NEWPORT QUAYS

Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (14:40): My question is for the Minister for Infrastructure. When was the minister first made aware of the details of the Environment Protection Authority's submission on the Newport Quays development?

The Hon. P.F. CONLON (Elder—Minister for Transport, Minister for Infrastructure, Minister for Energy) (14:40): I am very happy to answer this question as I was asked it by the media so I have had a bit of practice at this one. I need to give some information in background—

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I didn't think that was particularly funny.

Mr Williams interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: No, I am going to talk about the substance of the question and not the relevance as you keep saying—the substance of the question as required by standing order 98.

Mr Williams interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Are we done now? The issue of industries existing side by side with a residential land release has been around for a very long time; in fact—and this goes to the hypocrisy of the opposition on this—since the opposition, when they were in government in about 2001, decided to release the Port Adelaide land in the harbour for a residential development.

Just so we all understand, Adelaide Brighton was there; Incitec Pivot was there; the Shell tanks were there; all of those industries were there when they decided to release the Port Adelaide land for a residential development. Just so we understand so that we do not hear any more hypocrisy from that side.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mrs Redmond: Outside the exclusion zone.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: No, no, no; all exactly where they were when you put this land onto the market. If you cast your mind back—because you have no memory on your side, no wit, no memory, no hope.

An honourable member: No future.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: No future. It was, in fact, in the early days of this government in 2002 that we got back the results of that initial tender. Funnily enough I have a letter in front of me from the EPA on this very issue of Adelaide Brighton Cement and buffer zones. This letter is dated 2004 and was sent to the former minister for planning, Jay Weatherill, who talks about dust emissions from Adelaide Brighton Cement and the need for an 800-metre buffer zone, which was what the development worked on. Then the EPA came up with a different report and we found that surprising, so there was a conversation about that.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: When did I first know about emissions? I first learnt about it almost as soon as we got your tender back in deciding to build a residential development down there. and the conversation has been going on for years. Forgive me if, when the EPA comes out with a different view, we go and say, 'How does this work because this isn't consistent with what we understood in the past?' Since that initial view I understand that the EPA has taken other views. This issue is on your land development. If you only discovered it last week, member for Goyder, that is not our fault. You should have known about it when you put the land on the market.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I knew about Adelaide Brighton Cement when I went to Le Fevre Primary School.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Perhaps we could have a cup of tea while we are waiting for you to finish this banter across the chamber. Member for Goyder.