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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-09-18 Daily Xml
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SOUTH AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (14:50): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries a question about agricultural research.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas interjecting:

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: What are you talking about? According to a report in The Stock Journal on 13 September 2012, Pulses Australia predict that better cultivars, higher prices and increased emphasis on crop rotations mean that this year is set to be the biggest Australian year for chickpeas on record. The South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) has won world renown and respect and has an enviable reputation for its innovative work in developing new varieties of agricultural products that have been of great benefit to primary producers. Can the minister update members about SARDI's role in delivering new products for this growing area of agriculture?

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) (14:51): I thank the honourable member for her most important question relating to the humble chickpea. Chickpeas are a favourite of mine. I love chickpeas. I do; I love chickpeas.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas interjecting:

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: I do love brussels sprouts as well. They are probably my second favourite. Chickpeas and brussels sprouts—I love them.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: I do enjoy brussels sprouts. The South Australian—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: The South Australian—

The Hon. Carmel Zollo interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: He hasn't had his pie.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Well, my belly doesn't hang over the edge of my pants, Mr President; I can tell you that much. There are probably a few other people in here who could do with a few chickpeas in their lives. The South Australian Research and Development Institute delivers robust scientific solutions to support sustainable and internationally competitive primary industries. Scientists create knowledge platforms, technology and products to promote growth, productivity and adaptability of food, aquatic and bioscience industries while ensuring they remain ecologically sustainable.

Two new lentil and chickpea varieties to be released at South Australian field days this month will continue to help South Australian growers produce quality, high-yielding pulses for export markets. This type of work, as members will know, is part of the vital work that SARDI does for South Australia which supports our farmers in our fabulous cropping areas, and these are the types of services that, if the Liberal opposition have their way, will be cut. Yes, the opposition leader, Ms Redmond, certainly let the cat out of the bag when she gave away the plans for the opposition to cut public sector jobs—public sector cuts of more than 25,000 jobs which are going to be lost under a Liberal government. They let the cat out of the bag.

We have just seen the Liberals in Queensland roll out their cuts. Not only have they cut the usual targets—arts, women, services to gays and lesbians—but they have also announced plans to slash almost half the paid positions in the rural fire service, and cuts to health, child safety, disability services, police, transport, roads, education and training; the list goes on and on.

The same Liberal policy of cuts is being rolled out across the nation and we can see that this Liberal opposition has the same policy lined up to be rolled out in this state, and the cat is out of the bag. We can see exactly what it intends to do. So, it is clear that the Liberal opposition is offering South Australia nothing more than cuts and that is what it plans to do. It has no innovative or clever ideas or policies. Its priorities are just to cut 25,000 jobs.

With cuts to the public sector and cuts to important services and initiatives, many of which support the most vulnerable in our community, losing over 25,000 jobs would not just hurt the city. It would affect our schools, hospitals, police. Cuts of approximately one in four in the public sector would have sweeping effects in our regions.

Would there be cuts to one in four of our fruit fly inspection stations? So, one in four road blocks will go—is that what will happen under the opposition? Cuts to our livestock inspectors who do the inspections for lice, foot and mouth and a whole range of other important biosecurities—is one in four of those inspectors' positions to be slashed? Is that what we will get if the Liberal opposition comes into government?

Will there be cuts to our fisheries management, our really important fisheries, and the enormous amount that is worth to this economy, ensuring we have up-to-date management plans, that we have proper quotas in place and sustainable fisheries for the long-term future and prosperity of this state? Would South Australia still be able to supply top quality produce to the world without those very important public servants, the one in four who will be cut? They are there to provide the vital services and jobs that they do.

In South Australia, we have already looked carefully at our budgets and trimmed expenditure in a number of areas, restructuring to make the best use of funds that are available. It has not been easy, and it never is when budgets are tight, but we have already done the hard yards and made those decisions to reduce spending and to work our way back to a surplus. We have improved efficiencies, cut back on duplications and replications, and we have done that in a way, wherever possible, to protect front-line services, whereas under an incoming Liberal government one in four on top of that will clearly undermine all of that, leaving South Australia in ruin. If they come to power they will obviously slash and burn, and these impacts will also be felt in country areas.

The Hon. A. Bressington: What's this got to do with chickpeas?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Oh, don't worry, I'll get to the chickpeas.

The Hon. A. Bressington: Riveting.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: I am very pleased that the Hon. Ann Bressington finds this riveting. I am glad she appreciates the enormous amount of consideration that goes into providing answers to these very important questions. Back to one of my favourite foods, chickpeas: the new premium quality desi-type chickpea variety is well adapted to the shorter growing season and lower rainfall pulse producing environments in South Australia. It has higher yields than all currently available chickpea options in desi and kabuli, and these releases are part of an ongoing pipeline of new varieties that will help promote growth in South Australia's valuable broadacre cropping sector, in which the pulse area is currently estimated at 350,000 hectares.

The latest two premium varieties will give growers an opportunity to capitalise on improved traits, such as higher and more reliable yield, good disease resistance and, in the case of the chickpea, a high export quality. This research is obviously vital to ensuring the successful development of varieties suitable not only to South Australia but also to other areas outside Australia, and certainly the hard work of SARDI that goes into helping develop these new resilient varieties is critical to the economic and long-term sustainability of this particular sector.

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