PHYLLOXERA

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (14:49): I seek leave to ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries a question about phylloxera.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Phylloxera is an insect that feeds on the roots of grapevines, seriously weakening the vine. You would have thought this would have been an interesting question or an important question for those opposite who seem to always say they represent regional and rural areas. Phylloxera is an insect that feeds on roots of grapevines, seriously weakening the vine. Can the minister inform the chamber about new technology that will assist in keeping South Australia phylloxera free?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (14:50): I thank the honourable member for his well thought through question. Phylloxera is a very important pest to the wine industry here in Australia and, of course, South Australia has the great reputation of being not only fruit fly free but also phylloxera free, and that is due to the hard work of our primary industries, our farmers, who are ever diligent, and also governments that are prepared to invest in our biosecurity protection technologies and systems.

South Australia is one of the few major grape-growing areas in the world that has remained free of this vine-destroying pest phylloxera. As a result, South Australia has some of the oldest grapevines in the world. Many of those old grapevines help us produce some of the best wine in the world.

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire: Grange; the best Grange, Penfolds Grange.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Yes, thank you for that. I have a bit of a conflict there, so I will not say too much more, but we do produce some of the world's finest wines. Last week, as part of the government’s series of policies aimed at Building a Stronger South Australia, I announced that the state government is expanding the development of a world-leading soil DNA testing system to help keep the state’s grapevines free of phylloxera. The state government will provide around $500,000 of new funding and work with partners to support the development and trialling of the new testing system, establish a commercial service to provide phylloxera testing and certification, and adapt the technology for other horticultural industries to better combat plant diseases and pests.

Grape phylloxera is an insect that feeds on the roots of grapevines. The infestation damages the roots and also allows infections such as fungi and bacteria to damage the root systems even further and seriously weaken the vine. Currently, there is no cost-effective testing for the presence of phylloxera in soil. The only way to identify the pest is to actually dig up and visually inspect the vine’s roots.

The new DNA soil test, under development at SARDI, is world-leading work that is expected to have significant benefits for wine-growing areas across the world. The new test will also help to protect South Australia’s important grapevine industry—an integral part of the state’s $1.8 billion (so just under $2 billion) wine industry.

Research has shown that phylloxera can be identified from just small soil samples in a rapid testing procedure and, once deployed, the screening system will give the viticulture industry an effective early detection tool to be able to protect against the vineyard scourge of phylloxera and create a new export market for the technology.

The emphasis in South Australia is on ensuring phylloxera does not enter the state from the importation of infected rootstock or on equipment. The ability to use world-leading DNA testing will enhance the regulatory approach to ensure South Australia remains phylloxera free.

This new DNA test is so important because South Australia accounts for almost 75 per cent of Australia’s premium wine production. I will just repeat that, Mr President—and I know you enjoy some of our fabulous wine products, you are a bit of a connoisseur—South Australia accounts for almost 75 per cent of Australia's premium wine production, which is produced, as I said, from some of the oldest vines in the world.

South Australia dominates the Australian wine industry, with just under one half of all of Australia’s vineyards situated in South Australia and approximately one out of every two bottles of Australian wine made in South Australia. So one out of every two is made here. This wine is exported to almost 100 countries and just over 50 per cent of all wine exported overseas originates from this state. This government remains committed to doing what it can to ensure that phylloxera does not enter this state.

It is worth noting that Australia's $500 million potato industry is already benefiting from a soil DNA testing service developed by SARDI scientists, which could be expanded to other horticulture sectors in South Australia. The service gives growers a snapshot of any common disease pathogens present in their soil samples before they plant their crops, reducing the reliance on soil treatments to control disease outbreaks and improving the premium potential of products.

The additional government funding will also support the adaptation of this technology to other horticulture industries to better combat plant disease and pests. This will have, obviously, great benefits for other horticulture industries and can also be delivered to other jurisdictions.