Regional Growth Fund

Mr McBRIDE (MacKillop) (14:23): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Can the minister update the house about the opening grant round of the Regional Growth Fund?

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE (Chaffey—Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development) (14:23): It gives me great pleasure to respond to the member for MacKillop, one of the great regions in South Australia contributing to our regional economy through dairy, broadacre and livestock. It is a truly great electorate that I visited only last week. On Monday, applications for the inaugural round of the 10-year, $150 million Regional Growth Fund opened. It is an exciting period for South Australia.

This growth fund is there to stimulate growth not only within industry but within communities and within commodity sectors, but it also about promoting what the regions have so long looked for, and that is a collaborative approach to having government support and for the government to come in and support one of the backbones of the state's economy: $25 billion is generated by less than 30 per cent of South Australia's population.

Mr MULLIGHAN: Point of order, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: There is a point of order. The minister will be seated for one moment, please. Member for Lee on a point of order.

Mr MULLIGHAN: Thank you, Mr Speaker. This information that the minister is purporting to provide to the house is already freely and publicly available, both on the primary industries department website and also on the Eyre Peninsula Tribune website.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Thank you, members on my right. The Minister for Transport is called to order. The member for Lee has provided me with a link. I will be listening very carefully to ensure, as per past practice of the house, that the minister does elaborate on information in addition to what is publicly available. Thank you, member for Lee. Minister.

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I will continue to educate the member for Lee.

The SPEAKER: Please just answer the question, minister. Thank you.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister has the call.

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: Thank you, sir. Thank you for your protection. The Regional Growth Fund provides grants that will benefit regional centres as a whole, in stark contrast to the previous government, who were focused on funding individual businesses above delivering broader benefits to growth in our great South Australian regions.

Mr MULLIGHAN: Point of order, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: I do hope that this is not a bogus point of order. I will hear it, member for Lee.

Mr MULLIGHAN: Standing order 98: answers may not contain debate. The minister is clearly debating in reference to the previous government.

The SPEAKER: I do believe, with all respect, member for Lee, that this answer is germane to the question, but I will listen attentively. I also have the website in question and I am following it. Minister.

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: What I will say is that by supporting and growing our economy, it supports and grows an economy that has been long forgotten here in South Australia. That is the regional economy. The regions, as a whole, have been sadly ungoverned for such a long time that it really does point out that this government is prepared to stand up and back our regions here in South Australia.

As I said, 30 per cent of the state's population is backing up a huge economy that is screaming out for support. The commitments by the Regional Growth Fund will be based on the following principles: support for economic activity, activity that can be sustained without further intervention by government, activity that creates benefit for multiple entities, activity that contributes to the scale of an industry sector, and the application has a connection and a vested interest specifically related to regional South Australia.

This government is backing the regions in South Australia. We have put a 10-year commitment on the table to back our regions to make sure that we can support regional growth, regional population growth and make sure that we can grow our economy in our regions in South Australia—hashtag #regionsmatter.