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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-03-28 Daily Xml
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ADELAIDE CONVENTION CENTRE

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (14:43): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Tourism a question about the Adelaide Convention Centre.

Leave granted.

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS: As members would know, the Adelaide Convention Centre is undergoing redevelopment at the moment. The centre continues to thrive and generate significant economic benefit to this state. Will the Minister for Tourism update the chamber on some of the contributions made by the Adelaide Convention Centre?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women) (14:43): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. Indeed, the Adelaide Convention Centre is one of our great success stories. It has received many awards, both here and abroad, for its innovative practices. Corporate social responsibility is a priority for the board and management of the centre. I am very pleased to provide the chamber with an update on some of their recent initiatives that are not quite as obvious to the eye. I also note at this point that the Hon. Tammy Franks asked a question recently about the Convention Centre, and I am sure that she will find the following information particularly informative.

As I am sure many members can attest, the cuisine produced by the catering staff at the Adelaide Convention Centre is wonderful. This is especially impressive given the incredible volume of food created by their kitchens on any given night. The Adelaide Convention Centre works closely with two organisations, Foodbank SA and OzHarvest, to ensure that almost none of this food is wasted. I understand that surplus meals that have not left the kitchen are reconstituted and distributed through these two organisations.

I am pleased to advise that, by the end of the last financial year, the ACC had donated 31,550 individual meals to Foodbank SA, a not-for-profit organisation which coordinates the donation of food and groceries to welfare organisations around the state. In addition to this, since March 2011, the centre donated 2,393 kilograms of food, or 7,896 meals, to OzHarvest to feed people in the community experiencing disadvantage. Both of these initiatives are continuing this financial year. It is worth noting that in 2009 the centre was awarded the SA Governor's award for support to Foodbank SA.

I should note for the record that for health and safety reasons not all surplus food can be redistributed. Any food that is deemed not fit for human consumption; that is, food that has already been served up or put in bins, is sorted and either converted to fertiliser using the biobin system or processed through the ACC's worm farm. I am advised that since 2008, the ACC worms have consumed over 14.552 tonnes of organic waste and produced 1,283 litres of worm juice and 3,599 kilograms of casting. This is used as fertiliser on the centre's gardens, again ensuring that waste at the ACC is minimised.

I understand the Convention Centre has set a goal to reuse and recycle 90 per cent of all event waste. I would like to recognise their tremendous efforts to achieve this outcome. This goal has been met; in fact I am advised that 97 per cent of food waste is currently recycled. Another recent environmental initiative has seen ACC staff volunteering their time to plant 750 native seedlings at a Trees for Life revegetation project at Myponga. I understand a further 2,250 native seedlings were also planted by staff in the ACC gardens during 2011-12.

The Convention Centre is a proud supporter of our state's world class food and wine producers, with 97 per cent of all food and beverage produce at the ACC sourced locally. As Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, I am particularly pleased to share that in 2010-11 the following was consumed at the centre: 7.5 tonnes of assorted lamb cutlets; 14.5 tonnes of chicken (over 18,000 standard size chickens); 15 tonnes of beef (over 1,000 head of cattle); 1,800 dozen oysters (21,600 oysters); one tonne of prawns (over 10 kilometres laid head to head); 36,000 litres of milk—

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire: Yes; hear, hear! I am very proud, minister. You are doing well.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Thank you for that acknowledgement—10,000 cartons of eggs; 250,000 bread rolls (requiring 12 tonnes of flour); 25,000 stubbies and 27,000 litres of keg beer (some of that is local, some of it isn't); 125,297 litres of soft drink (some of which is local); and 43,000 litres of locally produced wine, which I am very pleased to note.

Conference delegates travel from all around the globe to attend events at the ACC, and I am delighted that when they get there they sample the very best that our state has to offer, in terms of clean, fresh food and world class South Australian wines. Business events play a vital role in our tourism industry, and I am advised that events held at the Convention Centre generated more than 100,000 bed nights in South Australia during 2010-11.

However, the considerable benefits the facility generates for our state do not stop there, and I am pleased to have the opportunity today to share a couple of ways the ACC is endeavouring to contribute to our state from a social and environmental perspective. I would like to acknowledge the very fine work done by the ACC chief executive and board and look forward to continuing to work with them to generate economic, social and environmental outcomes for South Australia.

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