Wine Industry

Mr MURRAY (Davenport) (15:02): My question is directed to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. I ask the minister to please update the house on how the Marshall Liberal government-funded wine industry products are creating jobs for regional South Australia.

The Hon. D.K.B. BASHAM (Finniss—Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development) (15:03): I would like to thank the member for Davenport, a proud South Australian advocate for local industries such as the wine industry. South Australia produces about 80 per cent of Australia's premium wines. Again, as I mentioned yesterday, looking at the carpets here in the chamber, the importance of the wine industry alongside the grain industry is shown by the symbols on our carpets here in this chamber. It generates about $1.9 billion in revenue and is so important to our economy.

There is no more premium wine district than up in the Barossa, where the member for Schubert is able to demonstrate his wonderful products to us by taking us to visit some of the local venues in his electorate. I was delighted to be up there late last week to be at the opening of the new Artisans of Barossa cellar door at Tanunda. I was also there with the Liberal candidate, Ashton Hurn.

Both the member for Schubert and the candidate are passionate advocates for the region. This is a great venue, and I had the privilege of going to see the start of that construction only back at the end of February. At that stage, there was just a besser brick wall that stood about nine feet high and about 20 feet long. This venue is now complete, open and operating. It is a new cellar door that is a $3.1 million development. It features tasting rooms, a restaurant, a produce store and new shared vineyards, catering for up to 200 people.

Artisans is a great collaboration of businesses promoting the local produce, fine dining and excellent wine known globally from the Barossa. Eight small wine businesses have joined together to market the produce of the region's food and wine products. They include John Duval Wines, Spinifex Wines, Sons of Eden, Lienert Vineyards, Schwarz Wine Company, Purple Hands Wines, Hobbs of Barossa Ranges and Chaffey Brothers Wine Company. This is a great collaboration of these businesses coming together to promote their industries.

The new cellar door is an impressive venue and will be a great destination and drawcard for tourism in the Barossa. We will see this venue go from strength to strength, developing another destination within the Barossa. I commend the people in the operation of this facility. They are doing a wonderful job as well as creating 30 new jobs in the region since their opening.