South Australian Tourism Commission

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (14:43): My question is for the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. What process has the minister commenced to review the decision to award a tourism promotion contract to an interstate company?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) (14:44): I thank the honourable member for her question. It is a four-year contract that was awarded, pretty much as I said earlier, under the rules laid out by the former Labor government. As always, there are concerns when South Australian companies don't get these contracts, so I know that the Industry Participation Advocate is doing some work with the creative industry sector. I don't know the actual details of it, but I know that he is doing some work to try to get that sector more up to speed. I also know that there is some work being done to make sure that local companies get to participate in whatever way they can with these creative services.

I have made the chief executive of the SATC and the chair aware, and I haven't been to a board meeting as such but a number of board members, that we need to make sure that we get, of course, always value for money and the best possible services, but we also like to think that we can make sure that we can grow those at home and that we'll have companies locally when those contracts become available again the next time around that will be able to participate in that tender process, and hopefully we will see a South Australian company that is successful.