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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-06-01 Daily Xml
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World Gin Day

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (14:53): My very important question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development.

The Hon. N.J. Centofanti: She won't answer it.

The Hon. J.E. HANSON: You will be fascinated in the answer, I am sure. Will the minister inform the chamber about how the South Australian spirits sector is celebrating the upcoming well-known World Gin Day and the spirits sector's continued growth in our state?

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Are you finished?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:54): I thank the honourable member for his question and his ongoing interest in gin and spirits. Saturday 10 June 2023 is World Gin Day, a global celebration that is held on the second Saturday of June each year. It's a great opportunity—or maybe it's an excuse, I am not sure—for gin lovers and enthusiasts to visit distilleries, participate in tastings and indulge their passion for gin in a range of ways.

There have been exciting trends and developments in South Australia over recent years, with a number of craft and boutique distilleries arriving on the scene and doing extremely well, I might say, on the national and international stage, winning awards and acknowledgements here and abroad.

It has led to the emergence of a vibrant and fast-growing spirit sector that is becoming yet another reason for interstate and international visitors to come to our state. I myself was pleased to visit the Sunny Hill Distillery whilst in the Yorke Peninsula earlier this year and it's very easy to see why places such as these are bringing in people in large numbers to experience their relaxed atmosphere, the exceptional drinks, food and events throughout the year.

More and more, these businesses are becoming destinations that other regional travel and overnight stays can be built upon, which is of course a good thing for regional communities which lend themselves so well to these kinds of experiences. World Gin Day will be marked by a range of events across the state. Some of these will include Ambleside Distillers in Hahndorf going head-to-head with Imperial Measures Distilling, with a curated cocktail menu each, free tastings, a make your own gin and tonic station, live music and a food truck.

The following day, the Sunday, there will be an event at Imperial Measures Distilling where they will return the favour and host Ambleside Distillers for a recovery event. Just some of the other distilleries getting in on the celebrations include Barossa Distilling Co., Never Never Distilling Co., Prohibition Liquor, Threefold Distilling and 23rd Street Distillery, which of course is proudly from Renmark.

As I mentioned previously, the spirit sector in South Australia is undergoing a period of rapid growth, which is being driven by investment in high-quality spirit production by distillers across the state. To sustain this long-term growth, the state government late last year committed $200,000 over the next four years to support the appointment of an executive officer for the South Australian Spirit Producers' Association. After an extensive recruitment process, I am advised the association recently announced the appointment of Ali Lockwood to the executive officer role. Ali has many years' experience working in marketing and market development with Wine Australia and, most recently, with the Department for Trade and Investment.

The South Australian Spirit Producers' Association continues to work closely with PIRSA and across portfolios within the state government to continue to develop capability and capacity across the spirit sector in our state. I look forward to this growth continuing and more and more South Australians being involved in the exciting developments and opportunities available within the spirit sector for those who are willing and able to give it a go.

I would encourage anyone interested in enjoying the festivities of World Gin Day to check out local event listings and social media for events near them or get in touch with local distillers by going online to www.sadistillerytrail.com.au. I am sure we will all have our spirits lifted if we do.

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