Jobs Accelerator Fund

Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (15:39): My question is to the Minister for Regional Development. Can the minister advise when the guidelines for the once-off $10 million Jobs Accelerator Fund available in the 2014-15 year—given that you announced the commitment of the dollars some seven months ago—will be released for applications of expressions of interest?

The Hon. G.G. BROCK (Frome—Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Local Government) (15:40): I thank the member for Goyder for the question. I have indicated in the house before that we want to make certain we get this right. It was covered in detail really well, I think—even though some people may not think so—in the estimates committee meetings. Regions SA has been working on the Jobs Accelerator Fund and I look forward to being able to make an announcement in the coming weeks. I want to maximise the effectiveness of these funds and I will not be drawn into setting any arbitrary deadlines or making pre-emptive statements to suit anyone on any side at this particular point.

During my visits across all the regions—and I thank the member for Goyder for the opportunity in Goyder on Friday; we did see lots of opportunities there—as I am going around, I am seeing lots of things that we may be able to utilise within the Jobs Accelerator Fund. I am not going to give you a definite date at this stage, but I would hope that in the next two weeks we will have the guidelines and the applications going out to the business community, through the RDAs in particular.

The SPEAKER: Supplementary.