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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-06-06 Daily Xml
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World Environment Fair

Ms HABIB (Elder) (14:46): My question is to the Minister for Environment and Water. Will the minister inform the house on the success of the World Environment Fair held over the past weekend and the opportunities this presented to highlight the new government's range of practical environmental policies?

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Minister for Environment and Water) (14:46): I thank the member for Elder for that question. I know she is passionate about our natural environment and wants to work alongside this side of the house as we do what we can to invest in and enhance that natural environment that means so much to our state.

With yesterday being World Environment Day, on the weekend, during Saturday and Sunday, the World Environment Fair was held at the Adelaide Showground, and a hugely successful event it was. Some 10,000 people went through the gates over a couple of days. That was the second World Environment Fair which has been hosted here in South Australia at the showgrounds, the previous one being in 2017. We've had one this year and, hopefully, we are now getting a foundation in place to be able to run these events year after year.

The event is sponsored by the Department for Environment and Water and also by the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board, giving a total, I think, of around $40,000 in contributions towards making that event viable. One of the great things about that event is you are throwing open the doors and you are showcasing what is great about South Australia's environment. You are providing people, who perhaps live in the metropolitan area and don't necessarily have access to some of the far-flung natural beauty spots of our state, the opportunity to experience some of the aspects and learn about some of the aspects of our natural environment.

It was great to see the focus on nature play and getting younger people inspired and involved in our natural environment. It was great to see many of the stalls and displays, which gave young people the opportunity to explore the scientific side of our environment. I make that point because it is so important for our young people to understand the dynamic nature, the multiple views, when it comes to our natural world and our natural science. We don't want our young people having a flat earth view like those opposite.

We need our young people to have a grasp of those competing views and be able to work through them, and that was one of the beautiful things about the World Environment Fair this week. There was a whole range of opportunities for the people attending the fair to be able to look at what the environment department is focusing on at the moment, particularly looking at national parks, our coastline, our wilderness spaces and, as I mentioned, nature play and citizen science.

There was also an opportunity for people to reflect on the practical side of our environment–what they can do themselves to protect our environment. There were talks from Ranger Stacey from Totally Wild and Craig Reucassel from the War on Waste, that successful ABC show, and those things really tied into the Liberal government's views that anyone can be involved in protecting our environment, and we want to rely on that on-the-ground knowledge and understanding.

It was great to hear today, in response to the deputy leader's motion on World Environment Day, so many people from this side of the house sharing their commitment and their love of our state's natural environment—the members for Narungga, Finniss, Morphett, King, Colton, Waite and Stuart all joining me in celebrating our natural environment. I did feel very sorry for the deputy leader because it was her motion. She had stewardship of it.

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: There was no-one—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The minister will be seated. Minister, please be seated. The minister will be seated. Point of order.

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: I think he's out of control, sir.

The SPEAKER: The point of order is for?

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Making references to debate before the house, sir.

The SPEAKER: The point of order is debate. I think the minister is wrapping up. Please return to the substance of the question, minister.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: I just want to take this opportunity to thank members on this side of the house for their commitment to our natural environment, and I hope they will join me at the World Environment Fair in 2019.

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