Rowan Ramsey (Grey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Clare Valley is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful regions in South Australia, if not Australia. A couple of weeks ago I was there to commemorate the completion of and to open the Riesling Trail. The railway in the Clare Valley served the Clare Valley for 66 years from 1918 through to 1984 and, since that time, local individuals have worked together to install a cycling and walking trail. The Riesling Trail, 33 kilometres, terminates in Auburn in the south and connects on to the Rattler Trail, which was put together by a similar group of volunteers and takes the railway through to Riverton, a very picturesque part of the world.

It was a great pleasure to be there last week with Allan Mayfield, the president of the Riesling Trail Association, to mark the fact that the Commonwealth invested $160,000 in this project, which provided a new bridge over the Wakefield River to replace one that was removed when the railway was shut down. The state government committed $120,000 and there were significant local contributions from the Riesling Trail committee. I call out and thank Gossip Wines for their generous donation, the Clare Valley council and the Clare Valley wine growers association. It was a big community effort. I congratulate them. It was great to be there with them.