Bundaleer Forest

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (14:18): My question is to the Minister for Forests. Can the minister inform the house about plans to replant the Bundaleer Forest?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson—Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Tourism, Minister for Recreation and Sport, Minister for Racing) (14:18): I thank the member for his question. The week after the recent election, I headed up to the Mid North to check out the area after the Bangor fires, which obviously burnt for so long and caused so much devastation for so many. There is a great deal of uncertainty in the area about the future, not just in terms of forestry but in terms of tourism, horticulture and other agricultural pursuits. The member for Frome and the member for Stuart have both, of course, had a very keen interest in their local area, and I want to thank both members for the way they have engaged with me in terms of looking at what we can do for the future.

ForestrySA's initial reaction, I guess, was a little pessimistic on the future for the area, and they are completing a report to have a look at the long-term future. I accompanied the Minister for Regional Development and the member for Stuart a few weeks ago, and we visited the Morgans—for four generations they have been running a sawmill in the area, since the early 1960s.

We met with Ed Morgan and his son Luke, and they had a much more optimistic view of what can happen up there. One of the things that they really wanted to see was—well, they understand that a lot of the timber in the Wirrabara Forest has to be salvaged, and we have to get that out and make that area safe before replanting can begin.

In the Bundaleer Forest, which unfortunately suffered an enormous amount of damage (450 hectares) in January last year, they knew that there were some areas there that were ready to be replanted. I am pleased to inform the house today that 60 hectares of Bundaleer Forest will be replanted in the next few weeks; 80,000 seedlings will be planted in the area, which I think is a very good thing for the future of the area.

As we explained to the Morgans, the Minister for Regional Development and the member for Stuart, we will still be looking at the long-term future of Wirrabara. But, I must say I was buoyed by the conversation that we had with the Morgans and to look at the operation that they have got there. The amount of timber that they put through their mill which goes all around Australia, and indeed overseas as well, is fantastic, so we want to help them. They employ around 40 staff, and the flow-on effects to the local community are very important as well.

I also want to thank the member for Stuart for organising a meeting with the local beekeepers. They are very important, not just for producing honey, but also for the pollination of our crops right around South Australia. We listened to their concerns; they would have liked things done differently immediately after the fire. We want to work with them and other government departments to ensure things are made better in the future.

The SPEAKER: Supplementary, member for Stuart.