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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-03-01 Daily Xml
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KANGAROO ISLAND FUTURES AUTHORITY

The Hon. M.J. WRIGHT (Lee) (14:26): Can the Deputy Premier please inform the house about the outcomes of a recent workshop with Kangaroo Island community leaders and the ongoing work to shape the island's future?

Mrs REDMOND: Point of order, Madam Speaker: some years ago speaker Lewis ruled that the use of the word 'please' was unparliamentary.

The SPEAKER: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. That could change our whole question time. Deputy Premier.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Planning, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (14:27): I thank the honourable member for his question, even though apparently an element of it was disorderly. On Wednesday 22 February this year, I joined the Kangaroo Island Futures Authority Board in a meeting with Kangaroo Island community leaders. The meeting occurred at Kingscote in the morning, and I am able to say that the member for Finniss's path and mine crossed at the airport. He was heading to Adelaide to attend to the other part of his constituency, or heading to the Fleurieu Peninsula, I think, as I was arriving in Kangaroo Island.

We met with a number of people on the island, including a whole range of people from educators and teachers to farmers, and then we started work on taking forward the promise that was made to the people of Kangaroo Island last year that there would be some serious work done to improve the overall condition and circumstances on the island and those who live there.

There was a two-day workshop on the island which identified key priorities and strategies for the island, as well as actions that will be taken in order to advance the welfare and wellbeing of the island and its residents. This involved senior departmental officers, myself and representatives of the island community. I wanted to inform the house, in response to the question, about some of the outcomes of that strategy meeting.

First of all, everyone recognises the challenges that are associated with living on an island, as the community there does, and the transport implications of that. As in many instances, the challenge also creates an opportunity because it is that very body of water which makes a challenge for the islanders which also gives it the opportunity to become a unique place in terms of marketing as a green, clean, natural, pristine environment which can add great value to produce from the island, in particular primary produce for which, of course, producers on the island are well recognised around the state as being innovators.

Many of you may or may not know—and I am sure the member for Finniss does—that the very lucrative market in Japan for non-GM modified canola oil is in fact being supplied at very reasonable prices by island farmers. That is one clear example of where they have turned their potential disadvantage into an advantage.

The board identified seven major strategies: first of all, an integrated island strategy looking at how all of the parts of the island's challenges and strengths can fit together; second, value-adding the island brand; thirdly, positioning Kangaroo Island as one of Australia's top four icons in national and international markets in terms of tourism; an integrated approach to island energy, communications, water and waste utility needs; a business partner strategy; competitive island access; and an integrated capability-building exercise. A great deal of work is going to come out of these meetings and it will be—

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order, Madam Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Order! Point of order.

Mr WILLIAMS: If four minutes has not expired since the start of this answer, it certainly seems like it has.

The SPEAKER: No, it has not. He still has 29 seconds to go.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Can I say that this has multi-agency support and can I say in terms of the delivery on the promise to Kangaroo Island we already have $2 million a year additional funding for roads on Kangaroo Island and some $6 million being spent with Kangaroo Island as the core focus of the South Australian Tourism Commission's advertising campaign in excellent advertisements, which I am sure you have all seen.

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