Country Cabinet

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA (14:49): My question is to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation. Minister, will you inform the chamber about the recent country cabinet meeting in the South-East and his ministerial visit?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:49): I think the honourable member for his question and his deep interest in country areas, particularly those tidal coastal waters of our country areas around South Australia.

As many members would be aware, and as the Hon. David Ridgway pointed out earlier, the Premier took the cabinet to the South-East recently, holding one of the regular country cabinet meetings, the formal cabinet meeting being in Naracoorte. The cabinet also held a series of community forums, one in particular on a Sunday night, a barbecue, at Mount Gambier High School, where questions were received from the community on a variety of topics, ranging from health services to heritage matters.

It was great to be back in Mount Gambier, and it was great to have the cabinet in town hearing concerns and having ministers respond to often tough but always respectful questions at the forums. Whilst in Mount Gambier, I took the opportunity to visit a number of businesses and community organisations.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: Stay with your mum and dad?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: In response, yes, I did stay with my mum and dad. So, if you are FOI-ing my travel accommodation, and see just my adviser pop up with a room and then not see me with a room anywhere, it was because I didn't have a room: I stayed with my mum and dad. While my mum and dad are still in Mount Gambier, I don't think I will get to stay in accommodation. I think there is an expectation that I stay at home in the same bedroom I had as a 13 year old when I visit Mount Gambier.

The Hon. M.C. Parnell: Is the room as you left it?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: It's changed a bit.

The Hon. G.E. Gago interjecting:

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I am getting reflections on my personal hygiene, I think, Mr President. Whilst in Mount Gambier, I visited Pangula Mannamurna, the Aboriginal health service located in Mount Gambier that provides services not only to Mount Gambier but also to the wider region, including places like Kingston, Naracoorte and Bordertown.

Focusing on chronic disease, social and emotional wellbeing and family health, the centre runs a number of programs, including youth services, smoking control programs, women's groups, the Nunga Playgroup and the Stronger Fathers Stronger Families program. Pangula is doing a great job of developing its facilities, in particular the outside areas where the once unused spaces are being turned into healing circles, with outstanding artwork from members of the local community. It is a great space that I have seen with interest over the last few years being developed, and it has even more potential.

The centre provides a great service to the Aboriginal community throughout the Limestone Coast, and it was good to meet the new CEO, David Copley, whom I have met a number of times before in previous roles in Adelaide, but this was the first time I have met him since he has taken over the role. It was good to go through Pangula. Usually when I visit Pangula I am known as my mum's son. She spent quite a bit of her working life at Pangula. I think it is a transition for the staff there, that I am now there as the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and not going there as a kid of one of the workers at Pangula.

I also had the opportunity to visit McDonnell's sawmill, which is a major employer in Mount Gambier. McDonnell's will celebrate its 70^th birthday next year, and it has been a key employer in the region and has expanded and is looking to further expand its business, creating new jobs. It is business stories like this that are becoming more common in the Mount Gambier region.

The forestry sector is important to the South-East. It is estimated that one in 10 homes in Mount Gambier has a person employed in the industry. Direct employment in the South Australian forestry industry has increased by 20 per cent over the last four years. This is counter to some of the prophets of doom who made claims following the sale of forward rotations of the forests.

It is estimated that a total of 1,200 new jobs have been created throughout regional South Australia, many of these in the South-East. This includes growth in forestry and logging, wood product manufacturing, and forestry support sectors of the industry. Pulp and paper product manufacturing and timber wholesaling have also grown since 2011.

There have been many factors for this jobs boost, with the realisation of several blue gum harvests, a recovery in the domestic timber market, and log export markets returning to profit. It is estimated that there are around 15,000 indirect jobs created by the forestry sector; again, a large number of those in the South-East of our state.

Finally, I was pleased that the Premier and I had the opportunity to meet with the current owners of 'Larry the Lobster'. The state government is contributing up to $10,000 towards the refurbishment of 'Larry the Lobster' and I understand that other contributions are slowly boiling away. I am pleased that we have been able to claw money out of the Treasurer's pockets. 'Larry' is an iconic tourist attraction in the Kingston area and Mount Gambier, and a unique reason to take a break in the South-East. It is crucial that he be saved from the pot. To save 'Larry' we all need to 'pinch' in and be a little less 'shellfish'.