Northern Adelaide Plains

Ms LUETHEN (King) (14:44): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Will the minister update the house on our new state government's support for collaboration with food producers in the Northern Adelaide Plains?

The SPEAKER: Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: —who will be heard in silence.

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE (Chaffey—Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development) (14:45): I thank the member for King for her question. It is just amazing that—

The SPEAKER: It is.

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: —on this side of the house we have an interest in our regional centres. We have an interest in primary production, but we also have a really keen interest in collaboration, particularly in horticulture and agriculture. I would like to thank the member for King for her question.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: She is a very keen advocate for the Horticulture Coalition, as she is a very strong advocate for her people in King, the horticulturalists, as part of the Northern Adelaide Plains group. Yes, I was out there on Friday night and spoke to them. It was a night of discussing how that sector is going to grow and how the Northern Adelaide Plains is going to benefit with a concept of looking at ways they can further collaborate with their neighbours or with industry and how they can cluster. There were a number of key speakers down there, notably the Barossa RDA and, of course, the Limestone Coast Red Meat Cluster, who were there to give us examples of just how collaboration and clustering can work, particularly in agriculture and horticulture.

Mr Bignell interjecting:

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: You're irrelevant.

The SPEAKER: The member for Mawson is called to order.

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: What I can say is that Friday night was attended by an enthusiastic group of people—horticulturalists, agriculturalists, the service sector. It was heartening to walk the tables and understand what their issues are and how they could better integrate the horticulture sector, the service sector and also the agronomy. I think it has been very well noted that the $300 million of local economy that comes out of the Northern Adelaide Plains sector is a critical contributor to the state's economy.

But there is more work to be done so that we can grow the economy there. One of the opportunities is that they can look at some of the export markets. On this side of the house, we are here to provide that catalyst so that they can actually have the expertise, the professionalism, put around and nurtured within those businesses to understand the trials and tribulations and the hard work that is undertaken and needed to become an exporter out of South Australia.

The Northern Adelaide Plains is a great working example of particularly horticulture, vegetable production and fruit production, but there are also emerging niche products coming out of the Northern Adelaide Plains. It is becoming very evident that those niche products, under a lot of family succession farms and businesses, are starting to grow now. The next generation is stepping up. They understand that they can't use old-school methods. They have to look at ways that they can be more competitive and they can produce the products that the markets are demanding.

Gone are the days of producing a product, putting it into a truck, into a box and into a market. It is also very important to understand that clustering is something that doesn't happen overnight. It has been acknowledged that clustering in the Northern Adelaide Plains will be their way to move forward. I am sure that the member for King is very aware that she has to give those horticulturalists the support they need, and she will do that, as this side of the house will do for the entire regional sector, the horticulture sector—

Mr Bignell interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Mawson is warned.

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: —the agriculture sector and particularly the vignerons, because we know that over $600 million in South Australia's economy comes away from the vignerons. It is also important to note that clustering and collaboration will make the Northern Adelaide Plains a better horticultural sector.