Festival Plaza Car Park

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:38): My question is again to the Minister for Planning. Has the Walker Corporation sought an extension of time to commence construction of the Festival Plaza car park or, indeed, any other agreement variations to the heads of agreement entered into in respect of the plaza with the government last year?

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice Reform, Minister for Planning, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Child Protection Reform, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for Consumer and Business Services, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (14:39): I thank the deputy leader for the question. The situation, as I was trying to explain in the previous answer, is that we had a set of heads of agreement which were settled upon a while ago. For the sake of just being clear about this, the normal commercial practice, I have discovered, is for somebody to enter into what is called 'heads of agreement'. Heads of agreement are not binding legal terms. What they are are heads of agreement and they are, if you like, an agreement to enter into an agreement broadly under the following terms. That is heads of agreement. They have been sitting there for a while. Obviously—

Mr Marshall: Since when?

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I cannot tell you the exact date, but they have been there for a while. There is no question about that.

Mr Marshall: Was it 2012 or a bit more recently?

The Hon. J.R. RAU: It was more recently than 2012.

Mr Marshall: Is that when they got their exclusivity agreement?

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Can I answer one question at a time? What has happened is that the Crown on behalf of the state government and legal representatives on behalf of Walker are now translating that heads of agreement document into a contract. That contract will be legally binding and it will ultimately be a matter for the government to be satisfied with the terms.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: There is no time under the contract presently—

Ms Chapman: Under the agreement.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I don't think there is any relevant question—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Is that what it says? Is that what the heads of agreement say? Well, so far, there is no change. So far we are still talking.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Not as far as I am aware, no, but can I say that there undoubtedly have been, and will continue to be, many matters raised by both the Crown and by Walker in relation to the detailed translation of the heads of agreement into a deed of agreement. Those conversations have been going on for some time, and I am hopeful we might see some end to that conversation in the next couple of weeks. It will be very nice.