Heritage Protection Policy

Mr ELLIS (Narungga) (14:48): My question is to the Minister for Environment and Water. Will the minister outline to the house the government's commitment to improving built and natural heritage across the state, including in our regions?

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Minister for Environment and Water) (14:49): I thank the member for Narungga for his question. Heritage is such an important part of South Australia's fabric. It helps shape the identity and the character of our state. In the lead-up to the election, the Liberal Party, when in opposition, outlined a really comprehensive heritage protection policy, probably the most comprehensive heritage protection policy that had been outlined in this state for several decades, putting heritage as a core role of my department and also having involvement of the transport and planning minister's department as well.

We know that heritage is such a significant drawcard for particularly tourism in the state. The incredible value that heritage can contribute to our visitor economy should not be underestimated. One of the great things about heritage in our state is that so much of it is found in regional South Australia. Often, those heritage assets in our regions draw people into the regions to stay that extra night while visiting them. We know that when it comes to the visitor economy, that extra night can contribute so much more in terms of the spending of those visitors.

Our heritage policy has a number of platforms within it. Central to that is a reinvigorated and renewed relationship with the National Trust of South Australia. That relationship, which I think had fallen into a state of very significant disrepair under the previous government, is integral to the delivery of heritage protection in the state. We know a not-for-profit organisation like the National Trust when involved in heritage protection can do so much to attract finance, support and human resources to look after heritage assets in this state. It has been very important for the new government to forge a very strong working relationship with the National Trust of South Australia, and we will be looking at ways to formalise that in the coming months.

Central to that is continuing with a body of work that was begun under the previous government, which is the transfer of the titles of many of the assets which the National Trust currently look after. Across particularly regional South Australia, we have sub-branches of the National Trust, and those branches are very keen to take full control in the form of the titles of buildings that they have been investing in and looking after for a long time.

The government is very keen to continue this partnership, so we will be looking across South Australia for where those buildings can be transferred to the National Trust and where they can be invested in, given that the National Trust has invested many millions of dollars across that portfolio of buildings they look after over an extended period of time.

The government is also going to provide a grant of $500,000 towards restoration works at Ayers House, a real anchor heritage site on North Terrace, which has a huge amount of potential, particularly with the reinvigoration of the old Royal Adelaide Hospital site just across the road. We see real value in preserving that building and activating it in any way we can. We are also going to develop a heritage tourism strategy very closely linked with the nature-based tourism strategy, which is currently underway.

I mentioned earlier that there is such an important focus on getting people into our regions to spend that extra night. We know that heritage is a lever to enable them to do that. We have phenomenal heritage assets all across regional South Australia, such as the heritage-listed town of Burra in the state's Mid North. But there are many other less well-known sites, and that is why we need a robust heritage tourism strategy, to encourage tourists to visit heritage assets, not just in Adelaide but in our regions as well.

We want to reinstate the heritage grants cut under the previous government. Over the next two years we will be having $500,000 for heritage grants to encourage not-for-profits and private property owners to invest in the upgrades and rejuvenation of the heritage assets that they have stewardship of. We see this as incredibly important not only to preserve these assets but also to develop a skills-based industry around the trades that are needed to look after heritage assets. Heritage means a lot to this government. We think it is a significant economic lever and, of course, contributes so much to the fabric and identity of South Australia.