Question Time

Riverbank Precinct

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:11): My question is to the Minister for Housing and Urban Development. Why did the government enter into a legally binding agreement to lease with the Walker Corporation four days before the commencement of the 2014 election caretaker period when, according to the Auditor-General, 'many matters' were unresolved, including the cost of constructing the car park?

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for Housing and Urban Development) (14:12): We did enter into an 'agreement to lease', I think is how the document is termed, in February 2014, because of course, as we were discussing yesterday, there was a recognition of the need—let alone a market process, which we had gone through—to secure the services of somebody to rebuild the car park just behind where we are at the moment.

We had a cost estimate. It was a cost estimate which was provided by the former head of the infrastructure agency. I don't have the page reference, but I will try to seek it out. There is a later reference in the Auditor-General's Report that that cost estimate, particularly given that this was a car park being constructed below grade, in a challenging environment with soil conditions adjacent to the Torrens, etc., was reasonably accurate.