Andrew Southcott (Boothby, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to speak about two significant events which will happen within a week of each other. They are very significant events in the life of Adelaide and in the life of South Australia. Last Friday the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute was opened by the South Australian Premier, Jay Weatherill, and the Prime Minister, Tony Abbott. I was pleased to attend, along with 1,000 invited guests. I would like to pay tribute to Alan Young and Raymond Spencer for the work they have done in seeing this facility, already nicknamed the 'cheese grater' or the 'pineapple', brought to life. SAHMRI came about as a result of the Review of Health and Medical Research in South Australia, conducted by Professor John Shine AO and Mr Alan Young AM, which recommended the establishment of a dedicated, flagship research institute for South Australia.

With the new Royal Adelaide Hospital and the Adelaide medical school moving to the same precinct, this collocation will build on South Australia's impressive contribution to medical research and innovation. Perhaps one day we will have a biotech precinct that rivals those of Parkville in Melbourne or the one in Brisbane. In his opening speech, the Prime Minister specifically mentioned the work of two Nobel Prize winners for medicine, Dr Robin Warren and Lord Howard Florey, who were both graduates of the University of Adelaide medical school. He said that Lord Florey was possibly the greatest Australian ever for his contribution in developing penicillin for a wider use. He also paid tribute to the work of the previous government and spoke of the importance of medical research.

The second event, which is beginning tomorrow, is the second test in the Ashes. This will kick off at the refurbished Adelaide Oval. For a long time it has been obvious that South Australian sporting facilities have been below the level that patrons have come to expect in other states. I would like to pay tribute to Ian McLachlan, the President of the South Australian Cricket Association, who fought long and hard for redevelopment of the Adelaide Oval, and Steven Trigg and Mark Haysman, chief executives of, respectively, the Adelaide Football Club and Port Adelaide Football Club at the time of the development. Adelaide Oval will remain Australia's most beautiful cricket ground, with the heritage scoreboard and bowlers coming in from the cathedral end, but patrons will now enjoy modern facilities and an expanded capacity of 45,000. We can have an argument about whether it is a good idea to pay the Rolling Stones $450,000 of taxpayers' money when they play the opening concert in March next year, but nonetheless it is an event that will be welcomed.

The redevelopment of the North Terrace and Torrens precinct can only enhance what the Prime Minister calls Australia's most liveable city. In the Prime Minister's words, Adelaide has 'great people, a great climate, terrific restaurants, art and culture.' There are many other things happening. The Adelaide Convention Centre is being expanded, Kangaroo Island is receiving a new passenger terminal, and Wilpena Pound Resort in the Flinders Ranges is completing its new safaris tents.

So it is no surprise that in October Adelaide was ranked as one of the world's top 10 cities to visit by Lonely Planet, along with iconic cities such as Paris, Shanghai, Cape Town and Chicago. Yesterday South Australia was also named as a global holiday hot spot by Flight Centre. It was ranked number seven, keeping company with holiday destinations such as Brazil, Singapore and Shanghai. These two travel authorities have confirmed what South Australians already know: we are full of hidden treasures, from the pristine beaches of Kangaroo Island to the ancient beauty of the Flinders Ranges, and we have, without doubt, the greatest array of wine regions in Australia.