AUKUS

Mr PATTERSON (Morphett) (14:17): My question is again to the Deputy Premier. Who is leading the Office for AUKUS, and how many FTEs currently work in the office?

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:17): I might answer the question, simply because the Office for AUKUS has temporarily been established—or when I say temporary, it has been established—within the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. An official from the Department of the Premier and Cabinet has been allocated to that role. I more than happy to take on notice the exact details around the quantum of the budget and the number of FTEs. It is not a huge sum of money, nor is it a huge number of FTEs, but I more than happy to take that on notice.

The reason for its establishment in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet at this particular point in time is that it is seen to be a coordinating function in terms of a cross-government efforts regarding the AUKUS response. The biggest challenge we have in realising the AUKUS opportunity is all about people and skills, but there are also other areas of state government responsibility that will be impacted through AUKUS.

For instance, one of the things we are negotiating at the moment is the land swap that we, as the state government, have put upon the table. That actively involves work from the Minister for Planning, for instance, through Renewal SA. The Department for Infrastructure and Transport, along with the Department for Energy and Mining, have issues in regard to gas infrastructure, electricity infrastructure, going across Torrens Island. The Department for Environment and Water has considerations that need to be factored in from DEW, particularly around land at Osborne. So it is sought to be a cross-government function and hence its establishment within a central agency, namely, DPC.