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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2017-03-29 Daily Xml
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Business Transformation Voucher Program

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (15:12): My question is to the Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation. Can the minister please update the chamber on how the government is supporting business in Murray Bridge?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (15:12): I thank the honourable member for his question and his interest in supporting regional businesses. I am pleased to be able to inform the chamber and the honourable member that I was fortunate to visit a family-run poultry business in Murray Bridge earlier this month, to inform them that they had been successful in their application for a government business transformation voucher that would give them the opportunity to seek advice on processes and how to expand their business.

Almond Grove Free Range Poultry has been operating for some 15 years, producing free-range chickens, eggs and turkeys for South Australian and interstate consumers. They applied for a business transformation voucher after demand for their goods rapidly increased over the past 12 months, with the company looking to move to producing turkeys year round. The $19,400 voucher will go towards a review of their production and processing capacity for turkey breasts, as well as the development of processed meat products, such as smoked turkey breast, chorizo, bacon and pepperoni, using South Australian specialty butchers.

I was very fortunate when I visited to be able to sample a couple of these products. The turkey pepperoni and the smoked turkey breast were delicious. They would be even more delicious on a nice crispy biscuit or a buttery pastry, but they were delicious just on their own. When I visited the Almond Grove—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: There would have been an extra turkey there the day you were there.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: We have a rare genius interjection from the Hon. David Ridgway, talking about a turkey. It is not an obvious joke to make, and I thank him for taking the opportunity. This is why he is the leader of the people on the opposite side. He is regarded as a genius and a leader of men and women—a genius!

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: Point of order: I think the member for Finniss has established that calling a member by the name of an animal is unparliamentary.

The PRESIDENT: I would say that was a very good point. I think the whole chamber—and I have said this before—should be very careful with how they arrange their questions and their interjections to at least have some respect for the members of this chamber.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: There is, of course, only so much I can take from the Hon. David Ridgway. When I visited the Almond Grove Free Range Poultry farm in Murray Bridge to deliver the good news to the owners, John Holland and his wife Deb, as I said, I was fortunate to sample some of their fantastic produce, and a lot of this is being developed in partnership with specialty butchers in both the Adelaide Hills and metropolitan Adelaide.

On top of the new line of products, they are the only Humane Choice accredited turkey farm in Australia and export around 40 per cent of their whole free-range turkeys interstate, particularly, as one would expect, during the peak periods of Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. The South Australian government is committed to assisting local manufacturers like this to invest in projects to substantially grow their businesses, increase productivity, increase their competitiveness and help set them up for long-term growth.

That is why we have the $4.5 million Business Transformation Voucher Program, which has supported businesses, including some I have mentioned on occasion in this chamber, around metropolitan Adelaide and regional South Australia to build on and expand their businesses. I look forward to informing the chamber of further business transformation vouchers and the success of those who have accessed this scheme.

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