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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-09-23 Daily Xml
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Marine Parks

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY (14:53): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation questions regarding sanctuary zones.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY: During the debate on marine park sanctuary zones it was suggested by the government that existing businesses, especially fishing charters, could change their business model to focus more on ecotourism. Can the minister advise whether there have been any new ecotourism businesses established around the coast or whether any existing businesses have changed to become an ecotourism business? Can the minister provide information on the location and description of any new or proposed ecotourism businesses?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:54): I thank the honourable member for his most important questions. The government is currently going through a process of discussions with the community about marine parks and their impacts, but I can only just point to a statement that I think I made in this place not too long ago about a proposition, an unsolicited bid, brought to government about a new ecotourism project for Victor Harbor, around the Granite Island region. The honourable member might care to recollect or look up Hansard; I think it might even have been a ministerial statement made at the time.

Whilst I do not have a full list in front of me, we are going through this process of consultation with communities and, again hoping that people make submissions to us about that. However, if the honourable member cares to he could go and look at that ministerial statement and see for himself just one sort of new ecotourism program that is looking at being established around our fantastic marine parks and sanctuary zones down on the south coast.

Of course, there are others that we are looking forward to being developed around Kangaroo Island, with our fantastic investment in the multiday walking trail there. There are opportunities there to co-invest with the private sector to possibly provide, for example, accommodation—whilst people have their walking day, the accommodation at the other end of it—and other services that could be provided by the private sector. There is that one I have mentioned, which I think I have tabled in this place as a ministerial statement (I am not absolutely committing to that because I cannot give you the date, but I am sure it will be texted to me shortly), and we expect there will be many more.

As we know from experiences interstate and overseas, New Zealand, Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia, even in New South Wales with examples of diving companies, the tourism attraction of marine parks and sanctuary zones drives significant economic investment and significant tourism opportunities. We have a fantastic tourism environment in this state and marine parks and sanctuary zones will add to that immensely.

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