Estimates Vote

South Australia Police, $897,376,000

Administered Items for South Australia Police, $63,000

Department for Infrastructure and Transport, $1,083,155,000

Administered Items for the Department for Infrastructure and Transport, $4,728,000

Minister:

Hon. V.A. Tarzia, Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services.

Departmental Advisers:

Ms L. Williams, Deputy Commissioner, South Australia Police.

Mr I. Parrott, Assistant Commissioner, South Australia Police.

Mr S. Johinke, Director, Business Services, South Australia Police.

Ms J. Formston, Executive Director, People and Corporate Services, Department for Infrastructure and Transport.

Ms E. Kokar, Executive Director, Road and Marine Services, Department for Infrastructure and Transport.

Ms S. Clark, Director Road Safety, Policy and Research, Road and Marine Services, Department for Infrastructure and Transport.

The CHAIR: Welcome everybody to the final day of Estimates Committee A. I have a short statement to begin with. The estimates committees are a relatively informal procedure and, as such, there is no need to ask or answer questions while standing. I understand the minister and the lead speaker for the opposition have agreed an approximate time for the consideration of proposed payments, which will facilitate a change of departmental advisers. Can the minister and the lead speaker for the opposition confirm that the timetable for today's proceedings previously distributed is accurate.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: Yes.

Mr ODENWALDER: Yes.

The CHAIR: Changes to committee membership will be notified as they occur. Members should ensure the Chair is provided with a completed request to be discharged form and I will deal with that shortly. If the minister undertakes to supply information at a later date, it must be submitted to the Clerk Assistant via the answer to questions mailbox no later than Friday 5 February 2021.

I propose to allow both the minister and the lead speaker for the opposition to make opening statements up to about 10 minutes each should they wish. There will be a flexible approach to giving the call for asking questions based on about three questions per member, alternating each side. Supplementary questions will be the exception rather than the rule. A member not on the committee may ask a question at the discretion of the Chair. Questions must be based on lines of expenditure in the budget papers and must be identifiable or referenced.

Members unable to complete their questions during proceedings may submit them as questions on notice for inclusion in the assembly Notice Paper. There is no formal facility for the tabling of documents before the committee; however, documents can be supplied to the Chair for distribution to the committee. The incorporation of material in Hansard is permitted on the same basis as applies in the house; that is, it is purely statistical and limited to one page in length. All questions are to be directed to the minister, not the minister's advisers. The minister may refer questions to advisers for a response.

The committee's examinations will be broadcast in the same manner as sittings of the house are broadcast, through the IPTV system within Parliament House, via the webstream link to the internet and the Parliament of South Australia video-on-demand broadcast system.

The portfolio is road safety and the minister appearing is the Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services. I declare the payments open for examination and call on the minister to make an opening statement if he so chooses, and to introduce his advisers.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: Thank you, Chair, and what a sterling job you are doing, and good morning. members. I would like to make a brief opening statement, if I may. I would like to introduce the officers in the room with me this morning and then make some very brief opening remarks. Firstly, to my left is Emma Kokar. Immediately behind me is Steve Johinke, Director, Business Services at SAPOL. To Steve's left is Deputy Commissioner Linda Williams. Behind Emma and Steve is Sarah Clark, Director Road Safety, Policy and Research, Road and Marine Services. We also have Jude Formston, Executive Director, People and Corporate Services at DIT as well as Ian Parrott, Assistant Commissioner of SAPOL.

The state government is committed to improving road safety in South Australia. In the 2019 calendar year, tragically South Australia recorded 114 lives lost following the 80 lives lost recorded in 2018. This year, we are seeing a trend slightly lower than our five-year average benchmark, but it is certainly no time for complacency. One life lost on our roads is obviously too many. Improving road safety requires a multifaceted approach that encompasses the safety of the road environment, the vehicles in which people travel and the behaviour of everyone on the road.

The Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) is leading the development of a new Road Safety Strategy for South Australia to 2031. The new strategy will set the direction for reducing lives lost and serious injuries in South Australia over the next decade. The strategy will guide decisions and investment, with a focus on the safe movement of people throughout the state. Community consultation to inform the strategy commenced in October 2020 with a community survey. Regional engagement sessions will occur in early 2021 in areas of the state most impacted by road trauma. A draft strategy will be released for feedback in the first half of 2021.

The state government is also currently progressing amendments to the Motorcycle Graduated Licensing Scheme, which I know the member for Elizabeth is passionate about, to protect young novice motorcycle riders. Motorcyclists have a higher risk of death or serious injury than all other road users, and it is imperative that we take action to protect them as well.

The annual cost of road trauma to the Australian economy is estimated to be some $27 billion at least. In 2021, the Community Road Safety Fund will provide $67 million to reduce lives lost and also prevent serious injuries on our road. The state government is also delivering a record infrastructure spend on our roads through jointly funded commonwealth and state government road safety-focused COVID-19 stimulus initiatives.

Works planned include shoulder sealing, audio tactile line marking, median wire road safety barriers, lighting improvements at rural junctions, roadside safety barriers, variable speed limits and signs to improve the safety around schools in rural and regional towns. The government has extended funding to CASR for its world-renowned road safety research, which is excellent. CASR is also leading a road trauma reduction modelling project to assist with strategic decision-making and target setting for the new South Australian Road Safety Strategy to 2031.

In addition, DIT also administers the Think! Road Safety partnership program. You may have seen some of those on the TV, sir. Partnering with community groups to focus on road safety, the program focuses on influencing and improving road safety behaviour through tailored peer-to-peer road safety campaign messages, and it supports related educational programs. Of course, we also have DIT's Aboriginal Road Safety and Driving Licensing Program, which continues to do great work. With that introduction, I welcome questions from members present.

The CHAIR: Thank you, minister. Member for Elizabeth, do you wish to make a statement, or would you like to go straight to questions?

Mr ODENWALDER: I will just make a very brief statement to echo the opposition's commitment to road safety. In our recent reshuffle, we in fact separated out the portfolio so that, in government, road safety would exist as a separate portfolio area, rather than as an adjunct to both SAPOL and DIT, so we take it very seriously. There is some concern that over the last calendar year, as the minister has pointed out, there continues to be an unnecessary number of deaths and road trauma on our roads despite the fact that there were was considerably less vehicle traffic on the roads. I would be interested to hear later, if there is time, whether DIT have any statistics about the difference in actual road use and road movements over that February, March, April period.

I do just want to echo the minister's remarks: we are all, I hope, committed to road safety. We all recognise its importance. I want to acknowledge the work of SAPOL. I have seen over many years the work, the sometimes horrific work, that SAPOL do and I want to commend them for it. I am happy to ask some questions if there is time.

The CHAIR: Thank you, member for Elizabeth. Budget reference?

Mr ODENWALDER: Budget Paper 4, Volume 3, page 212. There are a few budget references that are pretty much interchangeable. I want to ask about the Road User Safety Advisory Committee. I should congratulate you, too, minister: you are a new minister and this is your first estimates, so welcome to this process.

Last year, or the year before in fact, as you are probably aware SAPOL and DPTI took over the work the Motor Accident Commission did in terms of advising the government on road safety promotions. They set up the Road User Safety Advisory Committee. I am still a little confused as to the role of that committee. Last year's estimates hearings did not really elucidate. How often has the Road User Safety Advisory Committee met in the last financial year?

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: Yes, I have somehow managed to avoid some of these estimates, but not this year. I am very happy to be here and thank you for the question. It is a very important topic. The question was asked how many times the Road User Safety Advisory Committee has met. I am advised that the Road User Safety Advisory Committee (RUSAC) has held five meetings since it was established. It held its first meeting on 19 September 2019. In the 2019-20 financial year, it met four times. I am also advised that in relation to funding arrangements, RUSAC provided feedback on the 2020-21 funding proposal that was prepared by DIT.

The feedback received from members was integrated into the proposal forwarded to the minister of the day. It might be helpful to talk a little bit about what RUSAC's terms of reference are. To be clear, the Road User Safety Advisory Committee (RUSAC) is a non-statutory advisory body and it provides advice to the government regarding strategic direction of road user safety initiatives to support all kinds of recommendations for the prioritisation of road infrastructure. They consider some good stuff: safety projects, road user safety advertising campaigns and grant programs that support improved road user safety outcomes in the state.

I welcome the opposition's comments about reducing lives lost and serious injuries on our roads. It is very important. The government is obviously committed to reducing the number of deaths and serious injuries on the state's roads. To achieve the commitment, a range of strategies are implemented and it is important that these are based on results-focused management, evidence-based interventions—and we hear that term much more these days, but it is really important that they are based on evidence-based interventions—and safe system principles.

These strategies to be considered by the committee when formulating advice include some really key areas, such as investing in improved road infrastructure, targeted education programs—these education programs, in my humble opinion and from what I have seen, are getting better and better—communication and engagement campaigns, regulations and targeted enforcement, promotion of safer vehicles and also supporting those very important community safety-based programs as well.

Member for Elizabeth, you would have seen the sponsorship of key events and also initiatives that educate and raise the profile of road user safety issues. I am happy to continue to talk about that or you can ask another question.

Mr ODENWALDER: Do you have a role on this committee, whether official or ex officio and have you ever been present at any of these meetings?

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: Whilst I do not sit on the committee, they do provide advice to me and I meet with the chair from time to time.

Mr ODENWALDER: And the chair is still Jim Plouffe?

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: Jim Plouffe, yes. I would like to acknowledge the good work Mr Plouffe does in this area. I may have informally perhaps met him I want to say twice. I have only been in the portfolio some 3½ months—where has the time gone, Chair?—and I have met with him twice, but, no, I do not sit on the actual committee.

Mr ODENWALDER: Is he paid per meeting? Is he on a salary and, if so, where is that drawn from?

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: The question was about the chair. I am advised that any costs are managed from within existing Department for Infrastructure and Transport resources, with funding for existing support provided through a memorandum of administrative arrangements with the compulsory third-party insurance regulator. Remuneration for the chair per annum is $18,574.

Mr ODENWALDER: From the DIT budget?

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: Yes, that is my advice.

Mr ODENWALDER: Can the minister advise how much was allocated for specific road safety promotion initiatives in the last financial year? I take it the billion or so dollars we referred to in the opening statements was largely road maintenance and that sort of thing. I am talking about promotions and education programs—the kinds of things the Motor Accident Commission used to do.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: The member points out a very relevant query in that we do not have the MAC anymore, so that has all changed. If I can be as helpful as possible, what I will do—

Mr ODENWALDER: It would be refreshing.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: Well, I will continue to be as helpful as possible. In terms of road safety partnerships and sponsorships, I think what we are looking at is the Budget Statement, pages 16, 48, 49, 100, and potentially Budget Paper 4, Volume 3, page 211. The Department for Infrastructure and Transport does administer the Think! Road Safety partnerships program, partnering with community groups, as I mentioned, to focus on road safety. I will come to the costs, but they also deliver targeted communication campaigns. I am told there is a total of 14 partnership agreements with groups like the Adelaide Football Club and Port Adelaide Football Club—surely we give more to the Adelaide Football Club; I am not sure—and I am told that—

Mr ODENWALDER: Croatia Raiders Soccer Club, I am sure, is on there somewhere.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: —the budget allocation for 2020-21 for that is $2.52 million.

Mr ODENWALDER: So $2.52 million for the sports club type things?

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: Yes, $2.52 million for that. I am told the department absorbed the functions of partnerships following the decommissioning of the Motor Accident Commission in July 2019. The department successfully delivered the innovative partnerships for the 2019-20 financial year and will be continuing existing partnerships following endorsement by RUSAC.

There was a funding strategy that was approved to deliver the 2020-21 financial year period and that is also supported by a program strategy outlining the strategic plan, communication objectives, communications marketing and sponsorship activities that are publicly funded. They are, of course, subject to stringent reporting mechanisms, as you would expect, and also government approval processes. To ensure the achievement of that program, all the partnering relationships are required to fulfil measurable objectives. I think it is important to have those performance KPIs, if you like.

I am also advised that from the SAPOL point of view the actual expenditure for the Media Road Safety Unit in the 2019-20 financial year was $6.86 million and that represented $0.39 million for—we are getting off track to SAPOL, so I will bring it to road safety campaigns. I will read the whole lot and start again. To be helpful, the actual expenditure for the Media Road Safety Unit in the 2019-20 financial year was $6.86 million and that represents $0.39 million for unsworn salaries and $6.47 million for supplies and services, including—and this is what you would want—$5.862 million for road safety campaigns.

Mr ODENWALDER: Was that $5.682 million?

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: No, $5.862 million.

Mr ODENWALDER: And $2.52 million for the Think! programs? So that is a total of something like $8 million; is that right? Those two figures come to $8 million and that is the total of road safety and promotion and education activity?

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: That is my advice.

Mr ODENWALDER: So that was allocated in the budget last year. Was that all spent, or are you talking about the allocation for this year?

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: The allocation for this year is $2.5 million.

Mr ODENWALDER: What was the total allocated for last year? Given the time, Chair, I wonder if I may speak over the advisers advising. Where I am getting to with this is that the Motor Accident Commission spent something like $11.5 million in total on those types of things, including $1 million for road safety research with CASR. The Treasurer in 2018 advised that this funding was assured up until June 2020, presumably up to this year's budget, and I am wondering whether the quantum will remain going forward. So far, we have something around $8 million.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: What budget line are we referring to now?

Mr ODENWALDER: We are referring to road safety funding. There is a budget about road safety; you can pick one. Pick Budget Paper 4, Volume 3, page 146, DIT, where you are responsible for road safety, or pick Budget Paper 4, Volume 3, page 213, 'SAPOL collaborates and engages with partners and local communities on road safety issues.'

The CHAIR: Minister, I am going to—

Mr ODENWALDER: Sorry, can I just clarify that, now that the funding for those promotional activities has been split over two departments, it is impossible to point to one budget line. You have to point to two, otherwise you cannot get a total. I do not think this is a particularly onerous question. One would have expected it, I would have thought.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: Member for Elizabeth, I am advised that the total that was provided with MAC has been split between SAPOL and DIT. Certainly, from SAPOL's point of view, that allocation has been maintained. That is my advice.

Mr ODENWALDER: What is the allocation within SAPOL towards those promotional activities? I am trying to get to a total figure without salaries, without accommodation administration—just the actual promotional activities.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: In 2019-20, the amount for SAPOL was $10.875 million.

Mr ODENWALDER: Sorry, which financial year was that?

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: In 2019-20.

Mr ODENWALDER: The allocation was what?

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: That was split for six aspects: road safety activities, heavy vehicle enforcement activities, traffic intel and planning activities, road safety development and data analytics capabilities, road safety media, and statewide road safety committee.

Mr ODENWALDER: Only SAPOL media sounds to me like anything approaching promotional activity. The others sound to me, as a layperson, like ordinary SAPOL activity, which they would be doing anyway through their normal traffic work.

Mr CREGAN: Point of order: what is the question? The member is running a constant commentary, but he—

The CHAIR: I am going to uphold the point of order. Rather than the minister and the shadow minister having a conversation, it would be better to come through the Chair. It would be better if—

Mr ODENWALDER: Sure; I understood I could talk directly to the minister—

The CHAIR: Hear me out. The member for Elizabeth has put a question to the minister and it is about the allocation of funds. The minister is seeking advice on that. I think he has just about got that advice.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: Yes, I am advised that they are the activities that CTP has determined to fund in SAPOL. Whether people want to argue about the merits of those or where they sit, I would respectfully submit is probably commentary and argument and probably not related to a specific budget line—

Mr ODENWALDER: I do not doubt that any of those activities are worthy activities; I absolutely support them. What I am asking, though, essentially is: what has replaced the $5 million-odd for road safety media, the $5.4 million for sponsorships and partnerships and the $1 million for road safety research that CASR did that were previously funded under the MAC arrangements, which the Treasurer assured until June 2020 but not beyond.

Mr CREGAN: Is your question to the Treasurer or the minister?

Mr ODENWALDER: Well, he is the Minister for Road Safety, I thought. That is what it says here.

The CHAIR: Just remind me, member for Elizabeth—

Mr ODENWALDER: Otherwise we would ask all the questions to the Treasurer.

The CHAIR: No, member for Elizabeth, listen to me, please. There are just five minutes to go, so you may or may not choose to pursue this line of questioning. We are due to finish road safety at 9.30.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: Member for Elizabeth, I am advised that apparently all but one, in terms of partnership agreements between DIT and those groups, were rolled over from 2019-20 to 2020-21. I am happy to take any particulars on notice, if it is appropriate, about which groups they are and how much they got and all the rest of it, but I am advised that all but one partnership agreement between DIT and the various groups have been rolled over.

Mr ODENWALDER: Perhaps you could take on notice the actual figures.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: We can take that on notice.

Mr ODENWALDER: If you could take on notice the allocations for promotional activities from 2019-20 and 2020-21, I would appreciate it.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: I can take that on notice.

Mr ODENWALDER: We will move to Budget Paper 4, Volume 3, page 212, which is road use regulation, which is SAPOL. As we have said, we already have an unacceptably high road toll. There has been a decrease in spending on road use regulation by SAPOL of some $4 million. Can you explain further what is meant by the justification for this COVID-19-related expenditure in this budget line? COVID-19-related expenditure has impacted on the spending on road use regulation, by my reading. I am wondering how.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: In terms of the explanation of some of those significant movements, the decrease, as it is alluded to there, in 2020-21 budget expenses compared with 2019-20 actuals was primarily due to the re-evaluation of workers comp employee liabilities in 2019-20, movement in employee liabilities in costs associated with police leave entitlements in 2019-20, higher costs associated with the interim 2019 SA Police enterprise bargaining agreement 2019-20 and, as the member for Elizabeth has pointed out, COVID-19-related expenditure incurred in 2019-20.

I am advised that SAPOL have an allocation methodology that they use for road use regulations but, in terms of further details on that specific item, I would probably have to take that on notice.

Mr ODENWALDER: It reads to me that the funding, which is supposed to be focused on dangerous, high-risk, drug and drink-driving behaviours, has been diverted for COVID-19 measures. I wonder if you could clarify if that is indeed the case?

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: I do not think that is the case, but I could take that on notice. It is not a business as usual comparison, I am advised. The number is higher.

Mr ODENWALDER: Sorry?

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: That is our actual expenditure.

Mr ODENWALDER: Sorry, what do you mean by that? Sorry, say that again?

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: I am advised that funding certainly has not been diverted because of COVID, in that regard. That is my advice.

Mr ODENWALDER: How many times has PolAir been mobilised to respond to dangerous or high-risk driving in the last financial year, and can we work out what proportion of PolAir's work relates to dangerous driving? And I will put in there illegal use, and so on—traffic offences.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: I am going to have to take that one on notice, member for Elizabeth. If I had it in front of me I would helpfully provide the answer.

Mr ODENWALDER: As a proportion would be great. What is the total cost of PolAir per year while we are there? Do we know what the total cost is?

The CHAIR: We have reached the allotted time, member for Elizabeth.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: That is probably a better one for the SAPOL estimates briefing.

Mr ODENWALDER: No worries.

The CHAIR: Having reached the allotted time, I declare the examination of the proposed payments for the Department for Infrastructure and Transport and the Administered Items for the Department for Infrastructure and Transport complete.