Festival Plaza Car Park

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:50): My question is to the Minister for Housing and Urban Development. Has the government now signed a contract with the Walker Corporation in relation to the Festival Plaza Car Park redevelopment, and, if so, what are the terms, including whether construction of the car park will start on 1 July this year?

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for Housing and Urban Development) (14:50): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can I thank the deputy leader for her ongoing interest in this matter. As members would be aware, we are looking forward to the redevelopment of the Festival Plaza precincts. We are looking forward to the replacement of the car park—which is I think most people would agree well past its use-by date—and then taking the opportunity to improve the plaza infrastructure above it to make it a place where people can gather with some more enjoyable surroundings than what is there currently. I think that is as euphemistically as I can put it.

Ms Chapman: We just want to know if you've signed the contract, that's all.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Yes, I appreciate the question that the deputy leader has asked.

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is warned for the second and final time.

Ms Chapman: Have you drafted it yet?

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Over the previous months the government has been working very closely with all of the stakeholders as well as the project proponents down in that area. Suffice to say it is a very complex project.

Ms Chapman: So the answer is no?

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: As I was saying, it is a very complex project. There are interactions not just with the car park itself—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader has been repeatedly interjecting. She is on two warnings. Please, no more. The minister.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Thank you, Mr Speaker. There are not only interactions with the rear of Parliament House and also directly opposite the Festival Plaza, but also SkyCity which has expressed an interest publicly as well in procuring some of those car parking spaces.

So, when we are looking at the document that the deputy leader refers to, being able to reach a legal agreement with the proponent for the delivery of this infrastructure, this isn't just about making sure that the government and the project proponent—as the deputy leader points out, the Walker Corporation—are satisfied that the project can proceed under the terms and conditions which are mutually agreeable, it is also about making sure that the other requirements of the other stakeholders and the other interested parties in the project are also satisfied.

So, while the government and the proponent, Walker Corporation, are working as hard as we can to ensure that we are agreed on all of the contractual terms, the reason why we have not yet concluded those discussions is because some of those other discussions involving other parties haven't yet concluded to the satisfaction of either Walker Corporation or the government.

The SPEAKER: The member for Florey.