House of Assembly Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1) 55 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time South Australian Tourism South Australian Tourism The Hon. A. PICCOLO House of Assembly Light South Australian Tourism The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light) (15:00): My question is to the Minister for Tourism. Can the minister update the house on South Australian events? The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON House of Assembly Ramsay Minister for Tourism Minister for Multicultural Affairs South Australian Tourism The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON (Ramsay—Minister for Tourism, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (15:00): I thank the Minister for Light for his advocacy in regard to tourism. I was absolutely delighted to be back in my hometown of Kapunda just the other week for our national main street conference. I was reminded what a beautiful main street Kapunda has and some great ideas came from that conference. I have to tell you South Australia has once again proven we are the best event state in Australia. Last night our state was awarded Best Event State at the 2025 Australian Event Awards and Symposium ceremony. Although it is no surprise to us that South Australia has earned such fantastic national recognition, this win shows the strength of our events and festivals all year round. The criteria for the award was around those who are Australian events professionals, who take their industry very seriously, and the award was about having the largest number of high-quality events that have occurred in the last year. From world-class festivals and major sporting events to community celebrations and our multicultural showcases through to iconic regional activation, our state knows how to put on a great event, and people are noticing. We know how important these celebrations are to the state's visitor economy, which is why we have continued to fill the calendar and support the growth of events in our regions. Generous hospitality and simple pleasures are true South Australian signatures, and events provide a powerful way to share these qualities. Horse trail rides, rodeos, cultural performances, wine festivals and more events have been supported across the state from the $400,000 Drought Relief Regional Event Fund. These events will trigger visitation to South Australia's drought-affected communities from this weekend. Beloved events are supported by the fund such as the Streaky Sounds Music Festival, a family-friendly open-air music festival held each year in Eyre Peninsula's Streaky Bay. It also supports the 71^st Carrieton Rodeo New Year's Eve Bash in the Flinders Ranges and Outback. These are only two of these regional events that are given additional support, a call to action to say to people, 'Come and support our communities.' As well as the drought event fund, the annual Regional Event Fund supports events across the state that reflect the unique qualities of our tourism regions. We know that events are a catalyst. They are a call to book and a deadline to book for people to come to our state. They also encourage travellers to stay longer in our tourism regions, putting dollars into the pockets of local business. We know the impact of these events will also be felt in our tourism regions impacted by the algal bloom, with festivals and events not just attracting visitors but providing much-needed community spirit. That is why you saw in our summer plan that coastal events are being supported with grants of up to $20,000 available to assist with the promotion of these events over summer. I know how important events are. We on this side of the house know that events matter, but I have to say there are people across the other side and in another place who are giving incredibly mixed messages about the value of events. In fact, it is like they don't even want us to invest in the regions—this negativity we get when we come out with things like the Economic Recovery Fund, the Experience Nature Tourism Fund, the vouchers, the dining cashback and, of course, supporting new accommodation. We know it matters, and we know it goes to the growth of tourism in South Australia.