Motions

Regional Development Australia

Debate resumed.

The Hon. G.G. BROCK (Frome—Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Local Government) (12:45): I thank all the speakers and particularly acknowledge the comments of the member for Giles. I thank him for his contribution, as well as members from the other side and the member for Colton.

As a direct result of my negotiations with the Premier in March last year, regional communities across South Australia will receive funding of $3 million dollars per year through their Regional Development Australia associations, and I would like to put on record my unreserved appreciation for what the RDAs have done, not only during this parliament but also previously. I have been involved with RDAs for many, many years. Without this agreement the RDA funding would have been reduced to $1.4 million. I would also like to make it quite clear that at the time the numbers were not in favour of the opposition forming government, so we need to move on, and go forward from here for the next 3½ years.

As mentioned by the member for Giles, the effect of this funding increase is that the South Australian government is now the major funder of the seven RDAs in this state. In a very tight budgetary environment this is a significant investment of public funds, and I have made it quite clear that this funding needs to be directed towards growing regional economies, improving infrastructure and creating sustainable jobs. I am very sure that members on the opposite side will be in agreement with that. Whether it is federal, state or local council money, we certainly do not want to be putting it up just to put bums on seats. We want KPIs and results, and that is what we will get from this new agreement.

I also have to especially acknowledge the contribution local government makes to each of the RDAs. We have an argument in this house about what the state puts in and what the feds put in, but at times we do not acknowledge the great contributions made by local councils financially. That is something we need to highlight, and I continue to do that in my travels across the state. I have been from one side of this state to the other on a couple of occasions, and I will continue to acknowledge the contribution of local government.

When I became minister it was my intention, right from the start, to review the funding operations; in other words, not have the 1.4 and the 1.6 as contestable. I did not want that. However, I could not do that; I needed to speak to each of the RDAs to better understand what their issues were out there, what their concerns were, and hear their views.

It was back in March, April, May last year, in that vicinity, that I went out there, and I heard very clearly the issues and frustrations that were out there. However, as a minister I needed time to settle down and time to understand that. I am dealing with public money, whether it is state, federal or local council money. I have always had that view that we needed to make it 100 percent, $3 million out there.

I think the member for Hartley might have mentioned the breakdown of this new agreement. We have had negotiations for a long time. We wanted the agreement of all seven of the RDAs and I congratulate Rob Kerin, as the chair of RDA SA, for his contribution and dedication to this. We went to the seven RDAs and asked them what breakdown they needed for the $3 million. They came back through Regions SA, but the total was less than $3 million. They asked for less than $3 million for their own RDA sector. We then sent it back to them and said, 'You need to review what you're looking for from this state government, from Regions SA.' They came back and some of them increased their original allocation.

I can confirm that funding provided to the RDAs to date has delivered positive results for regional South Australia, and I am personally aware of a number of projects undertaken by the RDA for Yorke and Mid North which have delivered very positive outcomes. In particular, there are three projects I would like to mention in relation to the Yorke and Mid North region. This is my RDA, and I also share it with the member for Goyder; I know he is very passionate about it, as we all are passionate about regional South Australia. This RDA was involved in securing funding for the Port Wakefield water pipeline project. This infrastructure will provide water for planned developments in the region, including the poultry industry around the Balaclava area, and that water comes back via the River Murray through Auburn.

The RDA also established the Clare Valley Alliance which secured funding for, and subsequently completed, the Clare Valley branding strategy. The group will support the development of food, wine and tourism across the region through further communication and collaboration. Finally, the RDA worked closely with Unity Housing to help deliver more than 100 new houses targeted at low-income earners, the elderly and people living with a disability across the 11 regional towns during 2014. We will continue to work with people like that through the RDAs. Through the regional development funding I have received, we are working on opportunities for affordable housing in the South-East where there are not enough houses.

I am confident that the funding being provided to RDAs for the next three years will allow them to deliver many more positive projects. RDAs will undertake a broad range of activities that will drive regional economic development and allow them to make a real and lasting difference in regional communities on behalf of the government and also the state. We must remember, even though we can argue with each other, I believe we all have one goal in mind, and that is jobs for our regions. We need to continually push that; we need to continually talk it up and not talk it down, because it is no good talking it down. We have issues and challenges, but we need to work through it together. If we do not do that, we will not succeed.

I acknowledge the appreciation for the continued funding for RDAs provided by the commonwealth government and local councils. We also need to understand the necessity for that and that each RDA region is different. We need to understand what the issues are on Eyre Peninsula, in the Murray Valley and in the South-East—we need to understand the issues in all regional areas.

I want to reinforce that it was always my intention to allocate $3 million, uncontested, to RDAs. Like everybody here, I want to get a result for each of us. The state government needs to get something out of their contribution, the local councils need to get something out of their contributions, and so do the feds. It is no good putting money in for no KPIs. We have clear KPIs in there, and I am very happy to liaise directly with my counterpart, the member for Goyder—the shadow minister for regional development—at any time, and we will have those discussions moving forward.

In talking with each RDA, we need to understand them; there are some new chairs out there, and they were basically appointed by the federal government. We want to be able to work very closely with each RDA and stop wasting our time working in different directions, working in silos, because if we continue to work against each other, we lose vital opportunities to actually get a result.

The member for Chaffey mentioned that he fully appreciates the role of RDAs—even prior to coming to this place—and I want to reinforce that I was always appreciative of the RDAs in my previous roles as a mayor and as a councillor of the Port Pirie Regional Council. I will always continue to be appreciative and promote them as much as we can.

I am disappointed that the member for Hammond considers the country cabinets are a waste of time. I am—

Mr Pederick: Put your money there.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: I am disappointed because I hear nothing but praise about the three country cabinets going out into the regions. It is not only for the ministers to find out what is happening out there but it gives people in each region an opportunity to talk directly to a minister. I will continue to push, with this government—

Mr Pederick: You've missed out on $25 million, Geoff.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: I will continue to talk about the good things that are happening out there—and there are some good things happening out there. We are also having a summit next week in Whyalla, in one of the universities there, and I am going to showcase as part of that some of the innovative ideas that have come through the regional development funding through this state in the last 12 months. I will certainly not talk this state down. We have to talk it up and be positive about it. We have some great opportunities here, and I want to work, as we all do, with the federal government on where we can go without financial disadvantage to this state.

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: In closing, Madam Deputy Speaker, I would thank the member for Goyder for bringing this motion to the house. I had a discussion with him. We have put this in place, but the member for Goyder wanted to bring it to the chamber, and I appreciate that. Again, I thank all speakers from both sides of the house, and I look forward to a very close working relationship for the next three years to get good results.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: If the member for Goyder speaks, he closes the debate. I remind members that if there are interjections I will stop debate, so it will be in everybody's best interests to hear the member for Goyder in silence.

Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (12:55): Thank you, Deputy Speaker. It has been a very busy hour and a half, I must admit. I do not believe that the minister actually reflected upon the amendment that the government itself has proposed; I do not think that you in your contribution reflected upon that.

The Hon. G.G. Brock interjecting:

Mr GRIFFITHS: That's okay. In my brief contribution, I want to reinforce my appreciation to everybody who has spoken. There is a diversion of opinions and not total agreement, but the one positive is for the regions—go for it, absolutely! Can I move an amendment, though, to the government's amendment?

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: It is in order.

Mr GRIFFITHS: I seek to amend the amendment from the government, as confirmed by the minister, as follows:

After the words 'That this house acknowledges the regional development minister, in conjunction with the state government' add the following words 'has adopted 2014 state Liberal Party policy commitments'.

Members interjecting:

Mr GRIFFITHS: It is a statement of fact. So I am thus moving that those words be included in the amendment proposed by the government.

Mr Griffiths' amendment to Mr Hughes' amendment negatived; Mr Hughes' amendment carried.

Motion as amended carried.