FERAL pig control, road upgrades, a distillery approval and Qantas deal were among the state government-involved initiatives spruiked during the Country Cabinet Kangaroo Island tour earlier this week.
From Sunday to Tuesday, Premier Jay Weatherill and Cabinet ministers toured KI and the Fleurieu Peninsula, aiming to communicate directly with community members and discuss community-based projects.
While on KI, the government announced an $8-million boost for local road upgrades, including road re-sheeting and widening, as well as better drainage.
Qantas, as part of an agreement with the SA government, KI Council and Adelaide Airport, also announced it will offer direct flights to KI from Adelaide and Melbourne, commencing in December.
The flights are possible due to a $9m government contribution toward the upgrade of the KI Airport at Kingscote, matched by federal government funding.
SA beverage company Bickford’s has also been given government approval to purchase the old Kingscote police station and cells, which it plans to develop into a craft distillery and microbrewery at Kingscote Wharf.
In the next 18 months, the KI Natural Resources Management Board and Office for the Commissioner for KI will work with landholders on feral pig management and increasing awareness about the damage they cause.
Pigs were introduced to KI at Hog Bay on the Dudley Peninsula in 1803. Today they are mostly found on the western end of the island.
