House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1) 52 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Adelaide Oval ADELAIDE OVAL The Hon. I.F. EVANS House of Assembly Davenport ADELAIDE OVAL The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (14:46): Has the Treasurer received advice—either formal or informal—from the Stadium Management Authority, or any of the sporting codes involved with the Adelaide Oval upgrade project, that the cost of that project will exceed $450 million and, if so, what is the advice about the new estimate of the project cost? The Hon. K.O. FOLEY House of Assembly Port Adelaide Deputy Premier Minister for Federal/State Relations Minister for Defence Industries ADELAIDE OVAL The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Federal/State Relations, Minister for Defence Industries) (14:46): Informally, I have received advice, yes. It depends on your definition of 'formally'. The Hon. P.F. Conlon House of Assembly The Hon. P.F. Conlon: How were they dressed when they gave it? The Hon. K.O. FOLEY House of Assembly The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: How were they dressed? Informally. I have given a press conference, and I made the point there that what we are doing with this project is integrating it with the announcement we also made pre-election to expand the Convention Centre and to do work at the Riverbank and also with work that will be done, or will be planned to be done over time, with the Festival Theatre, as well as interface issues with the Adelaide Casino. It is no secret that the Adelaide Casino has been considering a further location. It may or may not wish to take up that option. There are issues relating to the car park in the Festival Theatre—that members opposite and members on this side are entitled to use—of concrete cancer, where there is a substantial cost to government for the rebuild of that car park. We are in the process of putting together a framework to deal with all of the precinct and also the interface with the Research Centre and, indeed, perhaps even the new Royal Adelaide Hospital to ensure that, for once, we treat the entire Torrens Riverbank precinct as one precinct. We do not just simply— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. K.O. FOLEY House of Assembly The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Well, when my day comes to leave this parliament, one of the proudest things I will be able to look back on as a Labor cabinet minister is the building, construction and delivery of the most advanced, outstanding healing centre/hospital anywhere in the world. An honourable member House of Assembly An honourable member: You'll be gone, and you want us to pay for it. The Hon. K.O. FOLEY House of Assembly The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: They want us to pay for it. Who else is going to pay for it? The taxpayer will pay for it. Members interjecting: The Hon. K.O. FOLEY House of Assembly The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Yes. You were going to use a PPP for your hospital. Mr Williams interjecting: The Hon. K.O. FOLEY House of Assembly The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Yes, as a PPP. Members interjecting: The Hon. K.O. FOLEY House of Assembly The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: And it was so well sold that the shadow treasurer is now the shadow something else. The Hon. P.F. Conlon House of Assembly The Hon. P.F. Conlon: It's all spin. The Hon. K.O. FOLEY House of Assembly The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: It was all spin. If you want to talk about costings, it was all spin. The point I am getting to is that there is, and will be, available to government a number of options for this precinct. As far as the oval upgrade itself is concerned, we have said we will put $450 million into the project. The Hon. I.F. Evans House of Assembly The Hon. I.F. Evans: What is the estimate of the new cost? The Hon. K.O. FOLEY House of Assembly The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Gee! The Hon. I.F. Evans House of Assembly The Hon. I.F. Evans: That was the question, remember. We ask questions. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! You have asked your question. We will wait for the Treasurer to answer it. The Hon. K.O. FOLEY House of Assembly The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I am used to it. I have been doing it for eight years. You ask, we answer and—I get that. As I said at the very beginning of my question, when we have that information, when we have that advice, when we have made a decision as a cabinet and my colleagues have had an opportunity to see that advice, we will make a decision, we will announce it and we will make public what those figures are. The truth of the matter is this: this is another stage in this Labor government rebuilding the fabric of the city and the infrastructure of this state. As I was about to say in a previous answer, Andrew Demetriou is incredibly excited with the Adelaide Oval upgrade, so much so that he said to me he wishes that they were building today Etihad Stadium. The reason he said that is that when we unveil the new oval, the level of technology and the level of advancement in consumer comfort, spectator comfort is quite extraordinary. I had a good discussion with Leigh Whicker about it as well. Given the unique nature of the Adelaide Oval upgrade where we are keeping the mound, the scoreboard and the ambience of the precinct, there are going to be some quite unique features to what this oval will look like and the amenity that will be offered, not just to members but to the walk-up punter and to the people in the general admission area—quite extraordinary. What has occurred is that technology has changed, but so has consumer behaviour and what consumers want at a game of football. The days of the corporate box as we have known it before may be different in the future. The point I am making is this is going to be a terrific investment and build for the state and the last people to get on the train to the Adelaide Oval upgrade will be the Liberal Party, because I can tell you the mood has shifted strongly in the football world and the cricket world and this government will deliver the greatest sporting venue anywhere in Australia, outside the MCG.