Northern Economic Plan

Mr ODENWALDER (Little Para) (15:30): When I first came into this place, I spoke about my close personal connections to Holden—my dad, my uncle, brothers-in-law and numerous cousins and friends all worked at Holden at one stage or another—and I spoke at length about its place in the fabric of the northern suburbs. In that first speech I also said that jobs for families in the north and north-east will always be my first priority, and that commitment could not be any more important than right now when the north faces an important turning point as Holden continues its slow wind-up of operations in South Australia.

This is obviously a challenge as the economic landscape changes forever, and it has to be said we have seen some less that encouraging employment figures in the northern suburbs in recent times. But, as you know, Deputy Speaker, we in the north are rallying. We have seen a renewed urgency and a renewed commitment not only from this state government but from local government, local businesses large and small, and the wider community. We are seeing more than ever a spirit of cooperation in the face of what are significant challenges.

Last month the Premier and minister Maher, in partnership with businesses, and with the mayors of Playford, Salisbury and Port Adelaide Enfield, launched the Northern Economic Plan. This is the culmination of wide consultation, seeking ideas from those who live, work, manufacture, grow and trade in the northern suburbs. The plan sets the broad parameters for a way forward for the northern suburbs building on strengths that are already present and identifying opportunities into the future. The north represents 16.5 per cent of gross state product, it is the home to more than 300 construction companies, it is the centre for the defence industry and it has a huge and growing potential as a centre for health industries and clean green food manufacturing and value adding.

The Northern Economic Plan is, at its heart, about jobs and jobs for locals. The plan identifies the possible areas for growth and support as construction and urban renewal; health, ageing and disability; agriculture, food and beverages; defence; mining equipment and technology; and tourism, recreation and culture. The plan, as I said, is all about supporting businesses to create jobs, and it is my job and the job of other northern MPs to do what we can to see that locals get those jobs, which is why I am particularly excited to be working on the jobs task force around the Northern Connector project, and I want to thank the minister for his support in that role.

The Northern Connector, for those who do not know, is a billion dollar piece of road infrastructure funded jointly by the federal and state governments, connecting the South Road Superway and the Northern Expressway. It is an essential piece of infrastructure for commuters and for businesses in the northern suburbs and, indeed, further north. But, more than that, it is a huge potential source of jobs and training in the north, and a much needed economic driver in that region.

It is vital that we capitalise on this investment by ensuring local people and local contractors are the ones who build it, supporting the economy in the north. The project will support nearly 500 jobs per year on average throughout construction, including many training places, and it is my job and my absolute intention to ensure that at least half of these jobs go to people who live in the northern suburbs.

I intend to do this and, indeed, have already started to do this by establishing connections between workers and businesses operating in the north and the successful contractor; by working with the northern councils, the education sector, job networks and trade development groups; by working with the Holden Transition Team and Beyond Auto to make sure that skilled auto workers are able to translate their skills across; and by working with the construction sector and training providers in establishing the connections to ensure that local people who need the jobs get those jobs.

Importantly, this all needs to be closely monitored to make sure we are on track. I intend to work with the successful contractor with DPTI and the Office of the Industry Advocate to make sure that, once those connections are established, they are transformed into real on-the-ground jobs for local people. As well as this focus on northern suburbs jobs, the project is subject to the South Australian Industry Participation Policy, which means that all tenderers are required to submit an industry participation plan, which includes the requirement that a minimum of 20 per cent of the total labour hours is to be carried out by apprentices and trainees, Aboriginal workers and people facing barriers to employment.

It is clear that Elizabeth and the northern suburbs generally have been facing challenging times recently, particularly in light of the closure of Holden and its impact on the local economy, but my overarching goal is to see Elizabeth become once again the vibrant working-class community that I grew up in, that is, a place where kids aspire to meaningful work and aspire to raise their own families in the north and in turn give back to the community. I want to ensure that projects like the Northern Connector support jobs for local people and therefore support the local economy.

Time expired.