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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-03-03 Daily Xml
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Export Programs

Mr McBRIDE (MacKillop) (14:39): My question is to the Minister for Trade and Investment. Can the minister advise how the Marshall Liberal government is securing business and consumer confidence by delivering programs to support our export industries?

The Hon. S.J.R. PATTERSON (Morphett—Member of the Executive Council, Minister for Trade and Investment) (14:39): Thank you to the member for MacKillop. It was great to visit the member for MacKillop just last week. I went down to his fantastic region, the Limestone Coast, to meet with some key export industries to understand the challenges they are having, both COVID-related and also some market access issues.

Obviously, some of those key export industries are important to your region, member for MacKillop: the rock lobster and also the timber and wine, of course. It was great to also visit the member for Mount Gambier and to meet with some of the key industries there as well. The message around that is it is really important that as a government we help them. What is important to the regions is certainly important to this government.

As I mentioned, I met with the rock lobster industry there—the fishers themselves and the producers and exporters—just to understand from a whole supply chain region what the issues are. I then went on to some key timber industries there, McDonnell and Sons and then also Timberlink, just to see the money they are investing into a really futuristic, state-of-the-art sawmill. The opportunities they have selling into the domestic market here are going to be really important for them going forward.

I also went to Wynns Coonawarra Estate to meet with the Limestone Coast Grape and Wine Council, which is very important, and the Coonawarra Vignerons. That covers not just the Coonawarra but other wine districts like the Limestone Coast, Padthaway, Wrattonbully, Mount Gambier, Robe, and those important regions.

It was really emphasised how important it is that as a government we work with industry and those industry bodies but also be hand in glove with the federal government as well. Yes, there are challenges, certainly with COVID and market access. It was quite clear they see the way forward is market expansion. As a government, we have been working really hard on that. It is really important they go into other markets but, of course, that will take time. In the short term, getting into the domestic market is certainly very important to them.

They were really complimentary about how South Australians really looked to support them over the Christmas festive season, whether that was wine or whether that was rock lobster at the shops. There has been a fantastic take-up for those. Even the South Australian Wine Industry Association has said now is the time to continue the momentum and get South Australians really engaged.

I am proud to say that we are launching a campaign this week in unison with Showcase SA. Steve and Kelly are people who talk up the state, not like those opposite. They talk up the state and they are going to really encourage all South Australians to buy local but, importantly, buy direct, whether that is at the cellar door or whether that is online as that is where they get maximum benefit.

They will be rolling out electronic messaging and a digital campaign and working off the really well-known I Choose SA brand. Of course, they are doing it in unison with industry. We have worked with wine companies to let them know and to involve them with this. We have had 70 new wineries sign up to the I Choose SA business directory, which is fantastic. They are now there not only for this campaign but permanently as well. That is going to help them going forward

We know we have fantastic wines here in South Australia. There are 200 cellar doors within an hour of Adelaide and there are 340 cellar doors all up. As South Australians, if we can get to cellar doors, not only does it help the wineries; it helps the regions. We were there visiting and went to DiGiorgio wines. I thank Frank. We bought some wine at the cellar door—that helps Frank. That is showing the way that is really good for South Australians. That is jobs for the wineries and jobs in the regions for the restaurants and the cafes. I encourage all to get on board—#IChooseSAWine, #BuyLocal, #BuyDirect.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my right and members on my left!

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