Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail

The Hon. M.C. PARNELL (14:49): It is actually a supplementary question to the original answer the minister gave in relation to Kangaroo Island, but I do thank him for his additional information on nuclear waste. My supplementary question is: given the figures the minister provided, the difference between the number of inquiries and the number of bookings to walk the trail, has the government considered discounting the entry fee, which is $161 per person to do the walk, as an introductory offer or is it the case that the walk is so popular that it is already fully subscribed without discount?

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire: No, it's not.

The Hon. M.C. PARNELL: My question is: has the government considered an introductory offer to enable people to experience the walk?

The Hon. I.K. Hunter: How would you know?

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire: Because I've been over there.

The Hon. I.K. Hunter: Rubbish.

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire: I have so.

The Hon. I.K. Hunter: Ignoramus.

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire: I have so.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:50): I have so, Mr President, I have so. The Hon. Mr Brokenshire, how we are going to miss you. How we are going to miss you, Mr Brokenshire. Goodness gracious, it's like a Punch and Judy show in here. It won't be anymore. I thank the Hon. Mark Parnell for his supplementary question.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: We've got dumb and dumber in here for ministers at the moment.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Mr Ridgway, don't be hard on yourself, really. Dumb and dumber, Mr Ridgway? I don't think you should be ascribing those descriptions to yourself. Goodness gracious, Mr Ridgway.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: We think more highly of you, clearly, than you do of yourself, but there you go. We will take you out and give you a hug afterwards. I stand to be corrected by those who are listening to me, but there was, in fact, a discounted rate brought into place particularly for locals on the island. We want them to become custodians, I suppose, of this fantastic—

The Hon. M.C. Parnell: Ambassadors is what you are thinking of.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Ambassadors, indeed.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Yes, we have dumb and dumber piping up again, according to the Hon. David Ridgway. The Hon. David Ridgway—maybe he is more accurate in his summation than I am. I wouldn't be quite as harsh as him.

I think I have put on the record previously—I will go back and check this too—that I have done a comparison between costs for walking trails in relation to Kangaroo Island and the other trails that we like to compare ourselves too and we come out remarkably well in that comparison. There are costs associated with managing and maintaining such an incredible trail, and they do need to pay for themselves, but my understanding is that these trails will be oversubscribed. As I have said, we have had a huge number of inquiries. The bookings have been going amazingly well, even before the official opening, and I expect that this will be a trail that will be on the bucket list of many seasoned walkers.

I do encourage honourable members, if they are interested; they should get in early because it will be very difficult, particularly in peak season, but there are wonderful sights and vistas in the off-peak season if you can bring yourself to walk in the cooler months. They are spectacular sights and you are more likely to see some of the rare wildlife, such as the white-bellied sea eagle, on display, as indeed I did when I was walking a section of that trail last week.