KAVEL ELECTORATE

Mr GOLDSWORTHY (Kavel) (15:39): I wish to raise some important issues in my electorate. First, I want to extend my hearty congratulations to the Mount Barker Primary School community. For many years, that school has endeavoured to construct a hall to act as a multipurpose facility on their school site. After many years of fund-raising and dealing with the department, that project has come to fruition. It was my pleasure, together with representatives from the department, the school community and the staff, to attend the opening of that new facility recently. It was a tremendous occasion and, as I said, the school had campaigned for many years at many different levels to achieve the completion of that facility.

I particularly want to thank Mrs Deborah Graetz, the immediate past school governing council chairperson. Deborah persevered for many years, as did the previous principal, Mr Mark Ireland, and the current principal, Mr Riley Smitheram. I congratulate those people and also the whole school community for a job well done. We are very confident in the knowledge that the children currently attending the Mount Barker Primary School, and the children who attend in the future, will certainly benefit from that tremendous facility.

The subject of facilities, infrastructure and the provision of services takes me to some other important issues within my electorate, in particular, the government's 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide. A public meeting was held last Tuesday evening in the Mount Barker township, hosted by the Greens Party and facilitated by Ms Carol Vincent, the CEO of the Farmers Federation—an interesting alliance. I note that in yesterday's newspaper, there was some speculation that Ms Vincent may consider running for the Greens or as an Independent. So, we will see where that takes itself.

Notwithstanding those issues, approximately 200 people attended the public meeting, which was specifically about the government's plan for the significant residential development that it is proposing for the township of Mount Barker. We saw a map of where this proposed development may take place—a big arc to the east and to the south of the town. It almost gives one the impression that it is out of sight, out of mind. If we put it to the south of the township, it is away from the freeway and the centre of the township and no-one will see it. So, it is all very well to push in thousands and thousands of new homes, but the government is almost looking to hide it from the greater community. From the illustration on the map, it looks like the government is proposing to double the size of Mount Barker, and that poses significant issues for the local district.

The issues raised at the public meeting were around the community consultation process. The community does not have confidence that the government will undertake a proper consultation process. In recent years, we have seen that the government's community consultation process is actually communicating a decision that has already been made. The government makes a decision and comes out and tells the community what the decision is, and that is what it calls community consultation. The local community has concerns with that process. Other significant issues raised included the provision of services, infrastructure and facilities, and also the loss of valuable farming (agricultural and horticultural) land.

Time expired.