Seafood on Spencer

The Hon. T.T. NGO (14:53): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Can the minister tell the chamber about the Seafood on Spencer festival that was held last weekend in Port Broughton?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:53): I thank the honourable member for his question. It was an absolute pleasure to attend a fantastic celebration of South Australian seafood at Seafood on Spencer over the weekend in Port Broughton. The event bills itself as the ultimate gulf to plate experience, and it more than lived up to that with the fresh Spencer Gulf seafood combined with local beverages and great entertainment.

While fresh seafood is the star of the show, local distilleries and breweries such as Watsacowie and Sunny Hill were front and centre as well at the experience and are of course incredibly popular Yorke Peninsula tourism destinations themselves, alongside several others which are forging a path in this growing sector.

Indeed, I think what makes Seafood on Spencer such a great event is that it showcases Yorke Peninsula's incredible food, wine and spirits, and all in one of the most beautiful parts of our state. Of course, our state has so many beautiful parts. It is a great pleasure to get out into all of our different regions so frequently.

Of course, drawcard events such as this have a great impact on the local community and region, with accommodation often booked out and visitors heading to many other great local attractions on the Yorke Peninsula and beyond. It gives many who may not ordinarily have a direct connection to our state's iconic fisheries and the dedicated people behind them an opportunity to meet with those who provide us with ready access to seafood in our supermarkets, pubs, restaurants, markets and so on.

Saturday kicked off with an opportunity to do just that, with attendees able to meet the local fishermen and view their vessels at the Port Broughton jetty. It continued with the crab picking competition at The Crab Shack—I think the Hon. Connie Bonaros participated in that crab picking competition, although I did not get to see how successful or otherwise she was—and a fantastic cooking demonstration by The Crab Shack's chef, Adam Brooks. It was great to see the kids getting involved in the competition and they certainly knew their stuff. Entertainment was provided by Port Broughton musicians Remfry and Stringer and Adelaide band The Happy Leonards, who kept the music flowing all afternoon.

Congratulations to the Seafood on Spencer team, led by Christy Barnes and the Barnes family, who are one of the state's great fishing families. As a state, we showcase our premium produce so well, and Seafood on Spencer is right up there with the many events which bring a sense of pride and appreciation as well as a lot of fun for locals and visitors alike. Well done.