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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-11-01 Daily Xml
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TOURISM, ACCESS TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (14:34): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Tourism a question about access to South Australia.

Leave granted.

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS: The minister has spoken in this place before about the importance of tourism to South Australia. One of the keys to being successful is having good access to South Australia and something special to offer. Can the minister tell the chamber about improved access to South Australia?

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) (14:34): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. Indeed, the Jay Weatherill government has done much to ensure that it is easier to get to South Australia and has done much to promote the wonderful things we have to offer here. While the opposition seems to spend all its time bickering and undermining each other, we are obviously getting on with the job, the hard work, of creating a vision and a working South Australia.

Tonight marks the arrival of the first direct Emirates flight into Adelaide. As members may be aware, Emirates will have four weekly flights to Adelaide and they will be increasing that to a daily service from 1 February 2013. I am very delighted that these flights will provide increased access to SATC's priority European markets, which make up almost 45 per cent of South Australia's total international visitation. It will also benefit the conference sector, which depends on direct access for delegates, and it will benefit trade by providing better access to suppliers, customers, head offices, new markets and suchlike.

These flights are in addition to the direct flights already coming into Adelaide and these include Singapore Airlines, which operates 10 flights per week; Malaysian Airlines, which operates daily flights; Cathay Pacific, daily flights; Air New Zealand, six flights per week; Qantas, which operates three flights per week; and Virgin, which operates five flights per week. These now total 42 flights per week. In 2003 we had 13 flights. In 2003, just after the Liberal government was booted out, there were 13 direct flights and we have 42. Not only do we have the new airline coming in, but a number of these other airlines have recently increased their number of direct flights to Adelaide as well.

We also had more news recently with the announcement that Tiger was recommencing its services to Adelaide from their Melbourne and Sydney bases from 1 November and I am advised that they will initially offer two flights each way each day. It is a very positive thing for the state that they have been able to get back on their feet, because it is in all of our interests. These are hard times, particularly for airlines, and it is a good thing that they have been able to get back on their feet and are now operating again in South Australia. We are very pleased that they are able to do that.

I have no doubt that many of our visitors will be here seeking out our wonderful food and wine. South Australia is recognised globally for our premium food brands and wine regions, and we have a thriving food industry that contributes around $13.7 billion to our local economy. Many consumers are becoming increasingly interested in purchasing local and more natural products. We are closer to the supply route and have smaller environmental footprints. South Australia offers premium regional food and wine experiences, and we need to increasingly showcase this to locals as well as to the interstate and international visitors that I mentioned earlier.

Last week, I had the pleasure of launching the Eat Local initiative, which enables food establishments, particularly restaurants and cafes and the like, to highlight their support of local growers, producers and manufacturers by serving or selling local food while distinguishing themselves to culinary tourists travelling the regions for food experiences through distinct signage and an interactive website as well. Eat Local will help put the regions in particular on the culinary tourism map as well as helping to boost the local economy.

For the regions it means building on synergies between the great food and fantastic wines produced in each region, and tourists and local consumers can obviously use the Eat Local website to select and visit a venue that promotes local produce. Eat Local is a great example of the collective industry partners and government working together to achieve results for South Australia and helping to support our food industry.

I would like to acknowledge that Eat Local is an initiative of the Regional Food Industry Association and Regional Food Group volunteers developed by Food SA and supported by the South Australian Tourism Commission along with PIRSA. I commend the collaborative effort that has gone into developing this program.

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