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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-03-06 Daily Xml
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MARINE PARKS

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (15:03): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation a question about the marine park sanctuary zones advertising campaign.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: The state government's marine park sanctuary no-take zones advertising campaign package was launched at the start of February with a total cost of $1.6 million, including $1.2 million allocated to television advertising. The minister stated at the time that the advertisements alerting South Australians that fishing will no longer be allowed within sanctuary zones from October 2014 would also be featured in cinemas, print media, on billboards, bus shelters and online.

Regional media outlets, particularly country newspapers, have covered the marine parks issue extensively, as it has a direct impact on communities in coastal towns dependent on seasonal tourism and commercial fishing. However, I understand, from the shadow minister for regional development (the member for Goyder) that many commercial regional media outlets have been excluded from the advertising program. My questions are:

1. What proportion of the $1.2 million TV advertising program has been allocated to regional TV networks in South Australia?

2. What proportion of the remaining $400,000 allocated to cinemas, print media, billboards, bus shelters and online has been designated to country newspapers?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (15:05): I thank the honourable member for his most important questions. I will take the opportunity to refer to my previous comments, which I think are in Hansard, of Tuesday 19 February, where you will find my previous response to a similar question, in part, about the marines park education campaign. The information contained a response, but I am prepared to summarise some of it again for honourable members who perhaps were not paying attention at the time.

The Hon. G.E. Gago: I want to hear it all.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Indeed.

The Hon. G.E. Gago: It is a great campaign.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: It's a fantastic campaign.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: Clearly, the minister wasn't paying attention; she wants to hear it all, Mr President. What an insult to her ministerial colleague that she wasn't listening.

The PRESIDENT: And you're insulting the Legislative Council, the Hon. Mr Ridgway, with your interjection.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: She was thumbing her nose at you.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink: People don't like marine parks, so they must be re-educated.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Well, in fact, that's not the case; people love marine parks.

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: The Hon. Mr Brokenshire doesn't really get out with many people, is all I can say to him. He should move on from his cows and talk to some real people about this issue. I am sure that Daisy and Maisy have a different view about marine parks, but people out in South Australia value their marine parks. The establishment of the marine parks program is one of the most significant and important conservation programs ever undertaken in our state. Marine parks will provide for protection for some of South Australia's most iconic and ecologically important areas. The establishment of this network—

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: I'm waiting to hear a reference about regional media.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I'll get there, Mr Dawkins. I'll get there.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Perhaps if the Hon. Mr Ridgway stopped interjecting, you might hear it.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: Forty-five minutes of silence; that's a record for me.

The PRESIDENT: Well, go back to sleep. The honourable minister, you have 15 minutes to educate us.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Thank you, Mr President; I won't take quite all of that time.

The PRESIDENT: That's a pity.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Well, I could, but I won't.

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I have had two minutes because the Hon. Mr Dawkins can't control his leader. What sort of a whip is that, sir? When you were whip, Mr President, we all trembled in fear at your instructions.

The PRESIDENT: Order! You are misleading the house! The honourable minister.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Steady! Marine parks will provide protection for some of the state's most iconic and ecologically important areas. The establishment of this network of 19 marine parks has been more than 10 years in the making, and it is a major investment in the long-term future of our environment and the prosperity of our state.

The aim of the Enjoy Life in our Marine Parks education campaign is to raise awareness of our marine parks in the South Australian community. As the honourable member said in his question, this issue has been extensively covered in the media in our country areas and, unfortunately, some of that media has been erroneous, repeating claims by people who didn't really know the final details of the marine parks. It is vitally important that we put the facts before the people of this state.

Over 35,000 people have been involved in consultations over the past few years, and there are many South Australians for whom marine parks may be a new concept. That is why we need this public education campaign. That is why we need it now—to make the broader South Australian community aware of the new marine parks, why they are so important to us and how they can use and enjoy them.

As I outlined previously, the marine parks education program includes television, print, digital and other outdoor advertising, as well as a range of educational resources, online information and community engagement activities, such as shopping centres, information days and regional roadshows.

The education program will help people understand that our marine parks are zoned for multiple uses, meaning that people can still use them for their favourite pastimes and activities, whether it be swimming, diving, boating or fishing. The education campaign will also make people aware that, in the sanctuary areas in the marine parks, which take up about 6 per cent of state waters, fishing won't be permitted from October 2014. However, they can still fish from all jetties and boat ramps and popular beaches, even if they are next to sanctuary areas.

We are confident that people will do the right thing once they know where the sanctuary areas are and where they can fish. As I have detailed in this place on both 5 and 19 February, there are a range of resources available to show people where they can fish: maps, brochures, My Parx smartphone app, which can be downloaded, I am told, from the marine parks website. Unfortunately, I don't have a smartphone, so I can't do that, but I am sure that other members in this chamber have already done it.

In addition, a recreational fishing magazine has been developed with RecFish SA and the Sunday Mail to help people get to know some of the best places to fish. This will be a campaign that will be well received by South Australians and we do need to deal with the misinformation that has been put out there by some people and spread about, particularly in some of the regions.

As I said, South Australia has a right to know that parks are theirs to visit and to enjoy. This is a valuable educational program aimed at informing our community well in advance of changes that are occurring out there on our waters. In regard to the detailed questions about where that advertising buy is, I will take advice from my department and see if I cannot bring back a response for the honourable member.

The PRESIDENT: A supplementary question, the Hon. Mr Dawkins.

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