HERITAGE AREAS AND TOURISM

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (15:11): I direct my question about heritage areas and tourism to the Minister for Environment and Conservation.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Hunter.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Thank you, sir. I direct my question about tourism and heritage areas to the Minister for Environment and Conservation.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Stephens will come to order.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: When you are quite finished.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I direct my question about tourism and heritage areas to the Minister for Environment and Conservation. Will the minister update the council on moves to better communicate the heritage values of the Flinders Ranges to those who visit the South Australian tourism icon?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Environment and Conservation, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister Assisting the Minister for Health) (15:12): I thank the honourable member for his most important question and his ongoing interest in this most important policy area. It is important that visitors to the Flinders Ranges get the most from the experience, including understanding the area's unique heritage. For this reason, commercial tour operators working in the Flinders Ranges have access to a set of interpretative materials for sharing the story behind the region's many special places; materials which are constantly being improved and updated.

The latest in this series of interpretative materials focus on the Old Wilpena Station and are produced by the visitor management branch of DEH. The package, containing easy to understand notes and fact sheets, helps ensure that tour operators and their staff know their content so that they can provide visitors with engaging and enjoyable experiences.

Located just 1.5 kilometres from Wilpena Pound Resort, Old Wilpena Station is at the heart of the pastoral heritage of the Flinders Ranges. For those who have never visited the station, its built heritage and remarkable views of Wilpena Pound offer invaluable insights into the lives of pioneering pastoralists of this state.

An interpretive meeting place, called 'Ikara' in the local language, has been constructed to recognise the local Adnyamathanha people and their vital contribution to pastoral industry. I was lucky enough to be invited to launch Ikara last year and meet some of the local Aboriginal people. The new interpretive material—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Wortley and the Hon. Mr Finnigan, the minister does not require your help.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: I thank you for your protection, Mr President. The new interpretive materials contain detailed information on the old station, the Adnyamathanha people and the local geology, flowers and plants; and it includes conservative initiatives being undertaken in the local area. Already, feedback on the new notes from the industry, including the South Australian Tourism Commission, have been positive.

Thanks to this new resource, visitors can not only get a better understanding of the history of the region but are encouraged to take an active part in the conservation process. For example, people enjoy seeing the yellow-footed rock wallabies in the Flinders Ranges National Park but can appreciate them all the more when they know that the creatures have survived as a result of years of intensive pest management programs through Operation Bounceback. Best of all, visitors take with them a wealth of stories to tell about our park's flora, fauna, people and places. More information about the materials is available by contacting the Visitor Management Branch of the DEH.