CRUISE LINERS

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (15:30): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Industrial Relations a question regarding cruise liners.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Eight cruise ships will visit South Australian waters this month, including the renowned Queen Mary 2, the largest cruise liner ever to visit the state. The MV Athena has also returned to Adelaide for the 2011-12 season, using Outer Harbor as its home port for a range of South Australian-based cruise itineraries.

The South Australian cruise ship industry has experienced significant growth during the past five years, with the 2009-10 cruise season attracting a record 27 arrivals and up to 50,000 passengers to the state. With both the Queen Mary 2 and the MV Athena, the eight-deck flagship of Classic International Cruises, both due to arrive at Outer Harbor early on Sunday 22 February, can the minister provide details of any special arrangements for the thousands of passengers expected to descend on Adelaide?

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for Gambling) (15:31): I thank the Hon. Mr Wortley for his question. I am pleased to inform the house that the state government has given one-off approval for early Sunday trading in Rundle Mall to coincide with the morning arrival of these two major cruise liners.

The impending arrival of the Queen Mary 2 and the MV Athena prompted a request from the Rundle Mall Management Authority for a variation in Sunday trading hours. Following consultation with the relevant stakeholders, the management authority's request was accepted and an exemption notice prepared to allow non-exempt shops within the Rundle Mall precinct to trade from 9am. By opening two hours early on 20 February, Rundle Mall retailers and non-exempt shops to the east of Pulteney Street will be able to cater for the influx of visitors from Outer Harbor.

Building up South Australia's reputation as a destination for these major cruise liners is one of this government's key tourism strategies. The return of the Queen Mary 2 and the MV Athena later this month is expected to provide a healthy injection into our local economy. With arrangements in place by tourism operators to bring many of the thousands of passengers into the city early Sunday morning, it makes sense to allow shops to open at 9am on this special occasion. Smaller retailers, who often choose not to open until the major department stores begin trading on Sundays, now have an opportunity to decide whether to take advantage of the early opening time.

This approval for early Sunday trading is a one-off due to the extraordinary circumstances presented by the arrival of two major passenger ships to Outer Harbor and demonstrates the flexibility of our trading hours that we can cater for such events when they arise. The government is happy to consider any future requests for temporary extensions when there are special circumstances such as these. There is no compelling reason at this time to make permanent early Sunday trading for non-exempt shops in the Rundle Mall precinct.

It is worth putting on record that the Rann government delivered the biggest ever changes to South Australian shop trading hours. Adopted in 2003, those changes strike a fair and reasonable balance between the interests of large retailers, small business operators, their employees and consumers. South Australian shoppers now have more than 700 extra trading hours a year, including between 11am and 5pm on Sundays, compared with the hours provided by the previous Liberal government. Those changes were subsequently supported by an independent report conducted by the widely respected retired senior Youth Court judge, Alan Moss. The Moss report clearly found there was no evidence that the South Australian public wanted any further extension to existing trading hours.

I certainly hope that the visit of these cruise ships is a success and that the passengers travelling on them and enjoying the trip to our beautiful state enjoy the experience and have an opportunity to shop in Rundle Mall.