Gawler Line Electrification

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:58): My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Are workers being flown in from New South Wales or Victoria to work on the Gawler rail electrification project despite the current risks involved with allowing people to enter South Australia from these other states?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:58): All the decisions with regard to exemptions for essential workers are made not by ministers but they are made, of course, by SA Health. We've got very strict protocols in place. We do have level 6 restrictions in place with other jurisdictions. Therefore, if they are essential workers, those applications for an exemption to those current restrictions are passed through to SA Health. They have an exemptions committee which meets, and they make a determination.

If they do see fit to grant an exemption, and this of course occurs in certain circumstances, they develop a risk mitigation strategy for those essential workers, and that is a matter completely and utterly for SA Health. We don't interfere in that process. Of course, we do from time to time support applications from people who are making that application because there are projects, but ultimately we don't have any say.

Sometimes the exemptions are granted and sometimes they are not. We don't dispute that, of course. I think it is only right that we continue to have this separation with regard to the exemptions process. It has worked very well for us over a long period of time, and I expect it will continue to stay in place for some time to come.