South Australian Motor Sport (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill

Introduction and First Reading

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (11:11): Obtained leave and introduced a bill for an act to amend the South Australian Motor Sport Act 1984. Read a first time.

Second Reading

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (11:12): I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

The Adelaide 500 held a special place in the social and economic heart of our state. It was more than just a car race; it was one of the biggest events on our tourism calendar and delivered millions of dollars in benefits. It reflected our long history with motorsport and the importance of the sector to our community, and it was inducted into the Supercars Hall of Fame 2005 in recognition of its status as the best motorsport event in Australia.

It was also a boon for our local economy. In 2019, just before the former government axed the Adelaide 500, it attracted over 200,000 people, supported 46,000 direct and indirect jobs and generated over $45.9 million in economic activity. It was a major draw for our tourism and hospitality sectors, attracting 15,200 interstate and international visitors and supported 90,000 visitor bed nights. Most of all, it was a thrilling race. It was a citywide celebration, and it was our largest domestic ticketed motorsport event until it was cut by the previous government.

My government is committed to bringing back the Adelaide 500 in a way that elevates the economic and social impact of motorsport in South Australia and reaffirms our leadership to an $8 billion industry in our state, including the staging of the final race of the national Supercars this December. This is a major tourism opportunity for our state and a reaffirmation of our position as the Festival State because our aspiration for the Adelaide 500 is for it to be more than just a race but also a festival of motorsport. This is what this bill seeks to achieve.

The bill will re-establish a dedicated motorsport board to focus on realising the full potential of motorsport events in our state. It provides for up to nine board members, appointed by the Governor, to inject the skills and experience needed to realise the government's vision of a slate of motorsport events for South Australia. This bill will support the board in its efforts to identify new motorsport events, as well as promoting and delivering future growth.

The board's responsibilities will be to manage and drive national and international awareness of the event and related events, such as the World Solar Challenge and the Adelaide Motorsport Festival. They will be charged with providing opportunities to promote the local economy by prioritising South Australian businesses to showcase their products and to ensure that local suppliers are prioritised for local events. They will commit to continually reviewing, refreshing and approving the product and event content and they will be tasked with ensuring that attendees enjoy an exceptional Adelaide 500 experience.

Our state has a proud history of major motorsport events, and I am committed to putting in place the foundations for a future where sport makes a significant and lasting contribution to jobs, to the economy, to South Australia and to the vibrancy of our community. I think we were all stunned—all stunned—when the decision was made to axe our most successful event. You could have knocked most South Australians over with a feather to be one day hearing how fantastic the Adelaide 500 was and then in only a few months to be hearing that it had to go, but, thankfully, it was the people of South Australia who stood up and protected the event.

The South Australian Labor Party was all but a vehicle to project the community will, the overwhelming desire amongst South Australians, to protect one of these iconic events. It was South Australians themselves who stood up and campaigned relentlessly for the protection of this event. It fills me with great pride but more importantly great optimism that, with the successful passage of this bill, not only will Labor be honouring one of its key election promises but, more than that, we will be bringing hope and joy to tens of thousands of South Australians who love motorsport.

On top of that is the ambition to realise all the economic opportunity around this event. I think of those small business owners, the countless suppliers, who supplied resources to the Adelaide 500. I recall speaking to marquee owners, caterers and logistic companies, all of whom supply to this extraordinary event. They want the race back. The fans want the race back. The teams want the race back. The broadcasters want the race back. South Australians overwhelmingly want the race back. In fact, the citizens of the seat of Adelaide voted in such a way that you could only conclude they want the race back, and that is why we commend this bill to the house.

I must say that I welcome the fact that the Leader of the Opposition has publicly declared that the Liberal Party now supports this race, so we anticipate and very much look forward to and hope to enjoy the bipartisan support of this place so that the Adelaide 500 again is beyond politics and we can all get behind it and enjoy Adelaide being the centre of motorsport in this nation. I seek leave to have the explanation of clauses inserted in Hansard without my reading it.

Leave granted.

EXPLANATION OF CLAUSES

Part 1—Preliminary

1—Short title

2—Commencement

These clauses are formal.

Part 2—Amendment of South Australian Motor Sport Act 1984

3—Amendment of long title

This clause amends the long title of the principal Act to reflect changes made by this measure.

4—Amendment of section 3—Interpretation

This clause amends section 3 of the principal Act to define key terms used in the measure and delete redundant definitions.

5—Substitution of heading to Part 2

This clause substitutes a new heading to Part 2 of the principal Act.

6—Insertion of sections 4 to 9B

This clause inserts new sections 4 to 9B into the principal Act as follows:

4—Establishment of Board

This section (re)establishes the South Australian Motor Sport Board, which was dissolved by a preceding measure.

5—Membership of Board

This section sets out the membership of the new Board. Like the previous Board, members will be appointed by the Governor on the recommendation of the Minister. In recommending members, the Minister should be aiming for gender equality on the Board.

6—Term and conditions of office

This section provides that members of the new Board will be appointed on terms and conditions determined by the Governor.

7—Remuneration

This section provides that members of the Board are entitled to remuneration, allowances and expenses determined by the Governor.

8—Functions of Board

This section sets out the functions of the Board, consistent with the functions conferred on the South Australian Tourism Commission previously.

9—Delegation

This section is a standard power of delegation in respect of the functions of the Board.

9A—Procedures of Board

This section sets out the procedures to be observed by the Board at meetings.

9B—Committees

This section enables the Board to set up committees, with Ministerial approval, for the purposes set out in the section.

7—Amendment of section 10AA—Non-application of Government Business Enterprises (Competition) Act 1996

This clause makes a consequential amendment to section 10AA of the principal Act.

8—Amendment of section 11—Commission may control and charge fee for filming etc from outside circuit

This clause makes consequential amendments to section 11 of the principal Act.

9—Insertion of sections 12 to 17

This clause inserts new sections 12 to 17 into the principal Act as follows:

12—Dealings with moneys of the Board

This section sets out what the Board can do with its moneys, and requires compliance with a budget approved by the Treasurer in expending those moneys.

13—Power to borrow

This section allows the Board to borrow moneys, with liability for such borrowing to be guaranteed by the Treasurer.

14—Accounts and audit

This section requires the Board to keep proper accounting records, and to have those accounts audited by the Auditor-General.

15—Reports

This section requires the Board to provide an annual report on its operations to the Minister, with that report to be laid before Parliament.

16—Chief Executive

This section provides for the Chief Executive of the Board, who may or may not be a public servant.

17—Staffing arrangements

This section sets out the staffing arrangements for the Board. The Board cannot itself employ staff. Staff of the Board are not public servants.

10—Amendment of heading to Part 3

This clause amends the heading to Part 3 to provide consistency of language in the Part.

11—Amendment of section 20—Minister may make certain declarations

This clause amends section 20 of the principal Act to extend the ability of the Minister to make declarations under that section. The Minister will be able to make declarations relating to areas outside of the Adelaide metropolitan area.

12—Amendment of section 21—Commission to have care, control etc of declared area for relevant declared period

This clause makes consequential amendments to section 21 of the principal Act.

13—Amendment of section 22—Commission to have power to enter and carry out works etc on declared area

This clause makes consequential amendments to section 22 of the principal Act.

14—Amendment of section 23—Commission to consult and take into account representations of persons affected by operations

This clause makes consequential amendments to section 23 of the principal Act.

15—Amendment of section 24—Certain land taken to be lawfully occupied by Commission

This clause makes consequential amendments to section 24 of the principal Act.

16—Amendment of section 25—Non-application of certain laws

This clause makes consequential amendments to section 25 of the principal Act.

17—Amendment of section 26—Plans of proposed works to be available for public inspection

This clause makes consequential amendments to section 26 of the principal Act.

18—Amendment of section 27—Power to remove vehicles left unattended within declared area

This clause makes a consequential amendment to section 27 of the principal Act.

19—Amendment of section 27AB—Application of sections 27B and 27C

This clause makes consequential amendments to section 27AB of the principal Act.

20—Insertion of section 28

This clause inserts section 28 into the principal Act, allowing the Board to conduct its operations under other names.

21—Amendment of section 28AA—Declaration of official titles

This clause makes consequential amendments to section 28AA of the principal Act.

22—Amendment of section 28A—Special proprietary interests

This clause makes consequential amendments to section 28A of the principal Act.

23—Amendment of section 28B—Seizure and forfeiture of goods

This clause makes consequential amendments to section 28B of the principal Act.

24—Insertion of section 29

This clause inserts section 29 into the principal Act, allowing the Minister to transfer an asset, right or liability of the Board to an agent or instrumentality of the Crown.

25—Amendment of section 30—Regulations

This clause amends section 30 of the principal Act to allow for the making of regulations regulating procedures of the Board, and provisions making saving or transitional provisions. Those provisions may have some retrospective effect, however not so as to decrease a person's rights or impose liability on a person.

Schedule 1—Transitional and saving provisions

1—Interpretation

This clause defines terms used in the Schedule.

2—Vesting of assets and liabilities of Commission in Board

This clause vests the assets and liabilities of the SATC (insofar as they relate to the functions and powers conferred on the SATC on the dissolution of the previous Board under Schedule 1 of the South Australian Motor Sport Act 1984) in the new Board.

3—Staff

This clause allows the Governor to transfer staff from the SATC to the new Board, with such transfer not affecting the entitlements of those staff.

4—Graphics standards manual

This clause saves the graphics standards manual in force immediately before the commencement of this clause.

Debate adjourned on motion of Mr Tarzia.