International Koala Centre of Excellence

Mr DULUK (Waite) (15:30): My question is to the Minister for Environment and Water. Can the minister update the house on the success of the recent launch of the International Koala Centre of Excellence, and the opportunities this initiative presents for South Australia?

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Environment and Water, and apparently koalas. Minister.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Minister for Environment and Water) (15:30): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the member for Waite for his question. I am not about to stand here and take credit for a project that was initiated under the previous government. It's a good project, and it is worthy to update the house—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: It is worthy to update the house on this project.

The SPEAKER: The minister will be heard in silence. The minister has the call.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: Of course, it is one thing to come up with an idea, but to actually be able to deliver it is another thing altogether. I wouldn't have said that, but I got heckled as usual.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: On 13 July 2018, I was pleased to be able to launch the South Australian government's initiative: the International Koala Centre of Excellence. This is an initiative which really comes with two parts. There is the centre of excellence, and there was also announced a couple of days later the transfer of six koalas and two wombats—koala diplomacy—heading over to the United Kingdom to Longleat safari park, one of the world's premier conservation destinations in Wiltshire, in the United Kingdom.

The launch of the International Koala Centre of Excellence was a resounding success with around 150 leaders in conservation gathering at Adelaide Oval for that event. The centre will be headed by someone who is well known by many people in this building and many people in South Australia, Professor Chris Daniels—an exceptionally well-regarded ecologist and expert in urban ecology. Professor Daniels has recently been appointed to the position of Director of Cleland Wildlife Park, in the member for Bragg's electorate—I know she is very proud of that site—and he is also going to take up the dual role with responsibility for the International Koala Centre of Excellence.

Why would you have such a centre? Well, while koalas are a much-loved iconic species, there is actually very little known about the scientific background to the challenges they face. We see koalas being incredibly threatened in some areas and then quite abundant in other areas, despite the environment being very similar in both those areas.

There is a desire to set up an organisation which invests in understanding the challenges these animals face. Particularly, the International Koala Centre of Excellence is going to focus on population biology and natural history of koalas in South Australia, oxalate nephrosis—which is a kidney disease which threatens our koalas in a very significant way because, while there is a healthy population of koalas in South Australia in terms of numbers, that is a fragile population—and the centre will also focus on the human dimensions of koala conservation and management.

We have set up the centre. It will be funded with an ambitious fundraising target of raising $10 million over the next five years, but also $2 from every entry into Cleland Wildlife Park will contribute towards the running of the International Koala Centre of Excellence as well. At the same time, we are establishing a long-term conservation partnership with Longleat in the UK. It was great to welcome the proprietors of Longleat, Lord and Lady Weymouth, to South Australia and to be able to host them. It's a good project. It's one which will create an international partnership in conservation, and also showcase our incredible native wildlife in the United Kingdom and obviously contribute towards tourism aspects of our state's economy as well.