Infrastructure SA Bill

Final Stages

The Legislative Council agreed to the bill with the amendments indicated by the following schedule, to which amendments the Legislative Council desires the concurrence of the House of Assembly:

No. 1. Clause 11, page 6, line 17 [clause 11(1)]—Delete '5' and substitute '3'

No. 2. Clause 20, page 8, after line 32—After subclause (1) insert:

(1a) In preparing the Strategy, Infrastructure SA must—

(a) consult the public by publishing a notice on its website informing the public of the preparation of the Strategy and inviting submissions on the Strategy within a period (which must be at least 21 days) stated in the notice; and

(b) publish on its website a summary of the submissions received.

No. 3. Clause 20, page 8, after line 37—After subclause (3) insert:

(4) Infrastructure SA must, in preparing the 20-year State Infrastructure Strategy or a revised Strategy, comply with the principles of consultation published by Infrastructure SA for the purposes of this subsection.

No. 4. Clause 22, page 9, line 29 [clause 22(2)(b)]—After 'publicly available' insert:

within 14 days of its adoption by ensuring that it is published on Infrastructure SA's website

No. 5. Clause 25, page 10, line 23 [clause 25(2)(b)]—Delete paragraph (b) and substitute:

(b) must make the adopted Statement publicly available within 14 days of its adoption by ensuring that it is published on Infrastructure SA's website.

No. 6. New clause, page 12, after line 26—Before clause 32 insert:

31A—General requirements in preparing a strategy, statement or plan

In preparing a strategy, statement or plan under this Act, Infrastructure SA must use a method of cost benefit analysis that it has approved and published on its website.

Consideration in committee.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: I move:

That amendments Nos 1 to 6 be agreed to.

In the lead-up to the election, we made some very strong commitments about providing a new and better way to deliver infrastructure projects in South Australia. I think that the decision the upper house has come to is a very reasonable compromise, providing some minor amendments to the bill in relation to time frames for publishing things and a couple of other minor amendments.

This is an absolutely fantastic day for South Australia. We now have a legislated process about how we are going to deliver better infrastructure projects in South Australia. It is a fantastic achievement. I thank the upper house for their work and look forward to this becoming law in South Australia.

Sitting extended beyond 18:00 on motion of Hon. J.A.W. Gardner.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I am pleased that the council has made some amendments and that the government has accepted some of the opposition's amendments, although they have reworded some of them. It was interesting to speak to the crossbenchers about their concerns of not having a legislative framework for Infrastructure South Australia, given that the government withdrew legislation for the first time since the Olsen government with the productivity commission.

I think the crossbench in the upper house felt that they had no option other than to support amendments that perhaps, if the government had not threatened to withdraw the bill as they did with the productivity commission, may have passed. Nevertheless, congratulations to the government. They have passed their legislation. My concern is that the opposition attempted to move amendments in the other place not to allow Infrastructure South Australia to consider the construction of infrastructure that would impose toll roads on South Australia and that the government opposed that.

It gives me great concern that a minister is in secret attempting to have a body begin the contemplation of infrastructure built by private companies. Experts from the private sector will obviously fill this board, including three public servants, who may now recommend that toll roads be recommended. I would say to the government that South Australia functions well without toll roads. The government has no mandate to introduce toll roads.

The Hon. S.K. Knoll: It was actually expressly part of our election commitment not to have them.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The minister interjects that it was expressly part of his election commitment not to have toll roads, yet when the opposition attempted to move amendments not to allow Infrastructure South Australia to contemplate toll roads the government voted against those amendments. I think it should serve as a great concern for the people of South Australia that the government and the minister are considering infrastructure to be privately funded, which would then not allow free—

The Hon. S.K. Knoll: You've got to give him something. The poor bloke has been roundly beaten.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I am not sure how the majority getting legislation up is being roundly beaten but, anyway, whatever floats your boat. I have grave concerns about it, but we shall see the operation of Infrastructure South Australia. We look forward to seeing how it is populated. We look forward to seeing how it operates and whether the amendments moved in the upper house, which the government will accept, allow for greater transparency and greater reporting. That is important because the government did attempt to have this body operate almost entirely in secret. The opposition did all it could to try to make it operate as transparently as possible, but as we are learning, this government seems to enjoy secrecy, being opaque and keeping things hidden. In those two remarks—

The Hon. S.K. Knoll: You almost couldn't keep a straight face then, Tom—the edges of your face.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Mr Chair, thank you for your protection during my remarks. You have been a fierce advocate of mine during my remarks.

The CHAIR: Continue, member for West Torrens.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I really appreciate the fairness and evenness with which you have shown your defence of ministers, at the end of a long day, feeling tired and emotional and yelling things out, Mr Chair. I commend the bill to the house.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: Hang on, I think we will take that to mean that the opposition are now going to vote for this amendment bill, which I think is a fantastic step forward. The whole point of Infrastructure South Australia is to tell some very uncomfortable truths to government. The idea that we would put restrictions on what truths we ask them to bring forward, I think, is patently ridiculous.

This is a fantastic day for South Australia. We can start to rebuild confidence in the way that we deliver infrastructure projects. We can actually get some independent advice to help challenge government, to help keep government honest and to make sure that taxpayers' hard-earned dollars are spent on the most important projects. This is a system that is going to lead to not only better designing and decision-making around what projects to deliver but better structure on how we deliver these infrastructure projects and undertake post-project evaluation. Through a much more rigorous structured process, we are going to improve government decision-making here in South Australia.

I would like to take this time to thank the Premier for his work in championing this piece of legislation for such a long time and for this finally getting up. We very much look forward to the operation of this very important legislation and its being something that this government, for the many terms that it will be in power, and also future governments potentially of different persuasions, will have to take heed of.

Motion carried.

At 18:07 the house adjourned until Tuesday 16 October 2018 at 11:00.