Granite Island

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (16:54): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for the Environment and other portfolios a question regarding the future of Granite Island.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: Down my way, on the Fleurieu Peninsula there have been several reports in the last few months regarding the future of Granite Island and, in fact, on the 29 January the heading was 'Future of Granite Island in the air'. Granite Island has become an eyesore, and the Victor Harbor Visitor Information Centre volunteers are embarrassed at the state of Victor Harbor's tourism mecca.

The Gunn Group will not renew its lease with the state government, which owns the land, due to increasing costs, which leaves the restaurant and penguin centre in limbo. The Gunn Group's five-year lease expired on 27 January, and the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources is looking at ways, I am advised, to keep facilities operational.

Councillor Jenkins, a councillor with the City of Victor Harbor, said that Granite Island gets 700,000 to 800,000 visitors per year, and she is researching what options there are and to gain more information. Was it in the lessee's contract? If so, why did the relevant government department not halt its demise in the past few years and cancel the lease before the place became a wreck, the councillor asks. Another one is: in the event of a new lessee being found, how long will this facility be an eyesore before remediation happens?

Public lands manager for Natural Resources Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, Mike Williams, said options for new ventures on Granite Island to replace the island's kiosk are being considered, but he then went on to say that the department (DEWNR) is very keen to look at other ways to provide services and that they would consider what other options could be available to use the site, for example, a seasonal or pop-up cafe.

This debacle and this debate go on and on. My question to the minister is: what is his department doing to ensure that we do not see the demise of an environmental and tourism icon—namely, Granite Island—and why has his department and he as minister allowed such a run down of an iconic asset for South Australia?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (16:56): The Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources has leased a portion of the Granite Island Recreation Park on the Fleurieu Peninsula to a private company. Most people would be aware of that. The leased area encompassed the majority of the north shore, including the lawns, the kiosk, the cafe and the penguin centre.

The department and the lessee mutually agreed to the end of the lease on 4 February 2015, as the operator was no longer in a financial position to continue the business. The kiosk closed on 26 January 2015; however, the department will ensure that the public toilet facilities remain open, and options for pop-up vendors, as the honourable member mentioned, selling food and drink, are being investigated jointly by the department and the local council.

The department is working with the manager of the penguin centre so that it can continue to operate while a longer term strategy for Granite Island is developed. The Granite Island Recreation Park is recorded as being visited by more than 500,000 people per year and recognised as an important local tourism site. The government is committed to ensuring that opportunities exist for Granite Island to continue to play an important role in the state's tourism industry.

I am advised that DEWNR will shortly be entering into a consultation process with stakeholders regarding the longer term future of the island. Key agencies, of course, will include the Victor Harbor council, the South Australian Tourism Commission, the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure and also local volunteer groups which have an interest in the area. This conversation will aim to look at ways to improve sustainable tourism at Granite Island.