Shadow Country Cabinet

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON (Ramsay) (15:25): I rise today to talk about my recent visit to the Mid North for a shadow country cabinet. We were there from 19 through to 22 October, when I joined the opposition leader, Peter Malinauskas, and my fellow shadow ministers to engage with the Mid North region. We met with passionate residents, dedicated business owners and those who greatly value tourism as a core part of the regional economy. Today, I will speak about my experiences in Hawker, Port Augusta and Port Pirie.

After about five hours on the road I was able to check in at Rawnsley Park Station in the beautiful Flinders Ranges. The station overlooks the southern side of Ikara, otherwise known as Wilpena Pound, an iconic amphitheatre that is the centrepiece of the national park. I was delighted to spend some time with the owners and hosts, Tony and Julie Smith, who were very informative.

I have to say to everyone in the house and those listening that it is a wonderful experience to go and spend time at Rawnsley Park. They showed me that you can have a working station and continue to diversify into tourism. It is full of unique experiences and particularly attractive to our international tourists. One of the things I found very impressive were the eco-villas, which they were able to build more than 10 years ago with the support of a tourism grant. You can lie in the bed and look up at the night sky—a unique experience.

The next day I drove through to Hawker, and I have to say that it took my breath away when I went to the Jeff Morgan Gallery. His paintings sell worldwide, and the gallery itself attracts around 100,000 visitors a year. He is famous for panoramic paintings focused on the rugged and dramatic scenery of the Australian outback, and I can tell members that Jeff is particularly famous in China, where they very much value panoramic painters, and he has a very prestigious award from them related to a blue jacket. I was able to talk to Jeff and his wife, who have a wonderful resource there, and I encourage people to visit.

During the visit I also met with Michelle Reynolds, the chair of the Flinders Ranges Tourism Operators Association, who spoke to me about her belief in representing station stays. She owns one herself and is a key part of offering unique experiences in the outback. At the moment, there are about 26 station stays available for people to stay at an operating farm in that area.

We then enjoyed lunch at the Flinders Food Co., where Doogal and Louise are making fabulous food, and then we were off to Port Augusta. I have to say that my visit to the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden was as wonderful as I remembered from when I visited the volunteers there previously. It is a huge drawcard for Port Augusta and was established to research, conserve and promote the wider appreciation of Australia's arid zone flora. It is a beautiful building when you enter, and their focus is on education, enjoyment and research.

I then went on to the Wadlata Outback Centre, and I thank the Port Augusta City Council people for spending time with me, particularly the Chief Executive, John Banks, and Anne O'Reilly, Director, Corporate and Community Services. I then spent some time in Port Pirie, where I talked with many locals about the importance of tourism and the employment it generates in the region. I thank Mayor Leon Stephens, Glen Christie and Peter Ackland, and I also thank Kelly Saffin of the RDA for the briefing. I was greeted rather enthusiastically by the Port Pirie Regional Art Gallery and visitor centre. They particularly wanted to introduce me to Shakka's jaws, which is a shark that was caught off the coast, and the jaws are there for everyone to see.

The next day, we were at Safavis Cafe, which is a fabulous cafe that Geoff Brock has taken me to a few times. It is run by an Iranian migrant who came and decided to invest and stay in Port Pirie. He and his wife run a wonderful cafe, and it is the place to be seen. On the way back home, we stopped for a brief look at the striking pink Lake Bumbunga near Lochiel, which is made up of three salt pans harvested for 30 years, which is beautiful and unique.