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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-11-13 Daily Xml
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Grievance Debate

Cherry Farming

Mr GARDNER (Morialta) (15:11): I am very pleased to advise members that the cherry season has begun in the Hills, but I wish to talk a little bit about some of the challenges confronting cherry growers in my electorate at the moment.

Members interjecting:

Mr GARDNER: There are a couple of ministers laughing at that. There are some concerns that they would do well to reflect on. However, I was very pleased that, on Monday, I was able to bring in a five kilo box of Australis variety cherries from Cowlings Cherries to share with the Liberal joint party room. I would encourage members opposite who wish to share in these cherries by saying that they are welcome to join us any day of the week.

Members interjecting:

Mr GARDNER: Any day of the week, you can join us. If you come into our party room and vote with us, then you too may have some cherries in the future from Norton Summit. It is one of the joys of my job to get that email in late October or early November from Cowlings Cherries. The first one this year was on Friday 7 November advertising the Empress dark red to deep mahogany sweet and juicy cherries, and the Early Burlat red to dark red, medium to large size, high quality for early-season cherries. It is a fantastic moment.

I pay tribute to the cherry growers in my electorate. There are seven orchards that are regularly open for sales at the door: Cowlings Cherries, Kirsch Hill Cherries, Bandiera Cherries in Norton Summit; Lennane Orchards, Montacute Valley Orchards and Smith Gully Orchards in Montacute; and Marble Hill Cherries at Ashton.

But there are some sincere issues that I wish to bring to the attention of the parliament and, in particular, to SA Power Networks. Cherry farming is a joy. It is a very special part of our community, and it is something I am very privileged to be close to every year. I try to attend every weekend during the summer months at least one of the orchards in my electorate to pick up some cherries and share them around.

The reality of running a cherry orchard is that, of course, your entire profit, your entire sales are in that six to eight week period during the year. It is predictable. It is the same time every year: some in November, all in December, some manage to get through to January. That is when they can make profits, and it rolls around at the same time every year.

In 2012, I got an email from Cowlings Cherries. I have been going to Cowlings Cherries for probably 28 of my 35 years and John and Gill have been running it the entire time, so I go back a little way with these people, but this affects the other orchards as well. In 2012, Cowlings Cherries approached me, having just received notification from SA Power Networks that electricity would be unavailable on Sunday 23 December from 8am to 3pm—the busiest weekend in the year for cherry growers when they sell all their Christmas cherries.

What would Christmas in Australia be without cherries, I ask you? There were 88 properties going to be affected, and the 10 to 15 people at Cowlings and all those other people at the orchards around there would also be affected because they would be unable to pack cherries, have access to the coolroom or commercial generator or use the EFTPOS facility or cash register and scales. Picking, packing and sales would have to cease, and it would just really shut them down and massively eat into their viability.

On that occasion on 23 December, we raised the issue with SA Power Networks. We asked that they delay it a couple of weeks until early 2013, and we pointed out the impact that such maintenance had on the cherry orchards on Old Norton Summit Road. SA Power Networks denied it on the ground that the high voltage line was considered a fire risk. Given that, it would have been handy to do the work perhaps before the fire season.

At the time, I contacted the Treasurer, who was then the minister for energy, as he is now, and to my pleasure on that occasion he was responsive and tried to help, to no avail. As it happened, the work did not take place because it was too hot for SA Power Networks to undertake the work, so it did not cause the problem.

Fast-forward two years to this week and we have the same problem again. At the time, we pointed out to SA Power Networks, 'You know this is going to happen every year. Do your work before the beginning of the cherry season. Do the work in January through to October.' There is plenty of time then, but for six to eight weeks there is a massive proportion of the local economy wrapped up in selling cherries, and when the electricity is cut they cannot do that work.

So, we now have an issue that tomorrow, Friday 7 November, SA Power Networks are moving in and they are going to shut down our electricity again. We spoke to them, and it is to be done for bushfire preparation, which is important work, and the authorities have given them until 15 November to do it. I would ask the minister and anyone responsible for these authorities to take this into consideration. I would ask SA Power Networks to take it into consideration. For the love of God, get the work done before the cherries are to be sold.

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