South Australian DairyFarmers' Association

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (14:54): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Will the minister update the council on the recent visit by PIRSA and SARDI representatives for a tour of dairies in the Fleurieu, organised by the South Australian Dairyfarmers' Association?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:54): I thank the honourable member for his question. The dairy industry is an incredibly important industry in South Australia. According to the latest PIRSA scorecard, the industry has a production value of $346 million and a processed value of $734 million, and exports of dairy products from South Australia in 2023-24 totalled $151 million.

For these reasons, I was pleased that in September PIRSA and SARDI representatives were invited by the South Australian Dairyfarmers' Association (SADA) for a tour of dairies in the Fleurieu, gaining valuable firsthand insights into the state's dairy industry. They visited four sites on the itinerary designed by SADA, which highlighted a range of farm and processing businesses. Each site demonstrated how investment in technology, animal welfare, sustainability and data-driven decision-making is contributing to the success of the sector.

An overview of the key features of each site visited included McHugh's Mosquito Hill: participants saw a fully off-grid dairy operating on solar and battery systems, alongside a newly commissioned robotic voluntary milking set-up. Nangkita Dairy showcased how a multigenerational farm is embracing data genomics and robotics, including the use of drones for spraying. Amdena Dairy at Mount Compass provided an interactive look at the state-of-the-art rotary system, and Paris Creek Farms closed the day with a tour of their processing plant and a taste of their South Australian dairy produce.

As a result of these visits, a number of learnings were gained by PIRSA and SARDI staff, including technology adoption, robotics, drones and genomics, and delivering efficiencies and better milk quality, animal welfare, enhanced monitoring and real-time milk quality measures, improving herd health and wellbeing. From sustainability from off-grid power systems to methane reduction initiatives, dairies are actively lowering their environmental footprint. Work-life balance, automation and voluntary milking support both pharma and animal wellbeing.

For the participants, the immersive tour was a highly valuable opportunity to see industry innovation in practice, strengthen connections with producers and deepen understanding of the challenges and opportunities shaping the sector. This background supports policy development and helps identify areas for collaboration.

Last year, I had the opportunity to join the Premier in launching the South Australian Dairy Industry Action Plan 2024 to 2029. The Fleurieu tour clearly demonstrated the resilience, innovation and pride that underpins South Australia's dairy sector and reinforced the importance of government and industry continuing to work side by side in supporting its future and ensuring collaboration to achieve the outcomes of the dairy industry's action plan. I thank the South Australian Dairy Association for this initiative and invitation and look forward to continuing collaboration between industry and government.