State Forests

The Hon. T.R. KENYON (Newland) (14:57): My question is to the Minister for Forests. How is the state government encouraging South Australians to enjoy our forests?

The SPEAKER: Minister, the Speaker is interested in this answer. I would certainly like to be able to mushroom lawfully at Kuitpo Forest next year.

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) (14:57): That's fantastic. We have some glow in the dark mushrooms around Glencoe and they glow before you have even eaten them. It is not the hallucinogenic effects that make them glow. That has been a very popular thing around Glencoe and in the South-East. They are called the ghost mushroom. Between about April and June, when you go out in the forests at night, you get to see these ghost mushrooms. We set up a ghost mushroom lane this year to really get a lot of tourists to go through there. We had 18,500 tourists through there.

The Hon. J.W. Weatherill: Has anyone else seen these mushrooms or just you?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: I have seen them. I have seen these mushrooms and, as I said, they do glow before you eat them. This is one of the great things that we can do in our forests here in South Australia. Of course, there are more standard things that we have been able to do, and that is ride your bike, ride your horse, go for walks on trails, and things like that, through these wonderful forests that we have. We had more than 240,000 people visiting our state's forests in 2016-17. That is twice the number that visited the forests in the preceding year, so I think the more activities we have there and the more we promote our wonderful forests, the more we will be able to attract into our forests.

Almost $310,000 will be invested into the Cudlee Creek Forest mountain bike trail network this financial year. Those activities continue to increase in popularity. The project will assist the South Australian government strategy to establish the Mount Lofty Ranges as an international mountain biking destination and increase general visitation to the area.

A successful submission by Bicycle SA secured a $190,000 South Australian government Community Recreation and Sport Facilities Program grant, with a further $120,000 contributed by ForestrySA through its Community Service Obligation funding program. Located in the Mount Crawford forest near Lenswood, just a 50-minute drive from Adelaide, it caters for mountain bikers of all skill levels—from children and families to advanced and experienced riders—and attracts around 10,000 riders each year.

The network of trails is among 450 hectares of former pine plantation that was burnt in the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfire and is now being returned to native bushland. Known as Fox Creek by mountain bikers, it has been a popular place to ride for more than 20 years and is acknowledged as one of South Australia's best downhill and cross-country mountain biking destinations.

More than 35 volunteers and participants from employment and training programs and educational organisations, such as Urrbrae TAFE, have contributed thousands of hours to develop conservation and recreational assets at the site over many years. The 15-year partnership between the state government and peak cycling organisation Bicycle SA has been critical in developing this strong community support.

It is terrific to see the state government's investment through ForestrySA in recreational facility upgrades and that the efforts to promote the recreational and tourism potential of our forests have motivated so many people to be active in our state forests. Whether it is up around Williamstown or down around Kuitpo, we absolutely have some of the best forests anywhere in Australia. Down in the South-East, of course, so much of the area is covered in pine plantations and native forests. I encourage all people, if you have not been out to visit a forest recently, then it is high time you did.

Time expired.