CITY OF ADELAIDE PLANNING

Mr ODENWALDER (Little Para) (14:40): My question is to the Minister for Planning. Will the minister please update the house on what the government has done to deliver a more vibrant Adelaide over the past 100 days?

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Planning, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (14:41): I thank the honourable member for his question. The government has been consistently committed to building a more vibrant Adelaide, something about which some critics have been somewhat cynical, but the actual evidence is there for all to see.

For instance, we have now been able to extend the trial closure of Leigh Street, which is getting very strong support, and we are hopeful that that will be soon be made permanent. We have seen an upgrading of Bank Street—and all of those here no doubt have seen that—which has already effected a considerable change to the atmosphere in Bank Street.

We've also joined with major corporate citizens Microsoft and Bank SA to deliver a hub for Adelaide young entrepreneurs, and that is now underway; and we've delivered the new small venues legislation. Indeed, last night, there was the first of many information sessions held at a new venue called The Clever Little Tailor in Peel Street, where a number of people around town who are interested in taking advantage of this new class of licence attended, received information and took away information packs, so I was delighted to be there and meet with these people.

It's very interesting to see how many young people are looking at this as a great opportunity for them to be creative in the city, invest in a small business and provide that variety and vitality that the city has been looking for and is increasingly getting. This new class of licence really does work very well with the young entrepreneurs in the city. We're also delivering improved public places and business opportunities to complement those.

These initiatives are just a snapshot of some of the key work that the government is getting on with to build a vibrant city, only over the period of the last 100 days. Creating a more vibrant Adelaide is all about creating job opportunities, in particular for young entrepreneurs, and keeping more talented young people here in South Australia, rather than them having the thought that they have to go elsewhere. I make the point again that those who ridicule and belittle things like the small venues licences do not appreciate the level of support and encouragement that these are delivering to young entrepreneurs here in South Australia.