Pastoral Economic Growth

Mr TRELOAR (Flinders) (14:28): My question is to the Minister for—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr TRELOAR: —Primary Industries and Regional Development. Can the minister update the house on how the state government is supporting economic growth in our pastoral lands?

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE (Chaffey—Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development) (14:29): Yes, I can, and I thank the member for Flinders for his very important question.

Mr Hughes interjecting:

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

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: I have been over in the electorate of Flinders quite a bit lately and recently up in the pasture country visiting the dog fence and also speaking to the pastoralists up there. Today, I have released a discussion paper to launch the review of the Pastoral Land Management and Conservation Act.

Our pastoral lands in South Australia represent about 410,000 square kilometres, covering 40 per cent of the state, 324 leases, and those pastoral leases are currently granted for a term of 42 years. The pastoral act has not been reviewed since it was established 30 years ago, and I feel that it has become outdated. As a government, our agenda, and proudly so, is how do we drive more prosperity in our pastoral country? How do we drive a larger economic base in our pasture lands?

We have had no qualms about putting $7.5 million towards a red meat and wool strategy. It's about how do we give the tools to those pastoralists to diversify their businesses? Looking around, how do we look at creating some sense of farming opportunities, farming practices, the adoption of technology? In some spaces, we can actually put cyber technology into some of those pasture spaces where some of the practices they are using today have been outdated.

This major change in farming practices in today's world of agriculture is constantly evolving. We know that five years ago some of the practices we are seeing in practice today had never even been thought of. Some of those new technologies will be able to be used on those pastoral lands. It is also giving those pastoralists greater opportunities, not only about their diversity within their businesses but it is about how those pastoralists can come forward and look at ways that they can use that technology with the support of the act being changed.

It is also important to understand that to modernise the act and draft a new bill for the parliament has been called for for a long period of time. Sadly, the pastoralists, particularly the Far North pastoralists, have been calling out for change for a number of years, but that has fallen on the deaf ears of the previous government. But what I will say is that our pastoral range lands are a critical contributor to our economy. They do operate in very marginal circumstances. We know that they have been dealing with some pretty hard times over the last couple of years, particularly with the dry.

What I would say is that they now have a government that cares for them, that is looking to promote what they do so well. It is also the protection for pastoralists and our livestock from the impacts of wild dogs. We know, and proudly, we have announced a partnership with industry and the commonwealth to rebuild 1,600 kilometres of the dog fence up in that pasture country. It is about giving those pastoralists the ability, as I have said, to lie in bed at night and think that they can rest easy that the reported 20,000 sheep that were lost this year to wild dogs will be negated down to minimal losses.

It is also understanding that what the dog fence means to regional South Australia is increasingly important, particularly with the price of livestock, the price of wool. It is a huge economic driver. Again, the pastoralists are pleased to be a part of this discussion paper, to be a part of the amendments to the Pastoral Land Management and Conservation Act, because we all know #RegionsMatter.