Summer Events

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (15:15): My question is to the Minister For Trade, Tourism and Investment. Can the minister please update the council about summer events in South Australia?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) (15:16): I thank the honourable member for his ongoing interest in the wonderful calendar events we have coming up this summer. As this year is drawing to a close, before you know it will be holidays and 2020 will be upon us. Our hardworking tourism operators continue to grow from strength to strength. There are so many amazing events coming up over the summer holiday period.

The regions remain incredibly important to South Australia's visitor economy, and there are many things to do in the regions over the summer. In the Murraylands, in January, we will see the Asian Le Mans race take place at The Bend. It is sure to be an exciting event taking place over three days with 13 different countries represented. The organisers expect to see a crowd of some 25,000 people bring fantastic economic benefit to the region.

Of course, in Port Lincoln, on the West Coast, at the end of January we will see the annual Tunarama Festival take place. Tunarama is held every year over the long weekend in January and incorporates community events and entertainment and showcases the region's amazing food and wine and, of course, tuna. I would absolutely encourage the members opposite to try to get over there. It is a great competition.

The Hon. E.S. Bourke: I was there last time.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: The Hon. Emily Bourke said she was there last year. When you look at the size of the tuna in the tuna tossing competition, I think the Hon. Justin Hanson would be a perfect candidate to pick up a tuna and test his arm against some of the locals.

Closer to home, the summer will be just as exciting. In January, of course, Adelaide will see the international tennis event at the newly renovated Memorial Drive. This event will see world-renowned players come to Adelaide to sharpen their skills ahead of the Australian Open. The event is expected to attract approximately 100 players, including Australia's top ranked men's player, Mr Alex de Minaur, and the 2019 ladies' Wimbledon champion, Simona Halep, and, of course, the current world number one, Ash Barty. This continues our fantastic showing of female sporting events in South Australia.

Around the same time the Adelaide International concludes the Santos Tour Down Under begins, and I was excited earlier in October to announce that, for the first time in 2020, all four stages of the Santos Women's Tour Down Under will be streamed live on 7plus. It's fantastic that women's sport is taking front and centre and equally fantastic that South Australia's beautiful regions will be broadcast around the country.

Furthermore, we have the ISPS Handa women's open golf taking place at the Royal Adelaide Golf Club from 13 to 16 February. This year, we will be lucky enough to see some exciting young players join the Women's Australian Open, including Hannah Green from Perth and Nelly Korda from the United States. They will join Australia's top ranked female golfer, Minjee Lee, to battle it out on the greens.

We then head straight from golf to cricket. We have the ICC Women's T20 World Cup taking place from 16 to 18 February. It's fantastic to see women's teams from South Africa, Sri Lanka, England and New Zealand go head to head with our own fantastic Australian team and, of course, as we mentioned, this weekend the test cricket season kicks off with Pakistan playing in the day-night test.

The summer won't be complete without the lead-in to Mad March and all the craziness that comes with it. The Superloop Adelaide 500 kicks off at the end of February, WOMADelaide will take place over the March long weekend, with Ziggy Marley headlining with the Blind Boys of Alabama and Laura Marling and many more.

Additionally, Tasting Australia will again showcase the world-class food and wine that we have to offer. I can't wait for the summer in South Australia, and I encourage everybody in the chamber, everybody who is listening and everybody who reads Hansard to get out and enjoy what this state has to offer.