part of the region. The McLaren Vale Grape Wine and Tourism Association has identified 19 distinct districts based on climate and geology. Statutory protection of parts of the wine region In February 2011, South Australian Premier Mike Rann announced that the state government would "look at ways that we can protect the unique identity and integrity of the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale." Premier Rann said: "Barossa and McLaren Vale food and wine are key icons of South Australia. We must never allow the Barossa or McLaren Vale to become suburbs of Adelaide (sic)." Legislation to protect the character of the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale was reported in the media as being passed by the South Australian Parliament in 2012 and came into force in January 2013. The statutory change consisted of an amendment to an existing item of legislation, the Development Act 1993, to create protection districts (also called Character Preservation Districts) within the relevant local government areas to replace the interim protection districts put in place on 11 April 2012. The intention of the amendment is to ensure that the requirements for a protection district will always prevail over other development requirements where there is conflict. In the case of the McLaren Vale wine region, a character protection district with the name McLaren Vale District was created within the boundaries of the City of Onkaparinga. The character protection district overlays a majority of the land within the local government area. Specifically, this is land not zoned for residential and other urban uses and consists mainly of the eastern side of the local government area extending from the Sturt Creek in the north to parts of the coastal suburbs of Aldinga, Aldinga Beach, Maslin Beach, Port Willunga and Sellicks Beach in the south. See also Australian wine Fleurieu zone (wine) List of wineries in McLaren Vale South Australian wine References External links McLaren Vale & Fleurieu Coast Official tourism website McLaren Vale Grape Wine & Tourism Association Inc. webpage Geography of Adelaide Wine regions of South Australia