World Environment Day

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA (14:51): My question is to the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation. Will the minister update the chamber on how South Australians celebrate World Environment Day?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:51): I thank the honourable member for the most important question, and at the end someone might like to ask him how he will be celebrating World Environment Day. He can join me on Saturday if he likes. Since 1974, World Environment Day has become the United Nations' most important day to increase worldwide action and awareness of environmental issues. The day is an occasion where people can highlight the things they do to take care of the environment. This might be action taken locally or globally, or something done by an individual or by a community or an organisation. No action is too small because many people working together can have a big impact.

Each World Environment Day has a theme that focuses on a particular environmental issue or concern. The theme for 2017 is 'Connecting People to Nature'. Consistent with this theme, the inaugural World Environment Fair will be held on 3 to 4 June at Wayville Showground in the lead-up to World Environment Day on 5 June. This event will bring together the community, advocates, businesses and individuals who care about the environment and will provide a huge cross-section of information about how everyone can support sustainability. This is a great opportunity for people of all ages to engage with environmental and sustainability issues. There will be plenty of fun, hands-on activities for young people and important take-home messages about how families can look after the environment through their own actions.

I am advised that more than 50 organisations have committed to the event so far, with 22 interesting speakers engaged. Booth holders range from Mitsubishi and Tesla through to community organisations such as the Junior Field Naturalists and the Whale Centre. A number of tourism-orientated organisations are involved as well as farmers' markets and food and wine companies. There will also be a number of activities and presentations which aim to attract young families: a very large nature play area; a nylon zoo with a giant inflatable turtle with storytelling and dress-up activities; native animal displays and shows; a bugs and slugs invertebrates display; a reptile display including a mini noctarium; and two inflatable planetariums for journeys through the night sky. Some 60 hands-on science exhibits on loan from Questacon and a children's craft area managed by the Wilderness Society also cater for families with younger children.

In addition, there is an impressive line-up of speakers led by Professor Ross Garnaut AO and environmentalist, author and media identity Ms Tanya Ha. The Adelaide cycling community is also involved in coordinating a bike hub supported by Bike SA, the Bicycle Institute and the Adelaide Community Bike Workshop. Bike tune-ups and bike education activities will feature in this space.

There is an entertainment stage, which will host a local reggae trio—can't wait to hear that—and a number of solo performers over the weekend. It will also feature musician and storyteller Mr Tony Genovese from Cool 4 Kids, who will present his 'Let's be sustainable' music show twice each day.

The Adelaide Showground will run regular tours of their rooftop solar panels throughout the weekend, and the Adelaide Sustainable Building Network has its own hub featuring sustainable building products and designs and regular presentations from leading practitioners in the space. The Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources is providing attendees with information and activities focused on water and climate change, parks and places, urban sustainability and sustaining natural resources. It will take visitors on a journey through the environment from coast to bushland to backyard.

This is a government, of course, that is committed to the environment and sustainability in supporting projects like this. It would take all of question time today to run members through all of our achievements in this space, but let's quickly gallop through a couple.

We have realised an investment of, currently, $7.1 billion in renewable energy investment, with more than 40 per cent of that value remaining in regional South Australia. We have achieved a net reduction in carbon emissions of over 8 per cent since 1990, whilst seeing the economy grow by 60 per cent. We have released a new climate change strategy that sets a target of zero net emissions by 2050, and have launched Carbon Neutral Adelaide, the bold and ambitious target to make Adelaide the world's first carbon neutral city.

In June 2016, I launched Healthy Parks Healthy People SA, a nature-based approach to population health. It aims to ensure all South Australians are connected to nature and recognise it as an integral component of their health and wellbeing. We have committed $10.4 million to help get metropolitan Adelaide residents outside, which includes of course $1.5 million to establish the Mount Lofty Ranges as an international mountain bike destination for Adelaideans to enjoy our beautiful peri-urban parks.

You can see this government's longstanding commitment to the environment has been delivered in projects like these, and to educating South Australians about the need to live sustainably and conserve our environmental resources for the future. I encourage all honourable members to attend South Australia's inaugural World Environment Fair, about which more information can be found at the worldenvironmentfair.org.au website.