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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-07-03 Daily Xml
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Yorke Peninsula Tourism Awards

Mr ELLIS (Narungga) (15:36): I rise today to recognise the efforts of so many within the electorate of Narungga who are every day working towards growing the value of tourism in our region. These hardworking ambassadors are well aware, as am I, of the potential of tourism to be a major catalyst for significant economic growth for the state, and I was very happy to show my support, along with both the Minister for Tourism (David Ridgway from the other place) and the Minister for the Environment and Water, at the Yorke Peninsula Tourism Awards Gala Dinner on 22 June at the Coopers Alehouse in Wallaroo.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Yorke Peninsula Tourism marketing manager, Brooke Liebelt, and Tourism Coordinator, Nicole Page, on organising such a successful event, which was hosted in partnership with the SA Tourism Industry Council. I would also like to congratulate all the nominees and category winners. The judges no doubt had a very difficult task sorting from so many quality entries.

Splash Town water park at Moonta Bay won Best Tourist Attraction, which was the first win of the night for the Copper Coast Council. The council went on to win in the Best Visitor Information and Services category, with their Copper Coast Visitor Information Centre, with the Ardrossan Visitor Information Outlet—a venture that I opened relatively recently—taking out the silver medal.

The Kernewek Lowender Copper Coast Cornish Festival won the Festival and Events category—their third consecutive win, which had them inducted into the Hall of Fame. It has been an outstanding effort over so many years from all involved in this major festival, which is literally put on by hundreds of volunteers and each time attracts in the vicinity of 30,000 people over its seven-day program. In that category, Stansbury Seaside Markets was awarded a silver medal, as was the Yorke Peninsula Saltwater Classic. Both events draw hundreds of tourists, who all spend money, spread positive messages and always come back for more.

In the Cultural Tourism category, Moonta Mines Railway was named the winner with great applause and, being their third consecutive win, they were also inducted into the Hall of Fame. Representing the large band of volunteers who run and maintain this railway experience for the thousands of visitors who come to the national heritage listed Moonta Mines every year, Ian Archibald advised they had clicked over a record in the number train passengers last year. Well done to all involved in this operation, which does much to promote the Copper Coast's unique and significant Cornish heritage.

Ballara Art and Lifestyle Retreat at Warooka, a relative newcomer to our local tourism industry, was awarded a bronze medal, which is a great achievement for their first entry. Ballara is a beautiful 100-year-old authentically restored stone home well worth a stay, taking you back in time and offering all sorts of additional experiences—anything from art, photography, yoga and massage to surf lessons, beach fishing and golf.

The Specialised Tourism Services Category was won by Barley Stacks Wines, which is also a major sponsor of the tourism awards, with wines aplenty on every table—certainly there were more wines at the start of the night than there was at the end of the night, but there was plenty nonetheless. The winner of the silver medal in this category was Yorke Peninsula Council Bush Camping, which was a testament to how well received council's recent decision to open up more camping areas in its district has been.

Category 8 was Tourist and Caravan Parks, and the winner was the Port Vincent Foreshore Caravan Park, which also took out the Service Excellence Award later in the night. Congratulations to Louise and Shane Biddell who thoroughly deserve all the accolades they receive. Another Hall of Fame inductee with a third consecutive win was Reef Encounters Fishing Charters, which took out the Best Fishing Charter Tour and/or Transport Operator Category, and well done to Mark Wynbergen and Angela Perryman and their crew for their outstanding efforts—a Hall of Fame entry on the night, which had quite a few for their third consecutive win, and a wonderful effort.

The winner of the Best Tourism Restaurant, Hotel, Cafe and Catering Category was Coopers Alehouse, Wallaroo, which hosted the night. The winner of Best Deluxe Accommodation was Wallaroo Marina Apartments. Well done to Craig Costello and Inga Sterns who I know are planning more investment in this space, which we are all eagerly anticipating.

The silver medallist in the Deluxe Accommodation was Redwing Farmstay, another unique tourism offering at Weetulta, featuring accommodation for families at shearers' quarters cum renovated 1860s cottage and a renovated rustic barn. They also have a plethora of farm animals to add to the experience for visitors, including four goats, a couple of cows, donkeys, pet sheep and pigs. Well done to Damien and Nicola Adams.

Importantly, the final award for the night was the prestigious Harry Dowling Award, which recognises outstanding contribution to the South Australian regional tourism industry. This year's winner was Stephen 'Goldy' Goldsworthy—who was a surprised recipient—for his drive, initiative, development and commitment to the 500-kilometre Walk the Yorke leisure trail. Well done to all winners.

Time expired.

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