Willunga Basin Water

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:32): My question is to the Minister for Agriculture. Does the minister have an interest in any vineyard that receives water from the Willunga Basin Water company?

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) (14:32): I thank the deputy leader for the question. I have an interest in a lot of vineyards in McLaren Vale because they produce some amazing wine that I love to drink. Not only do I love to drink it but so many people from around the world love to drink it. We have one of the world's best wine regions within a 45-minute drive of Adelaide. I might put in a little plug for the Sea and Vines Festival, which is on over the June long weekend. It's going to be terrific.

The Willunga Basin Water company provides recycled water, just like the Northern Adelaide Irrigation Scheme is going to do for the growers north of Adelaide, and it is a tremendous scheme. In fact, we helped a lot of vignerons get water to their vineyards by coming up with a grant program a few years ago because a lot of the smaller growers couldn't afford the $6,000 to $8,000 connection fee. So, the Willunga Basin Water company scheme is a terrific scheme. It uses recycled water that would otherwise be pumped out into Gulf St Vincent.

It is great technology, working with great grapegrowers, who are then providing our winemakers with fantastic grapes that we can turn into fantastic wine. This current vintage is shaping up to be an absolute beauty. It's—

Mr Pisoni: Yes or no?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: I was asked if I had an interest. I've got a big interest in all the vineyards in the area, not just the ones at McLaren Flat. It is vital for the jobs in the southern suburbs of Adelaide and in my electorate that we all have an interest in it.

Everyone should have an interest in these vineyards. Everyone has a financial interest in it because it creates jobs. Do you know how many thousands of people are employed in the wine, tourism and food sectors? Yes, of course I have a great interest in it. I have been going in to bat for the people who have those vineyards since back in 2005. I have been out there campaigning for them. I know a lot of them traditionally voted the other way and now vote for me because they saw the way I stuck up for them. I had fights with our own government over water, as you had—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: No, no.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: They like the way I go in to bat for the area, so I've got an interest in what they do and they've got an interest in what I do. Absolutely I've got an interest not just in a vineyard in McLaren Flat but right throughout the area. Adelaide is now a Great Wine Capital. We fought really hard for that. Originally, the proposal came from McLaren Vale to join that, but what we've got is—

Mr Whetstone: South Australia is the wine capital, not Adelaide.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Again, this member over here from the Riverland wants to tell the people who run the Great Wine Capitals how you run it. It has to be named after a city, Einstein, okay? It's named after Adelaide because that's what the international rules say it's got to be.

The SPEAKER: The minister will refer to the member for Chaffey as such, rather than Einstein.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Sorry, the member for Chaffey.

The SPEAKER: A point of order.

Ms CHAPMAN: Thank you, Mr Speaker. As the member referred to you, sir, as Einstein, I ask you to bring him back to order.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Yes, I am glad the Treasurer enjoyed that.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Thank you, and I apologise to Einstein. The member for Chaffey thinks he knows better than the people who do the international rules who run the Great Wine Capitals. What most other cities in the world that are in Great Wine Capitals have are like Adelaide and one wine region. What we did is we went in and fought for all 18 wine regions in South Australia. So, it comes under Adelaide as the capital, because it's the capital of our state, and then all 18 of our wine regions are involved in that. Just getting back to the nub of the question—do I have a financial interest? No, I don't.