Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Monday I became aware that the Italian consulate in Adelaide has been earmarked for closure some time in the year 2010 or perhaps 2011—we do not have a firm date. The decision is part of a decision made by the Italian government recently to close over 20 consulates around the world. I understand that it is part of a budgetary measure taken by the Italian government and it is estimated that it will save the Italian government some €8 million. Here in Australia the Adelaide and the Brisbane consulates are the two that, I understand, are going to be closed, and the ones in Perth, Sydney and Melbourne will remain open.

Understandably, the decision has caused extreme disappointment to much of the Italian community in South Australia. Interestingly, it comes immediately following the first visit to South Australia by the newly appointed Italian ambassador to Australia, His Excellency Gian Ludovico De Martino di Montegiordano. His Excellency came to Adelaide only last week as part of his first visit and to specifically open, in conjunction with South Australian Premier Mike Rann, a new Italian cultural facility referred to as Punto Italia in Adelaide and also to attend a function at the Dante Alighieri Society in Adelaide.

I certainly do not in any way suggest that it is a result of His Excellency’s visit to Adelaide that the Italian consulate is closing—quite the contrary. As a result of his visit, there has been huge optimism about strengthening relations between South Australia and Italy. I organised, in conjunction with the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Adelaide, a function held on 29 May. This was attended by the Minister for Trade, Simon Crean. He addressed those in attendance about the strong relationship between Australia and Italy. I understand that, with regard to our exports, Italy is in fact our fourth-largest European trading partner. This point was reaffirmed and made equally strongly by the Italian consul, who was there on the night and who also addressed the people in attendance. As I said earlier, it comes as a huge surprise and disappointment that the Italian consulate in Adelaide is likely to close. I understand that it has been there since the 1970s and has served the Italian community in Adelaide very well.

In Adelaide, some 14,000 people hold Italian passports and about 100,000 people are of Italian origin. The links between the two countries are very strong. They range from trade links to education links through to art and cultural links. As a result of all those links there is ongoing Italian activity throughout South Australia, and that is something that we hold very dear. About 2½ years ago, Dr Tomasso Coniglio was appointed as the new consul in Adelaide and, in that time, he has worked exceptionally hard to build and strengthen those links even more. It is a credit to him that, as a result of his work over the last 2½ years, there is no question at all that the multitude of Italian associations, be they religious organisations or broader community groups, has grown and blossomed. We have been working on strengthening even further the links between Italians living in South Australian Italians and those in Italy. It will be clearly a huge disappointment to see that work come to an end. It is interesting that it is only in the last decade or so that many of the Italians who came here in the fifties and sixties have been able to establish themselves to a point where they can start to rebuild some of the links with their country of origin.

I understand that South Australian Premier Mike Rann has written to the Italian government, asking that the decision to close the Italian consulate be reconsidered—and I join with him on that call. I will also be writing to the Italian ambassador here, in Canberra, supporting the call by Premier Mike Rann because I believe there will be disappointment amongst the Italian community about this decision. We have a lot to gain by the service provided by the Italian consulate in Adelaide, and it will certainly be missed should the consulate be closed in the years ahead.