OCCUPATIONAL LICENCES

Mrs GERAGHTY (Torrens) (14:44): My question is to the Deputy Premier. Can the minister outline to the house the importance of the Public Service in delivering licensing approvals for apprentices and small businesses to South Australia?

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Planning, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (14:44): Yes, and I thank the honourable member for her question.

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I am afraid that the honourable member for Kavel is again using his ventriloquism skills to try to embarrass the member for Unley.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I thank the member for Torrens for her question. Recently, the house may recall, questions were asked, I think largely by the member for Kavel, about delays—

An honourable member: Kavel.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Let's not cavil about it!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Largely by him about delays in processing licensing applications and the impact that this was having on apprentices in small business. I want to be able to report to the house today that my department has taken action to address these delays. This involved a review of the entire licensing process within Consumer and Business Services. The government also held a roundtable discussion with industry and other interested parties to identify solutions to these problems. Since this review, a number of improvements have been identified, with various initiatives now implemented. In February, the backlog was over 1,200 applications for construction industry licences.

Ms Chapman: Not building houses anymore.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: There's a happy ending to the story so just stay with me. This has been cleared and the waiting times have been drastically reduced. CBS is now maintaining levels of just over 300 current applications on hand at any one time. This is the lowest level of files on hand that has been seen in this area of CBS.

In the financial year 2011-12, the construction industry licensing section of CBS received and processed 6,071 new licence applications and over 40,000 renewals. The complaints from industry and applicants have all but ceased. Ultimately, one of the key ways that we have tackled waiting times and to keep them under control has been to reallocate the number of staff working on these important applications. Prompt delivery of these licensing services is essential to supporting tradespeople, small business and especially apprentices. This government understands the importance of delivering prompt approval so that workers can get on with the job and get the pay rise they have studied for.

Ms Chapman: Yes, exactly.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I'm very pleased the honourable member agrees with all this; it's very comforting. We have taken action to ensure that these important applications are processed quickly. Apprentices and plumbers, gasfitters and electrical worker applications are being dealt with within a day or two—a day or two; more complex applications are being finalised within six to eight weeks.

Importantly, any cut to CBS—any cut, not a 25 per cent cut but any cut—would undo the improvements that we have made and waiting times would blow out to months as backlogs pile up. Other work to slash red tape that is currently underway would also be seriously in jeopardy if the resources are cut.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.R. RAU: These include IT changes that allow applications to be approved—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I think there's some people over there who are a bit upset that they weren't invited along with the member for Morphett and the member for Kavel and Mr Wade on the tour the other night—and they should just calm down.

These include IT changes to allow applications to be approved at the front counter, moves to online processing, the ongoing review of each licence type, and a suite of legislative reforms to improve processes. Cutting a quarter of CBS will hurt more than just the families of those laid off: it will hurt small business, it will hurt tradespeople, and it will hurt apprentices. Deep cuts will put a new strain on an already strained industry.