Question Time

Regional South Australia

Mr ELLIS (Narungga) (14:10): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Can the minister update the house about the government's commitment to build our regions?

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE (Chaffey—Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development) (14:10): Yes, I can. I can very proudly say that this budget has put the spotlight on the regions of South Australia and primary industries like never before. We have seen history-making in our budget. The Marshall Liberal government is committed to building our regions and, as the Premier has just said—

Mr Hughes interjecting:

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

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: —proudly, a critical part of the growth is through the primary industries sector, and our regions are part of the state's economic drivers. The budget delivers on primary industries and invests significantly in the livestock sector, and I just want to touch on where the livestock sector is going to benefit.

We know that the $7.5 million red meat strategy is a significant game changer for the livestock sector, which has been under severe pressure to grow over the last couple of years, particularly with the drought. What we have seen is that $7.5 million with respect to not only the red meat but also the wool program will provide growth and greater transparency and traceability in the sector. Through this program, we will see voluntary electronic tag reading introduction, enhancing the One Biosecurity program and building skills in farm management.

The funding is a vote of confidence in the livestock sector to produce consistent year-round supply of premium beef, sheep and wool to enable greater adoption and research. We have also seen why we have put in $10 million as a collaboration. It is an absolute game changer for the pastoralists of South Australia. We have seen a $25 million coming together. The commonwealth, the state government and industry are coming together to rebuild a 100-year-old piece of infrastructure—and I commend the foresight not only from this side of the house—a piece of generational infrastructure that has been long ignored.

I have talked in this place about the pastoralists losing large numbers of sheep. It has been estimated that more than 20,000 lambs were lost this year. It is also unknown exactly how many calves have been lost and how much native wildlife has been taken by the wild dogs. The South Australian government has put $10 million on the table in collaboration for a $25 million rebuild of a 100-year-old piece of infrastructure.

As we know, 1,600 kilometres of that fence will be rebuilt. It is a 2,150 kilometre fence. It is the longest, largest piece of fence infrastructure in the world, and we have seen right to making sure that we upgrade that. It is also looking at installing confidence into our primary sector. It is looking at how the budget is going to deliver vital infrastructure and road upgrades for our primary industries and the transport sector.

We are putting $14 million into not only the external investment around the TFI project at Murray Bridge but also infrastructure down at Naracoorte around the Teys brothers processing plant, and we have also put money towards the Dublin saleyards—$11 million for access roads into those saleyards. We have also put money into bridge upgrades to enable road trains to be a part of the transport network.

Biosecurity is also at the forefront. We have invested an additional $5 million to help protect South Australia's horticulture industry. We know that fruit fly outbreaks have been one of the bugbears within the sector, but we have also now put money into the citrus canker fight. That is one of the world's most invasive diseases in horticulture. South Australia produces some of the best fruit and best produce known in this country. This government is putting support there. It's putting infrastructure in place, it's putting biosecurity in place and it’s putting all the measures that primary producers expect of a good government to support them, because they support us.