Almond Industry

Ms LUETHEN (King) (14:26): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Can the minister update the house on how the state government is growing jobs in the almond industry?

Mr Brown: A million dollars a job.

The SPEAKER: The member for Playford can leave for the remainder of question time.

The honourable member for Playford having withdrawn from the chamber:

The SPEAKER: Minister.

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE (Chaffey—Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development) (14:27): Yes, I can, and I thank the member for King for her very important question. We know her strong advocacy not only for the electorate of King but also for the horticulture sector up in King. It's a great day for horticulture over the weekend. I was up in the Riverland on Saturday, and I had a cracker of a weekend. I was up there to celebrate Almondco's 75^th birthday. The celebrations were celebrated not only for what the almond industry means for South Australia—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Reynell is warned.

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: —but for what it means for jobs. The almond industry at the moment is probably one of the most buoyant horticulture sectors going around in the Murray-Darling Basin. What I would say is that, in the days preceding the 75^th celebration of their history, the big announcement was at the dinner on Saturday night, and that was that the Marshall government has committed $28.55 million to Almondco, through the cooperative scheme, to allow them to expand.

That expansion will not only give them the capacity to deal with the increased plantings within South Australia, or within the Murray-Darling Basin—because Almondco is one of Australia's leading almond processors; it's actually the second largest—but what it's actually doing now is giving the capacity not only for value-adding, the processing facility and the new sorting room, but also for its environmental credentials. It is now investing heavily in its water treatment and re-use water capacity on its site at Renmark.

It will create 50 jobs through construction and 30 ongoing, additional full-time production jobs. It already employs 170 South Australians. What I would say is that the expansion at the Renmark headquarters site is a shot of confidence in the arm, not only for the almond industry but for another regional community that is looking to be the headquarters of the almond sector here in South Australia.

As I said, the expansion increases the capacity for processed nuts here, from 28,000 tonnes to 45,000 tonnes. For many in this chamber to understand the number of nuts in 45,000 tonnes, it is significant. The Almondco facility will now process and pasteurise, and not only supply 50 per cent of its production domestically but provide 50 per cent of its product globally, and we are looking to increase that.

I would also like to congratulate Brenton Woolston, the general manager of Almondco. I have worked very closely with him over a number of years, and planning for this expansion has been of paramount importance to him for a number of years. I also congratulate Simon Lane, the chairman of Almondco. He has been there for more than a decade and has shown great leadership with his board, and that has highlighted the importance of good leadership, particularly in a co-op scheme. We have seen co-ops through South Australia's horticultural industries come and go; sadly, that has been a stain on what the co-ops have meant.

Almondco has shown that they are one of three big co-ops in South Australia. We know that the CCW co-op within the wine industry is another shining light within the sector. Again, Almondco continues to grow and continues to invest and support some 110 South Australian growers, 160 growers in total. It is a great South Australian business. It is a business that is supporting one of the shining lights in the horticultural sector in South Australia. We know that it is good news for South Australia, it is good news for Renmark, it is good news for the Riverland, it is better news for the almond growers but, more importantly, #RegionsMatter.

The SPEAKER: The member for Lee.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Light, be quiet.