Ministerial Statement

Royal Adelaide Hospital

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:03): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Under the agreement between the state and SA Health Partnership, the new Royal Adelaide Hospital is scheduled to reach technical completion on Monday 4 April 2016. The latest update received from SAHP has indicated that this date will not be achieved. SAHP's most—

Members interjecting:

Mr Pisoni: Another eight weeks?

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is called to order.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: SAHP's most recent master works program provides that the forecast date of technical completion is 25 May 2016, a delay of just over seven weeks. The state is currently—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader is called to order, and I also call to order the member for Schubert.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: The state is currently obtaining its own independent technical and assurance advice on this latest delay, including whether the submitted SAHP Master Works Program accurately reflects the progress of the works. This is being finalised as a matter of urgency. The technical and assurance advice will asses whether SAHP's revised date of technical completion can realistically be achieved. The state is also assessing the impact the delay will have on our commissioning, testing and training activities, the stocking of the facility, and equipment deliveries.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I call the leader to order!

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I warn the leader.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: The state has rights under the agreement with SAHP in respect of delays, noting that SAHP bears all risks in any delay that it causes in achieving technical completion. Mr Speaker, as I have stated before to the house, safety must always be paramount at the new Royal Adelaide Hospital, both for patients and staff who will move into the hospital, and for workers who are building it. We will move into the new Royal Adelaide Hospital when it is ready and safe to do so, and for no other reason.

Mr GARDNER: Point of order: just to draw your attention to the convention that we usually get a circulation of the statement.

The SPEAKER: Well, I have it. The opposition does not have it?

Mr GARDNER: I apologise, sir; I didn't, but I do now.

The SPEAKER: So the member for Morialta had the ministerial statement printed all along.