Hanson Bay

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY (14:50): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation questions with regard to the government's purchase of land at Hanson Bay.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY: On 5 June, in answer to my question, the minister advised that the government had obtained an independent valuation in 2008 of $1.3 million for 1,900 hectares of land at Hanson Bay. The minister also advised that the government subsequently purchased the land for $1.8 million in 2012. My questions are:

1. Did the government receive further valuation advice closer to the purchase date in 2012 and, if so, what was this advice?

2. If not, what explanation can be given for paying half a million dollars (or 38 per cent) more than the valuation of $1.3 million for the land?

3. Was the minister aware of any other parties interested in buying the land and, if so, how many?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:51): I thank the honourable member for his most important question but I have to say that I have already answered a substantial part of his question in terms of the value of the land and why it was worth purchasing and connecting parks.

The Hon. G.E. Gago: Tell us again.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I should probably tell you again. I thank my leader for her instruction; it is excellent, as always. One of the primary purposes of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 is to establish a system of reserves to manage land for conservation purposes. The government released a strategy called, 'Conserving nature, 2012-2020: a strategy for establishing a system of protected areas in South Australia', which aims to add land to existing reserves where there are strong conservation outcomes to be achieved.

In late 2012, the government purchased 1,900 hectares of land at Hanson Bay on Kangaroo Island for a figure of $1.8 million, I am advised. This is, I am advised again, an extraordinary piece of land that sits between two major parks: Flinders Chase National Park and Kelly Hill Conservation Park. This land represents a once in a lifetime opportunity to bridge a gap and create a continuous coastal conservation corridor at the south-western end of the island. This is a significant and strategic addition to the state's reserve system.

It is anticipated that the land will be formally added to the Flinders Chase National Park later this year, with the concurrence of the parliament. The purchased land is largely undisturbed intact mallee and coastal heath vegetation that provides habitat for a range of threatened species, including the western whipbird, the rock parrot, the osprey and white-bellied sea eagles. This purchase will allow the integrated management of continuous land parcels across a number of parks and reserves, including fire management. It will also provide opportunities for recreation and tourism, supporting business opportunities, from small operators through to medium operators, through the adjoining of the Southern Ocean Lodge at Hanson Bay.

So, I think I have outlined again very clearly why this was a strategic purchase and why the government welcomes the adoption of this piece of land into our national parks system on Kangaroo Island. It doesn't come up very often that we can actually join discontinuous pieces of national park with a corridor such as this, and it was worth the price.