CHELSEA CINEMA

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:13): My question is to the Premier. Will the state government now buy the Chelsea Cinema from the Burnside council? The Premier has spent $2 million to purchase heritage listed buildings at the Glenside campus for his project, the South Australian Film and Sound Hub. He has further allocated $43 million to build the film hub, but the Chelsea Cinema is much loved by local residents, and even the member for Hartley—and we agree on this—has joined local residents and us in supporting its retention as a public asset.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Minister for Environment and Conservation, Minister for Early Childhood Development, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister Assisting the Premier in Cabinet Business and Public Sector Management) (14:13): I thank the honourable member for her question. I must say that the honourable member rightly pays tribute to the member for Hartley in relation to this issue because there she was, at a public meeting, leading the charge in relation to the struggle to ensure that this important asset remains in the hands of the community. Indeed, she has made representations to my office about matters concerning heritage questions in relation to this building. However, the Leader of the Opposition—the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, I should say—a Freudian slip there.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: That's right. Perhaps I have just been hearing voices in the corridor.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: That's right. This is a cause of interest for the government. I note that the council is deliberating on the question of the Chelsea Cinema and I pay tribute to the role that the member for Hartley has been playing on behalf of her constituents in this regard. Perhaps the Deputy Leader of the Opposition could join forces with the member for Hartley. I saw the member for Hartley being very vocal at the public meeting. I heard shrieks of silence from those opposite. I heard her get up and lead the community—

Ms Portolesi interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: That's right. In fact, it was the Liberal candidate for Norwood, Steven Marshall, who was paying tribute to the member for Hartley for the role she played at that meeting, which I found confusing. I thank the honourable member for drawing attention to this important community campaign that seems to be led by the member for Hartley on behalf of her community. Indeed, this cinema is in her electorate, so it is a cause of some interest and concern to her.

Ms Chapman: So, what are you going to do about it?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Well, at the moment the council has a very big decision to take and all eyes are on the council at the moment about whether they get that decision right.