Whyalla Small Business Loans

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (14:07): My question is to the Treasurer. Treasurer, can you update the house on the Whyalla small business loans program?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy) (14:07): I thank the member for his question and indeed his continued interest in the subject. On 24 May, I informed the house that I had approved the first two applications for the Whyalla small business loans scheme to DSE Civil and Delmac Power Equipment.

I can now confirm to the house that, to date, 17 formal requests for loans from the scheme have been received by the government. A further five companies have indicated the intent to request a loan and our advisers, Hood Sweeney, are working with these companies to assist them gather the supporting financial information to submit a formal request. The total value of all loans thus far is $3.9 million. Funded by a $10 million fund from the Regional Development Fund, interest-free loans of up to $750,000 are now available to these businesses, with each application considered on its merits.

As the house is aware, indeed I think all South Australians are aware, Arrium is not only a major employer in the region but also a significant contractor of supplies and services from a range of small and medium-size South Australian businesses that make up that ecosystem in Whyalla. As I have previously outlined to the house, this government has taken a number of decisive steps to address the concerns of the local Whyalla community, guided by their representative, their advocate and their fierce supporter, the member for Giles, and of course ably assisted by another fierce advocate for the regions, the member for Frome, the Minister for Regional Development, who is assisted by our Small Business Commissioner, John Chapman.

We have been working hard to support the people and the businesses of South Australia's second largest regional centre and to ensure that Arrium can emerge as soon as possible from administration. It is heartening to see two alternative proposals, one from federal Labor and one from the Coalition, in response to our $50 million support investment into the long-term viability of steelmaking in this country. I look forward to further updating the house with more information about our ongoing efforts to secure jobs and investment and the future of the Whyalla steelworks.

The workers at Arrium, their families and the people of the Upper Spencer Gulf could not have had two better local advocates than the member for Frome and the member for Giles. They have done an exceptional job in fighting for their communities. It is the very best of South Australian democracy in action, seeing that those communities have the strongest voices not only here in Adelaide but they have it, of course, in Canberra as well.