Belair Park Golf Course and Country Club

Mr DULUK (Waite) (14:49): My question is to the Minister for Environment and Water.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Members on my left, order! Member for Waite.

Mr DULUK: Thank you, sir. My question is to the Minister for Environment and Water. Will the minister inform the house how the government is working with my local community to reactivate the site of the Belair golf course and country club?

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Minister for Environment and Water) (14:50): I thank the member for Waite for his question. Isn't it interesting how the opposition laugh when we are talking about other people's communities? It is disgraceful behaviour.

I appreciate the member for Waite's ongoing advocacy for this matter. Members might be interested to know that this is a bit of a case study of the previous government's disregard for private enterprise and for the preservation of community assets, because Belair golf course, which is obviously part of a broader precinct in Belair National Park, also includes Belair country club. Those two areas were coupled into one lease. The situation is that they are owned by the Department for Environment and Water, and unfortunately—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: —they fell into a situation where the previous leaseholder hit some difficulties. The previous government was aware of this, and they let that situation unfold over an extended period of time, and an antibusiness attitude—they didn't provide the appropriate support, and what happened was—

Mr Picton interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Kaurna, order!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: —that business went into liquidation early this year. There was an opportunity to step in beforehand, there was an opportunity to perhaps provide some assistance or look to ease one operator out of that lease and look for creating a situation where it could be handed over to another organisation, but that didn't happen. What happened was that organisation was allowed to fall over, and that golf course has now fallen into a state of disrepair. That's very worrying for the community represented by the member for Waite, and he has been advocating strongly for this to be repaired. We have as a government now entered into an expression of interest process—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: —better late than never—to bring the community on board, to talk to the community because it's a very engaged community and they are very interested to know what's going to happen to that site. It is an opportunity to talk to them about what they would like to see for the future of this site and it is also an opportunity to throw open opportunities for businesses—businesses in the local area, businesses that might adjoin the site, or businesses further afield—to pitch ideas as to what they think could be done with that site.

There is significant potential. We have a country club, which is still in very good order there, and we have a golf course. There could be some future there: whether it's in a curtailed form, or as a full golf course, or for some other open space recreational activity.

Mr Brown interjecting:

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

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: There are lots of options, there are lots of opportunities here, and it's just a shame it took so long under the previous government to get moving on this.

Ms Cook interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Hurtle Vale is called to order.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: If people in the member for Waite's electorate, or anyone in the room who has a particular interest in this site—I expect it will be on this side of the chamber, not the other side of the chamber—

Mr Brown interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Playford is warned.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: —they can express their interest online at www.parks.sa.gov.au/belairopportunity, and I commend this opportunity to the house.