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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-04-13 Daily Xml
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Kangaroo Island Tourism

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright) (14:27): My question is to the Minister for Planning. Can the minister tell the house what the government is doing to attract more visitors to Kangaroo Island?

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice Reform, Minister for Planning, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Child Protection Reform, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for Consumer and Business Services, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (14:27): I thank the honourable member for her question. The government is committed to supporting regional communities—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: It's true—and supporting increased tourism visitation to our regional areas is one of the ways in which the government is achieving this. The government has a role in providing the right regulatory framework (and I know that the Minister for Tourism would agree with this); we have to provide the correct regulatory framework so that the new development opportunities envisaged by the private sector can be properly assessed, bringing community and a whole-of-government approach to the table.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Finniss is called to order.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I think the member for Kavel has been winding him up, sir. As I was saying, on 20 August 2015 the government declared a tourist resort at American River as a major development. This will establish an international standard tourist resort with a capacity of 336 guests, a staff village and a commercial harbour, which will include a ferry berth and a recreational marina. The proposal is to be designed with a view to minimising impacts on the sensitive coastal environment.

The commercial harbour precinct seeks to establish a vibrant town centre while maintaining the coastal village character of the town. The proposal involves a capital expenditure of $34 million—and in a small community like Kangaroo Island that is a quite significant investment—and is expected to employ up to 100 staff. It will establish a significant attraction for overseas visitors, and that would significantly add to the tourism value on Kangaroo Island.

The major development process is the highest level of assessment in South Australia. The proposal has been reviewed by the independent Development Assessment Commission. Following input from the relevant government agencies and the local council, the commission has determined that the proponent must produce a public environment report. This determination has now been provided to the proponent and will be released publicly.

Once completed, the report is then released for public and formal government agency consultation for a six-week period. Interested parties will be able to make submissions on the proposal. Together with the government's nature-based tourism strategy and our commitment to funding regional infrastructure, this development will provide jobs and increased visitation and help to grow the fantastic tourist destination that is Kangaroo Island.

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