House of Assembly: Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Contents

Economic Investment

Mrs POWER (Elder) (14:48): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier update the house about key investments in our state that will create more jobs for South Australians?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:48): I thank the member for Elder for her excellent question. Her question is about driving investment to create more jobs here in South Australia. Can I say that we on this side of the chamber are doing everything we possibly can. We are working harder than ever before to create the right business environment to stimulate, if you like, private sector investment in South Australia.

A fundamental component of that is making sure that businesses have the requisite skills in place when they need them. We are making huge investments in skills, as I have already outlined to the house. We are also pushing ahead with—

Mr Picton: On 100 apprentices—100 out of 20,000.

The SPEAKER: The member for Kaurna is warned for a second time.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —massive reform in terms of tax, lowering the emergency services levy in South Australia, cutting out payroll tax for all small businesses in South Australia and pushing through with our largest land tax cuts in the history of the state. This is a very important reform to create a more attractive business environment, to stimulate economic growth and, most importantly, investment in the South Australian economy.

I would like to update the house on some of the most recent investments in South Australia, which I think all South Australians should celebrate. Only last week, I was up at the Monarto Safari Park and I notice—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —sitting in the Speaker's gallery today is the Hon. David Wotton, the former member for Heysen and the former environment minister for South Australia. He played a formative and instrumental role in the establishment of the Monarto zoo, which is now, as of last week, renamed the Monarto Safari Park. Gerry Ryan OAM is making a very strategic and significant investment into that park—$40 million—to create accommodation, to create facilities, to enhance the offer there, which I believe will ultimately be the very best safari experience in the world, outside of Africa.

This will drive incredible interest from interstate and from overseas, for people to come to look at these incredible animals in a safe, accessible, affordable way, and in fact to stay overnight. I did query where the fence was for the glamping—which side—but apparently you are on the other side, away from the animals, which I thought would create the most safe environment, so I was very pleased with that.

Earlier this week, I was at the topping out ceremony for SkyCity's expansion of the Adelaide Casino, a $330 million investment into the economy in South Australia. This is creating more than a thousand construction jobs in South Australia—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and, ultimately, 800 ongoing jobs here in South Australia. It's going to be fantastic. It's going to be ready for the T20 next year and I think it will again create another level of accommodation in South Australia, something that we have wanted for a long period of time.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I was also very pleased this week to meet with the managing director of Treasury Wine Estates. I thanked Treasury Wine Estates for their massive investment—

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan: Stephan is after a bottle of wine.

The SPEAKER: The member for Lee has been upgraded to two warnings.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —in new packaging facilities to increase the productivity and the capacity of their facilities in the Barossa Valley. This is a massive investment for our state; in fact, it's between $150 million and $180 million. This is on top of the commonwealth government's investment in terms of naval shipbuilding, in terms of electronic warfare, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance work that is happening out at Edinburgh, in terms of the SmartSat CRC and, of course, the massive announcement made by our Prime Minister in the United States of $150 million going into space over the next five years, and much of that will be here in South Australia.