REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Ms BREUER (Giles) (16:16): My question is to the Minister for Regional Development. What initiative is being progressed to better integrate the efforts of the three levels of government to meet local, state and national priorities through regional development?

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development) (16:16): I thank the honourable member for her question and acknowledge her commitment to not only her electorate but regional South Australia. In its 2008-09 budget, the commonwealth government announced that a new program, Regional Development Australia, would become its major vehicle for engagement with regional communities.

At that time it stated that the new RDA program would build on the federal government's Area Consultative Committees program, and that the new RDAs would take on a broader role to provide input into national programs, improve the coordination of federal regional initiatives and link closely with local government and other regional organisations.

In July 2008, the Regional Development Council meeting of federal, state and territory ministers and the Australian Local Government Association agreed to move forward in aligning RDA with regional development organisations or, in South Australia's case, regional development boards and ACCs.

Ministers and the ALGA also agreed to a number of principles which will form the basis of aligning and integrating regional development activities and structures through a memorandum of understanding. It is noteworthy that South Australia is the only jurisdiction which is seeking to establish RDA with local government as a founding partner.

The proposal in our state is to transition from the 13 RDBs and five ACCs, and establish seven new RDAs in regional South Australia and one new RDA to cover metropolitan Adelaide. The new RDAs will be closely aligned to the State Government Regions boundaries, in response to the Economic Development Board's recommendation on this matter, as was detailed by the Premier earlier today.

The diversity of our regions will be acknowledged as we transition to the new regional development partnership and that is why the government has been pleased to announce, as the Premier did today, the appointment of the Hon. Rob Kerin, former premier of South Australia and a leader of significant regional standing, to head up a transition team that will work closely with the RDA partners in order to fine tune local arrangements under the RDA partnership. I know that members of the opposition will join with this side of the house in welcoming Rob Kerin to that role.

The government believes RDA will provide an opportunity to put in place an agenda of renewal and opportunity for regional South Australia to help sustain regional communities into the future. It will better position us to align our regional and state priorities for social and economic development with priorities at the national level.

In particular, the government believes RDA will provide clearer focal points for delivering regional development programs for our regional communities and reduce duplication or confusion in the delivery of services.

The new RDA bodies will be capable of attracting high calibre community and business leaders with the capacity to market and promote national and state government programs and services. These leaders will assist regional communities to meet the social and economic challenges they face and maximise outcomes from the opportunities they seize.

Integrating and focusing the efforts of the three levels of government will, without doubt, result in a whole-of-government and community-wide coordination of regional development strategy, reducing the need for bidding wars between our communities.

I certainly believe the establishment of RDA in our state will promote collaboration in regional planning and community consultation, as well as a more strategic approach to the provision of new or upgraded regional infrastructure.

RDA, as it becomes established in our state, offers a unique opportunity for the three levels of government to pool their regional development efforts for the benefit of local communities, the state and, indeed, the nation, and we should collectively exploit that opportunity.