Eyre Peninsula

Mr TRELOAR (Flinders) (17:07): I rise today to talk about a good news story which was highlighted in today's Advertiser. It was an article on page 4 that caught my eye initially, talking about the baby boom that is about to occur in the Eyre Peninsula town of Cleve. Cleve has a population of about 800 residents, with about 1,800 people in the district council area, and they are expecting a boom in births. In fact, the District Council of Cleve area looks like having the second highest birth rate in the nation of 4.8 per cent behind only Corrigin at 4.9 per cent. Corrigin, interestingly enough, is also in the wheat belt, in that case in Western Australia. It is a great story for a town in my electorate. It certainly secures the future of the local area school, and it certainly secures the future of the town for years to come.

One of the other things that Cleve is famous for is that it hosts the biennial Eyre Peninsula Field Days. In fact, the editorial from today's Advertiser, on the back of a number of articles in the business section of today's paper, not only talks about the field days but also describes Eyre Peninsula as 'an economic powerhouse'. I will quote very quickly a few of the words that were used in today's Advertiser:

The approaching Eyre Peninsula Field Days remind us once again of the importance of our country regions.

The Eyre Peninsula is a jewel in South Australia's economic armoury, holding substantial potential in the years ahead. The vast area is about the same size as Tasmania, but with fewer than 60,000 people, it is a place that few interstate Australians even know. Yet it is an economic powerhouse.

The Business Journal section highlighted the success stories of Eyre Peninsula Field Days, and the editorial goes on to say:

As our Eyre Peninsula farmers have consistently shown, they have to be as good as any in the world to survive. They have been exposed to global economic forces for more than 50 years through Australia's policy of no agricultural subsidies.

It is a brave approach that made the farming sector a model industry and placed it well in advance of many subsidised enterprises that have lost their way. There is no incentive as strong as the economic imperative for survival. It is a priority that is becoming foreign to an increasing number of Australians as we become hostage to a mendicant mentality, relying on government largesse to survive.

The agricultural sector is an exceptional sunrise industry. As it continues to display its innovative and competitive approach to feeding the world, it is poised for further rapid advances and growth.

What a wonderful editorial. What a wonderful summary of the agricultural sector in this state. Of course, so much more goes on show at the Eyre Peninsula Field Days because Eyre Peninsula is so much more than just our farming regions. There is also a significant seafood sector made up of wildcatch fishing and aquaculture, and that will be on show at the Eyre Peninsula Field Days. Mining and tourism are not insignificant.

The field days will be held on 9, 10, and 11 August this year. The first Eyre Peninsula Field Day was held way back in 1973, at Cleve. It was initially established as a two-day field day, but nowadays it occurs biennially (every second year), alternating with Paskerville on Yorke Peninsula, where the biggest and best of the latest machinery, equipment and technology are on display. There is something for everyone. There is also significant art and craft and livestock section. The local schools are involved, and many of the local sporting organisations and community organisations also use it as a major fundraiser for them each year.

As I said, the first field day was held way back in 1973, when I was just a boy. Those must have been interesting times. It was on the back of a couple of years of wheat quotas, when the world was oversupplied with wheat and Australian farmers delivered wheat under a quota system. Also, I think that 1973 and 1974 were significant years for rust. Eyre Peninsula has gone on to bigger and better things. We now grow 40 per cent of the state's wheat, about 30 per cent of the state's barley and a significant portion of our grain legume crop. Livestock is also a significant component. So, well done to the Eyre Peninsula farmers, and we look like having—touch wood—another good year again.

Time expired.

At 17:12 the house adjourned until Wednesday 6 July 2016 at 11:00.