Foodbank SA

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA (15:11): My question is to the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation. Minister, will you inform the chamber about the new Foodbank fruit and vegetable facility at the Adelaide Produce Market and how it will address the issue of food waste?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (15:11): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. On Wednesday 27 August, I had the very great pleasure of officially opening Foodbank SA's new fruit and vegetable facility at the Adelaide Produce Market. This is a great initiative that addresses the amount of food waste going to landfill, while at the same time providing essential fresh food to South Australians who need it. It is also a model of cooperation between community, business and government. It was also good to see honourable members of this place in attendance, including the Hon. Michelle Lensink and the leader, the Hon. David Ridgway.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: Actually, there were four or five of us there.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: There were a number.

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink: I even threatened my reputation by having a photo with you.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: The Hon. Michelle Lensink reminds me that her reputation was severely threatened by having a photograph taken with me, but I remind the chamber it was also with the member for Bragg, Vickie Chapman, who had her hands around my throat at the time.

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink: Very hard to resist.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I think the member for Bragg took some umbrage at my occupational health and safety reminder to her of having to wear her high-vis vest when all 200 of us were wearing them and she decided to take it off at the time. I only had her best interests at heart, because of course I did not want any reason to have a by-election in Bragg, where the Liberals at this point in time in the cycle would probably lose the seat—I can only imagine.

Back to the very important question. Foodbank SA is a secular social enterprise that was founded 15 years ago by a group of people who set out to end hunger in South Australia. It acts as an intermediary between the food industry's surplus food and the welfare sector's needs. It is estimated that around 10 per cent of South Australians experience hunger from time to time. Foodbank SA realises that it is not a question of lack of food, but rather a lack of facilities to store and distribute surplus food.

We have every reason to be proud in South Australia that we are a national and, in many cases, world leader when it comes to waste management and recycling. Members have heard me talk about that in this place previously. We were, of course, the first state in Australia to introduce a plastic bag ban, and we continue to be the only state with a deposit refund on drink containers, but that may change in the near future.

Thanks to the overwhelming community support for such initiatives, we have managed to reduce waste to landfill by 27 per cent since 2003, exceeding the target we set ourselves of 25 per cent by 2014. We also recycle almost 80 per cent of all waste, putting us among the world's best recyclers. However, food waste remains a problem. The Adelaide Produce Market sells an estimated 250,000 tonnes of fresh fruit and vegetables each year. However, due to the stringent quality grading processes and customer requirements, a large amount of produce is rejected.

It is estimated that around 1,000 tonnes of produce enters the green waste stream each year, and that between 10 and 20 per cent of this produce is still edible. This equates to between 100 and 200 tonnes of edible fruit and vegetables being thrown out every year. The new Foodbank SA fruit and vegetable facility aims to address this waste. It will be a one-stop, easily accessible facility located within the market, right at the source where it is needed. I think, Michelle, it was stall 27, was it not? I think is right.

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: It is right in the middle of the market. Thanks to this new facility, an estimated 250 tonnes of edible fruit and vegetables will be supplied to South Australians in need, instead of being thrown out, and I understand that Foodbank believes it can increase this up to 650 tonnes. The facility at the Adelaide Produce Market joins other Foodbank facilities already operating in our state, such as the warehouse in Edwardstown and the citrus packing facility, which I opened in the Riverland in another ministry. The state government is very proud of having been a part of Foodbank's success by providing grants through Zero Waste.

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire: Who started Foodbank?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: For example, Zero Waste SA contributed $175,000 to the total $556,000 budget.

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire: I'll tell you who started it—it was Dean Brown.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: The honourable member never listens to anything I say: if he goes back and reads Hansard he will go there. But, for his edification, I will continue. Zero Waste SA contributed $175,000 to the total $556,000 budget for the new Foodbank facility at the Adelaide Produce Market. We contributed $50,000 towards a warehouse facility expansion in Edwardstown and $12,500 towards a citrus packing shed in the Riverland, I am told. In addition, the 2014-15 state budget includes funding of over $1 million over four years to enable Foodbank SA to expand its program into Edwardstown, Elizabeth and Port Pirie.

Foodbank is a model of cooperation. These facilities would not exist without the amazing and generous contribution from businesses and the community and the not-for-profit sectors. This includes the Adelaide Produce Market, which has offered the site to Foodbank at a peppercorn rent of $1 per annum. Inline Logistics will promote the new Foodbank service and provide labour and assistance to move donated surplus stock from stalls and growers to the storage facility.

The Costa Group has generously agreed to reduce the acquisition price for their existing stall infrastructure, and Oomiak, the industrial refrigeration group, will provide the refrigeration servicing for Foodbank's Edwardstown site free of charge. There are many other sponsors whose generous support, both financial and in-kind, have been fundamental to the success of Foodbank, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in Foodbank on behalf of the government and, hopefully, everybody in this chamber.

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire: Hear, hear! Nice to see some bipartisanship.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Always, the Hon. Mr Brokenshire. Foodbank SA's success is a credit to the Foodbank board and its supporters and sponsors, and it is an honour for this government to support such a worthy initiative that shows just how much can be achieved when we work in the spirit of a partnership. I commend Foodbank SA and wish them much success into the future.