Country Shows

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. N.J. Centofanti:

That this council—

1. Acknowledges that South Australia's 48 country shows play an important role in regional communities as a hub for social, business and broader economic activation;

2. Notes the contribution of Agricultural Societies Council of South Australia staff and the thousands of volunteers who make agricultural shows possible;

3. Acknowledges the important role that agricultural shows play in securing the next generation of primary industry leaders and innovators; and

4. Congratulates this year’s winners of South Australia's Young Rural Ambassador Award, Rural Ambassador Award, Young Judges' and Paraders' Championships.

(Continued from 1 November 2023.)

The Hon. B.R. HOOD (00:57): I rise very briefly today to acknowledge South Australia's 48 country shows and the incredible role that they play in our community in highlighting the importance of agriculture and the importance of community. I just want to reflect a little bit on how wonderful shows are, especially when you are a kid.

I remember going to the Naracoorte show. The first place we would go to was the Cartwright Pavilion where I had numerous pieces of art in the show competition, looking for that first blue ribbon. I got it a couple of times—one for a life-size Superman drawing that I did. So many kids would rally around the Cartwright Pavilion looking at the art, making sure to see if they had won an award. Then you would head to the sideshow alley and you would jump on the Gravitron and you would try to turn yourself upside down. It was about community, it was about getting around, meeting up with your mates and enjoying the show and enjoying the sights and the sounds and the smells of agriculture in our regions.

Country shows would not be put on if it was not for the amazing volunteers, people who spend weeks and months getting all those exhibits, getting all those pieces of artwork and sticking them up on the wall, making sure that we have judges for our parading and our heifer shows and all those amazing types of things. It is to those volunteers that I want to say thank you because we know that, especially in the regions, our volunteer base is starting to drop a little bit. It is the same people who are putting up their hand every year to put on these shows. To those who are doing that, thank you so much for what you continue to do to ensure that our country shows still play a huge part in our community.

I want to acknowledge the important role that ag shows play in securing the next generation of primary industry leaders. It is indeed why my business partner Simone and I created George the Farmer, because we wanted kids to know that there was a career in ag. I do not know how many country shows I have played having dozens of kids jumping around and singing about how much they love beef and how much they love farming.

It is great to see the next generation moving through, none so much as seeing South Australia's Young Rural Ambassador Awards. These are young adults who are invested in agriculture and who want to see Australian agriculture continue, and they do that through these amazing rural and regional country shows. To every single one of you involved, from Mount Gambier to Bordertown, right up through the Mid North and all over South Australia, thank you for what you do for country shows and thank you for what you do for agriculture. Long may they continue.

The Hon. R.B. MARTIN (01:00): I am pleased to speak in support of the honourable member's motion, and I indicate that the government is supportive. I thank the Hon. Nicola Centofanti for bringing this motion. The recent promotion of the previous speaker, the Hon. Mr Hood, seems to have done him well; he is giving very good speeches tonight and is hard to follow.

Country shows are a beloved and vibrant tradition woven into the rich fabric of regional communities across South Australia. Country shows play an important role, both culturally and economically, in the life and development of regional communities. Country shows are not only social hubs for residents to gather and spend time together, they are also a key business and economic tool to allow regional residents to trade and interact with a wide range of different businesses, which in turn promotes economic activation.

The government acknowledges that the 48 country shows held across regional South Australia could not happen without the valuable assistance of volunteers who provide wideranging support for the shows to operate each year. Along with the 48 regional shows, the government department PIRSA has a strong presence at the Royal Adelaide Show, including with Aggie's Farm, which is an educational experience for children to learn about the journeys of their food and fibre from crop to shop. PIRSA also provides key messaging at shows across the state around the importance of good biosecurity practices.

The Young Rural Ambassador and Rural Ambassador awards and the Young Judges competition highlight the importance of young adults in rural and regional South Australia with a connection to agricultural shows. The two programs identify and encourage young people who are involved in their local regional community and agricultural shows. It provides the opportunity to travel locally, nationally and even internationally to gain further knowledge and skills relating to agriculture.

The first state final of the Rural Ambassador Award was held during the 1998 Royal Adelaide Show. This was run by SA Country Shows and replaced the Miss Showgirl competition, now being open to both males and females. In 2001 the first national Rural Ambassador final was held, and over the years the structure and prize money for this has evolved. An award for 16 to 19 year olds, the Young Rural Ambassador Award was introduced in 2005, with the first state final held in 2006. It has been successful in attracting and retaining young people in the South Australian country show movement, with participants subsequently entering the Rural Ambassador Award.

Elsie Johnson from Peake in the Murray Mallee region has been named South Australia's Young Rural Ambassador for 2024 for her contribution to the community and her dedication to agricultural shows, and I congratulate her on the award. We know that young people are the future of our agricultural industries and are a core part of our regions and significant contributors to our economy. Many past Rural Ambassador and Young Rural Ambassador award winners, runners-up and finalists are now strongly connected through their careers, particularly in primary industries.

It is a fact that many members of parliament from across the political spectrum genuinely love to attend country shows. The Minister for Primary Industries has, of course, attended many country shows across various regions during the term of the Malinauskas Labor government. But I am also aware that a number of members of this parliament have participated in country shows in various ways, particularly as entrants in baking competitions.

I myself was very controversially disqualified from a cake competition at the Coonalpyn Show for putting icing in the middle of my cake as well as on the outside. I simply flew too close to the sun. Unfortunately, my actions may have led to the member for Adelaide in the other place also being disqualified, as she also thought my idea of putting icing in the middle of the cake was a good idea. This was controversial because the member for Adelaide is quite a gun baker, so to have her knocked out of the competition was controversial.

All in all, fully half the politicians who entered the politicians' chocolate cake challenge were disqualified, but I do not think we should read anything into that. It is of note that the Hon. Emily Bourke's initial attempt at baking the chocolate cake, which ended with her tipping it upside down inside her oven, was resolved and she actually won a medal at that competition and was not one of the ones disqualified. It was truly a mixed bag of emotions at the Coonalpyn Show that year.

Looking ahead, I am eagerly anticipating attending the Riverland Field Days, to which I will be taking my family in September. I indicate my strong and ongoing desire to continue attending country shows, and not just because they offer good entertainment but because they are truly a pillar of life in our regions. They are valuable and they are important, and they deserve our recognition and appreciation. I join the honourable member in commending the Agricultural Societies Council of South Australia's staff and the thousands of volunteers who make agricultural shows possible, as well as congratulating this year's winners of South Australia's Young Rural Ambassador Award, Rural Ambassador Award and Young Judges' and Paraders' Championships. Once again, I thank the Hon. Nicola Centofanti for introducing this motion, and I commend it to the chamber.

The Hon. S.L. GAME (01:06): I rise briefly to support the Hon. Nicola Centofanti's motion, acknowledging the important role that South Australia's 48 country shows play in their respective regional communities along with the contribution of the Agricultural Societies Council of SA staff and the many show volunteers statewide.

In recent weeks, my staff have manned stalls at various country shows. Through my own experience and that of my staff, plus feedback from constituents, I know these shows represent much of what makes South Australia's rural regions great. Yes, they platform what the respective areas produce and have to offer more generally, but they also showcase the fine people of these regions and what drives and motivates them. Importantly, given South Australia's role as a food-producing state, agricultural shows help nurture the next generation of primary industry leaders, our farmers of the future. I also congratulate this year's show ambassador winners plus the winners of the Young Judges' and Paraders' Championships, and I commend the motion.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (01:07): First, I thank all members who made a contribution to the debate: the Hon. Mr Hood, the Hon. Mr Martin and the Hon. Ms Game. I appreciate the Hon. Mr Hood's comments about his favourite experiences at the Naracoorte Show. The Gravitron certainly is not my favourite experience, as I wanted to keep my lunch firmly down in my stomach. I was and still am more into a slow Ferris wheel ride, if I am feeling adventurous on that day.

As I said in my original motion, as a country MP I am certainly very acutely aware of the importance of country shows, although they are not called country shows in the country, they are just called 'the show'. Community, competition and the carnival atmosphere make country shows a must-attend and a date in many towns' calendars, not unlike when the country comes to the city, which it is soon with the Royal Adelaide Show beginning this weekend.

Across Australia there are 580 show events each year, which attract about six million visitors and contribute nearly $1 billion to the economy. In South Australia there are 48 shows, as stated in my motion, each unique and able to shine a light on local produce, arts, crafts and industry. In the Riverland we have a great show in the Loxton Show. It is coming up in a month, the Hon. Mr Martin—I am sure there will be a baking competition there, too.

It is held over the October long weekend and is a tradition dating back to September 1911. Since the original show in 1911, only 10 show years have been missed: during the two world wars, the Great Depression and, of course, most recently due to COVID-19 restrictions. It is a Centofanti family tradition to head to the Loxton Show, and my kids, along with their classmates, are extremely excited.

I want to acknowledge the Loxton Agricultural and Horticultural Show Society, which was honoured with a well-deserved Australia Day award this January for the Event of the Year 2023 by the District Council of Loxton Waikerie. Congratulations to the committee and the volunteers for their ongoing hard work. It is truly a highlight of the Riverland calendar.

I again congratulate the Rural Ambassador and the Young Rural Ambassador. I thank again all members who have made a contribution to this motion. I look forward to seeing you all at a country show soon.

Motion carried.