Fruit Fly

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (15:15): Supplementary: have you spoken to the recently–formed Greater Sunraysia Pest Free Area Industry Development Committee about how it can assist to reduce fruit fly pressure on the South Australian border?

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) (15:15): I thank the member for Chaffey for the question and acknowledge once again his commitment to keeping South Australia fruit fly free. I have not had a direct conversation with them, but I met with the Victorian agriculture minister when I first took over this role back in April to say that we want to work together. I know that, in the past, the relationship between South Australia and Victoria was a little frayed. It is in our interest to have people working across the border to make sure that our first line of defence is not on our side of the border but on the Victorian side of the border, as we work hand in hand.

I will give the member a copy of this just-launched publication, entitled Citrus in South Australia. It talks about the fruit fly free status that we have in South Australia and it also talks about how citrus is exported around the world. We have seen just in the past two years a doubling in the value of citrus exports into China, and we have seen overall further growth. Exports of citrus climbed in the 2013-14 year up to $65.7 million from a figure of $54.4 million two years earlier.

Citrus is a very important industry for South Australia and that is why we have the tight biosecurity measures that we do have in place. I will continue to work with people on this side of the border and on the other side of the border to make sure that we can continue to remain fruit fly free and phylloxera free. It is a great selling point and it is also a great protector for our wonderful industries.