PORT RENEWAL PROJECT

The Hon. M.J. WRIGHT (Lee) (14:49): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier inform the house about plans to revitalise the Port Adelaide centre?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Hammond, behave yourself.

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Unley, you are warned.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Minister for State Development) (14:50): It is a little bit difficult to detect the sense of anxiety on that side of the chamber. I do not know what has happened recently to create that sense of anxiety—

The Hon. P.F. Conlon interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Well, yes, that's right. Can I acknowledge the member for Lee—

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Unley!

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Unley, you are warned for the second time.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Can I acknowledge the member for Lee and acknowledge that the Port waterfront development has an important relevance for his electorate. There are a number of suburbs that some people might regard—and, in fact, some people on Saturday thought this—as in the state seat of Port Adelaide because it clearly is Port Adelaide proper. The suburbs of Ethelton, Glanville, Birkenhead and Semaphore are contained within the seat of Lee but have obviously quite a close connection with the Port centre. I want to acknowledge his special interest.

I also want to acknowledge Dr Susan Close who today claimed victory in the state seat of Port Adelaide and will become the next new state member for Port Adelaide. I am also pleased to acknowledge Zoe Bettison who will soon be joining us as the new member for Ramsay. Both of these talented young women will renew not only this parliament but our government.

On 31 October, shortly after becoming Premier, I announced that the government was cancelling the Newport Quays contract and would engage with the community about the future master plan for the Port, one which attracted the people to the Port centre and obviously tourists to this important heritage precinct. On 23 January this year, I convened a public meeting to talk to the residents of this area about the future of the Port, which was keeping faith with the commitment we gave to engage with them.

We spoke about the master planning process. At that meeting, the community of Port Adelaide indicated that the renewal of the Port also involves making the most of the Port's arts, cultural and heritage activities. Since that time, a website has been established for ongoing community engagement and a steering committee will soon be convened to drive the ongoing consultation for a master plan.

I also met with the Port Adelaide Chamber of Commerce and they put to me proposals to drive business regrowth for the Port centre. I am pleased to say that one of the initiatives that emerged from that meeting is the creation of the Port Renewal Project, which is getting underway even as we speak. The project will harness the ideas and enthusiasm of the local community, property owners and businesses to identify opportunities to activate the underutilised spaces down there at the Port.

It will learn from the successes of town centre renewal projects like Renew Newcastle, which has involved local artists and creative people to re-use vacant buildings and bring shops, studios and activities to the centre. The project will be auspiced by the Integrated Design Commission and run through a small team which is currently is the process of setting up a base at Country Arts SA on the Port waterfront. We will be inviting the council to get on board with the project in the interests of jointly working to improve Port Adelaide.

There should be no doubt about the government's commitment to the Port. I live as part of that area. There is so much more that this Port centre could be and projects such as this will assist us to rejuvenate the Port.