Brendan Simpkins

SOUTH Australia’s Labor Party will set up a taskforce to investigate the viability of a tourist train in the Barossa Valley if it forms Government at the next state election.

Opposition leader Peter Malinauskas and Member for Light Tony Piccolo made the announcement following a shadow cabinet meeting at the Barossa Cellar on Thursday.

Mr Piccolo will contest the seat of Schubert at the 2022 State Election and he has committed to immediately establish the taskforce, should Labor win.

The taskforce will be community-led, consisting of tourism, business and community leaders.

Speaking at the announcement, Mr Malinauskas said the Barossa still had a lot of tourism potential that is yet to be uncorked.

“The Barossa is well-known as a tourist destination, but there is also an enormous amount of potential here,” he said.

“When we think about the iconic places for travellers to visit in South Australia, Barossa is right up there at the top of the list and Government’s got to be willing to do more to ensure we are realising that opportunity.”

The resurrection of the Barossa Wine Train has been on the cards for a number of years.

It operated from 1998 until its closure in 2003, while passenger services in the Barossa ceased operation in the late 1960s.

Asked if the announcement was made to appease sections of the community who have been vocal about the return of the service, Mr Malinauskas said “absolutely not”.

“We are not interested in pursuing the tourism train unless it is in the overall interest of the community,” he said.

“We are not going to pursue an option that isn’t going to stack up.”

Mr Malinauskas said proper investigations into the viability of the wine train had not been conducted by either the current Liberal Government or previous Labor Government.

The Barossa community has been split over the topic of a wine train for years, regularly sparking debate when it the issue comes up.

Mr Piccolo said it was a divisive topic because it had been allowed to become one.

“It has been handled very poorly up to this point of time and that is why we are resetting the whole issue to make sure it is actually driven by the community,” he said.

“This is an issue that needs to be addressed and our process that we have announced today will enable the community to have their say but also explore the various options.

“There may be a whole range of opportunities here for people to invest to make this work for the whole valley.”

South Australians will head to the voting booths in March 2022.

Schubert looms as key battle ground seat

BRENDAN SIMPKINS

SCHUBERT is likely to loom as a make or break seat for both parties at the 2022 State Election.

Due to electoral boundary changes, Schubert is likely to steal suburbs from the seat of Light if draft electoral zone changes are confirmed.

This included Gawler, Gawler South, Gawler East and Willaston.

Incumbent Member for Light Tony Piccolo announced in August that he would vacate his seat and contest neighbouring Schubert, currently held by former transport minister Stephan Knoll.

Labor has ramped up its presence in the Valley, bringing the entire shadow cabinet to the region on Thursday.

The cabinet met with various stakeholders and community groups in the region, listening to concerns and issues that will help develop policies that Labor will take to the next election.

Opposition leader Peter Malinauskas said it was fair to say that Schubert would be a key seat for the party.

However, its focus is on the continued growth of the Valley to further develop the region into a tourism powerhouse for South Australia.

“The boundary changes does of course make it politically interesting… but really our interest in the Barossa Valley extends more than that,” he said.

“The Barossa Valley has an extraordinary amount of upside and potential, and it is in the interest of every South Australian for that potential to be realised, not just this local community.

“If the Barossa Valley is doing well, then South Australia is doing well because it is such an iconic representation of our state and we want to help enhance that.”

Schubert has been a safe Liberal seat since 1997 after it was created during a redistribution in 1994.

Stephan Knoll has held the seat since 2014, taking over from party mainstay Ivan Venning who held the seat for 20 years.

Labor would require a 5.4 per cent voter swing to win the seat.

Opposition calls for wine industry support

TRADE disputes with China ramped up last week, raising concerns with State Opposition leader Peter Malinauskas.

Last week the Asian powerhouse put a ban on imports of Australian timber, while barley imports were also suspended.

It came after a shipment of rock lobsters were delayed waiting for a customs clearance.

It was the latest in a string of moves by China after it announced an investigation into the dumping of Australian wine earlier in the year.

Speaking at a press conference at the Barossa Cellar last Thursday, Mr Malinauskas said it was unfair that the local wine industry could suffer as a result of “strategic geo-political issues” and forces that were beyond control.

He hoped that an economic response for the wine industry would be included in the 2020-21 State Budget, released yesterday.

“There is an obligation here for the State Government to step up to the plate and provide assistance where they can, but also make sure we have a long-term strategic view of how the industry is structured, particularly when it comes to getting access to markets outside of China,” he said.

“The Government needs to be paying attention to this, it is an immediate issue. We have seen it escalate again in the last 48 hours, we can only assume this issue isn’t going to go away any time soon and even if it does, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a threat of it returning in the future.”

The Bunyip went to print before the full details of the budget were released.

South Australia produces about 80 per cent of the country’s premium wine, and in 2018-19 it generated $2.27 billion in revenue for the state’s economy.

China is the South Australia’s biggest export market for wine, accounting for 42 per cent of total exports.

In 2018-19, wine exports to China generated $803 million, over $500m more than second largest market the United Kingdom.