McLaren Vale Wine Industry

Mr BASHAM (Finniss) (14:46): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Can the minister please update the house on how the state government is working with the McLaren Vale wine industry to deliver key projects?

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE (Chaffey—Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development) (14:46): That's a great question, and I thank the member for Finniss for his question. I notice he has a very, very strong liking for the Mount Jagged shiraz, as he does for the Ballast Stone cabernet. He is very much a wine lover, just after a glass of milk. The member for Mawson would also be very interested in what I am going to do in answering this question.

In South Australia, we have a unique agreement with the state government and the wine industry under the Primary Industries Funding scheme. I am pleased to announce to the house that I have recently approved $810,000 from the McLaren Vale Wine Industry Fund towards key projects. The McLaren Vale Grape Wine and Tourism Association is recognised as the body that represents both McLaren Vale winemakers and grape growers, who contribute about $700,000 annually on their five-year rolling average to the fund.

The McLaren Vale Grape Wine and Tourism Association is more than 10 years old, having evolved from the McLaren Vale winemakers group that started in the region over 50 years ago. The association is led by chair, Lauren Fried, and managed by general manager, Jennifer Lynch. The association represents more than 500 businesses within the McLaren Vale region, including 150 wineries and 80 cellar doors, 463 grape growers and industry partners and tourism operators. The three major activities for the association include promotion, profiling of the brand McLaren Vale both domestically and internationally, and industry development, including capacity and capable building in policy development.

By building value and equity in the brand McLaren Vale, through the three identified major activities and using the association's strategic priorities to guide decision-making, they are hoping to achieve, of course, higher prices for their grapes, a higher bottle price for every bottle of McLaren Vale wine and an increase in average expenditure per visitor to the McLaren Vale region. The PIF contributes towards a number of initiatives in the McLaren Vale region. The association has done a lot of work in the marketing and promotion areas and has supported events such as the Sea and Vines Festival. Many of you here would have been to the Sea and Vines Festival. It is an outstanding industry event.

The association also has a focus on biosecurity, in particular phylloxera, and on providing data to members through the McLaren Vale weather stations. The association's income through the PIF contributions will be spent on activities, including marketing, particularly their commitment to the Chinese visitation campaign, leveraging the commonwealth government's $50 million Export and Regional Wine Support Package and our funding. Upon completion, the association anticipates that by the end of the 2020 calendar year the campaign will have contributed towards attracting an additional 5½ thousand international visitors of which 50 per cent are from China and/or Hong Kong to generate an additional $5 million.

There is a commitment of $500,000 in a data capture project through the geolocation and shopping basket, and the project will work through the supply in real time and total numbers of visitors to the McLaren Vale region. The $45,000 to the strategic marketing plan is also another initiative. As a responsible government, we are working closely with the industry to continue delivering on the wine industry for South Australia.