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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-10-16 Daily Xml
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AGRICULTURAL FIELD DAYS

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (15:45): I rise in this matter of interest debate to put on the public record my appreciation and congratulations to the Yorke Peninsula Field Days Committee and the Riverland Field Days Committee for the magnificent work they do in promoting field days for agriculture in South Australia. I say at the start that, again, I place on the public record my disappointment that this government is not showing sufficient commitment to rural and regional South Australia and agriculture.

I wrote to minister Conlon last year and said, 'Look, the Yorke Peninsula field days are coming up on 24, 25 and 26 September, there's a large constituency there, it would be good for members of parliament to be able to visit the field days,' and I asked whether he would please look at scheduling the sitting week around the field days. Well, I get no response from minister Conlon and, at the end of the day, guess what? While the Yorke Peninsula field days were being conducted we were all sitting here in parliament. However, the week before and the two weeks after that we were not sitting in parliament. And, when the Festival of Arts and all the other events occur in 'Mad March', the government goes out of its way to ensure we do not sit for weeks so that members can go and visit the Festival of Arts. That is all very fine, but at the end of the day I remind the government that the strong economic engine room, with the best growth potential into the future, is agriculture and value-adding that agriculture.

To get back to the field days, unfortunately I was not able to go to the Yorke Peninsula event. My family attended and said it was a huge success. I congratulate Mr Paul Browning, the president, and the very large team of committed volunteers that put the 2013 Yorke Peninsula field days together. I also wish to put on the public record that Australia's oldest field day, established in 1894, was Yorke Peninsula field day. It started out near my daughter and son-in-law's Price family farm towards Alford, on a property owned for along time by the Bruces. Those people have been innovative and forward thinking in developing agricultural opportunity for a long time, but this government cannot see the importance of the event. Sadly, whilst I know the minister for agriculture wanted to go, she was not even able to attend.

One that I was able to attend was the Riverland field days, the 56th, starting in 1958, and that again was a magnificent field day that has grown from small things to very big and significant field days with hundreds of exhibitors. They have their own facilities there, as well as the Yorke Peninsula and Cleve field days and many others. I place on the public record my appreciation to the chairman, Ashley Chabrel and all the hardworking volunteers and support staff who helped put the Riverland field days together, including the secretary/administrator, Tim Grieger.

We have in the House of Assembly a wheat sheaf and a wine grape. That is there because this state built its foundation on agriculture and primary production. It is tough out in the economy at the moment, and manufacturing is suffering immensely, and this wind again today and the hot weather we have had is not good for the completion of absolutely bountiful crops. However, the reality is that right across the state, even though unfortunately spring has gone dry again, we have seen what will be potentially a bumper harvest. When that money starts to come into South Australia, it will filter its way through the regions and into Adelaide, and it will help the government and the economy generally, because we are to see billions of dollars worth of grain, dairy, wool and horticulture coming through the farm gate and through the processes, and ultimately taxes and other charges will benefit the whole state.

I do not apologise one little bit for the fact that I am extremely disappointed that this government is not focused enough on agriculture. I will have more to say about it in the near future, but if you look at two areas that have had incredibly outrageous and unfair cuts on them since this government came to office, it is the primary industries department, PIRSA, and tourism. Guess what? Both of those are paramount not only to the rural regions of South Australia but to the economic growth and stimulation and future opportunities for our state. I call on the government to revisit its policies—

The PRESIDENT: Time.

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: —and look at agriculture as a priority.

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Kandelaars.

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