIONAL EVENTS AND FESTIVALS

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna) (14:59): My question is to the Minister for Tourism. Minister, what recent developments in funding for local events and festivals have occurred?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson—Minister for Tourism, Minister for Recreation and Sport) (14:59): I thank the member for Kaurna for the question. Recently I announced the regional events and festival program funding for 2013-14. This program is designed to support tourism events held in regional South Australia with financial and marketing support for events which generate an increase in the number of visitors and lift the profile of our tourism regions interstate. The Regional Events and Festivals Program also incorporates the Community Events Development Fund. The Community Events Development Fund is aimed at smaller, more community-based events which are ready to grow. This fund provides a smaller sponsorship to a maximum of $5,000 per event.

A total of 24 events received sponsorship for this financial year, including nine under the Community Events Development Fund and 15 under the Regional Events and Festivals Program. Seven of the 15 events will be granted new multiple-year sponsorship agreements. These events will receive funding for their events in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 years. Applicants are assessed on whether the event is important to the state or tourism region, whether they underpin the region's brand and align with the region's destination action plan, and if they support the government's priorities, particularly premium food and wine from our clean environment. The successful applicants for the 2013-14 Regional Events and Festivals Program are:

the 6/18 Hours of Melrose, a really good mountain bike event up through the Flinders Ranges;

A Brush with Art, again in the Flinders Ranges and outback;

the Flinders Ranges Outback Epic mountain bike race;

the Barossa Duathlon championships;

the Bay to Birdwood Classic;

Crush, in the Adelaide Hills;

Hoot! Adelaide Hills Jazz Festival;

the Winter Reds Cellar Door festival in the Adelaide Hills;

the Ceduna Oysterfest, of course a great event coming up over in Ceduna;

the Tunarama Festival;

the Clare Valley Cruise;

the Clare Valley Gourmet festival (and it is good to see the member for Frome over there, a big supporter of everything that happens up in Clare);

the Coonawarra Cabernet Celebrations, down on the Limestone Coast;

the Fork and Cork Festival, again on the Limestone Coast;

the Fleurieu Art Prize, on the Fleurieu Peninsula;

the Fleurieu Peninsula Golf Championship;

Goolwa Regatta Week;

Willunga 175, which celebrates Willunga's 175^thbirthday—

The SPEAKER: Excuse me, minister: did you open your answer by saying that you had announced these grants?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Yes; I am just announcing them now—

The SPEAKER: Where did you announce these?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: We put out a press release.

The SPEAKER: So they are readily available from another source?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: If the media run them; but, alas, they may not run them so—

The SPEAKER: Yes, alright; I think we have—

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: I think it is important for all the members over there; a lot of their regions are featured here and I thought they would want to know.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: We get four minutes.

The SPEAKER: Do go on.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: There are also:

the Bank SA Sea and Vines Festival in McLaren Vale;

the Kangaroo Island Cup (and I am sure that the member for Finniss is a keen race-goer);

the SA Truck and Ute Show (that's a beauty, that one);

Sounds by the River; and

the Murray Man Triathlon, up in the Riverland.