Expert Panel on Planning Reform

Ms DIGANCE (Elder) (14:41): My question is to the Minister for Planning. Minister, can you update the house on progress by the independent Expert Panel on Planning Reform?

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice Reform, Minister for Planning, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (14:42): I thank the honourable member for her question.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Are we okay back there? Are we good?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Alright, I am going to start talking. This one is hot off the presses so I bet he can't find it. Today, it was my pleasure, in fact at lunchtime, to host another briefing for members with Brian Hayes, QC, Chair of the Expert Panel on Planning Reform. Recently, the panel published their second report, Our Ideas for Reform. Consultation is well underway with formal submissions on the ideas open until this Friday 26 September. The panel, supported by staff from the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, have continued their extensive consultation schedule, meeting with groups and councils around the state.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: The work will be done, member for Bragg. The work will be done and once it's done then their work is done. The expert panel published 27 ideas for reform and it is of great importance that these ideas are discussed far and wide to ensure we get as many perspectives on the ideas as possible. The government has considered the ideas presented in quite some detail and there are many that are exciting, many that I would like to implement now and some that seem a little challenging, but that's government. That is what the government hoped we would get from the work of the panel: a willingness to tackle the more vexing issues in planning while not ignoring the more straightforward opportunities for reform.

I would like to encourage all South Australians to engage with these ideas for reform because their input will, no doubt, play an important part in influencing the panel's recommendations. In addition to the ideas for reform, the panel has also published a compendium of some 69 options aligned to the 27 ideas for reform. This demonstrates the volume of work available to members and the public with which to engage and consider. With planning reform there is, apparently, more than one way to skin a cat.

The Hon. T.R. Kenyon interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Not my cat. I would like to thank members for their continued interest in these reforms and to the panel: Brian Hayes QC, Natalya Boujenko, Stephen Haines, Theo Maras and Simone Fogarty, for their continuing work. The government eagerly awaits the final report and recommendations of the panel, due before the end of this year. For further information, member for Schubert, please visit thinkdesigndeliver.sa.gov.au.