Compulsory Land Acquisition

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley) (14:21): Supplementary to the minister: has the minister held discussions with other businesses being acquired along South Road in the last week? If so, which ones and what was discussed?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:22): I am about to meet with Matlin Auto Repairs, and I am going to organise a meeting, after her request, with Mrs Franks. I have met with a number of businesses but not in the last week. But over the last year and a half, I would have to get back to the house about how many businesses I have met. I have also met with a number of landowners and households and tenants. I meet with them when all other avenues have been exhausted.

To get back to Mrs Franks, in relation to her claim for compensation, we will reimburse her reasonable legal costs for disputing that and arguing her claim for compensation. We have also undertaken significant consultation with Mrs Franks, and the department will continue to do so with all impacted business operators.

Just to give some time line to all of this, on 12 April last year acquisition case managers visited Mrs Franks at her South Road business. On that following day, she was issued with a notice of intention to acquire land. On 17 April, business valuer Grant Thornton was engaged to conduct valuations of their business, Fresh Kitchen Solutions. The property was compulsorily acquired on the 27^th of last year, and a notice of acquisition was subsequently served on Mrs Franks and their entitlement to three months rent free commenced.

On 25 September, a rental advocate was engaged by the department on behalf of Mrs Franks to provide assistance in finding a replacement property. It is noted that since their engagement the rental advocate has not heard back from Mrs Franks, and I would encourage her to take that up. It is a service that we offer for free.

On 25 September, the draft business valuation was received from Grant Thornton, and Mrs Franks was contacted regarding the assessment of their business. On 26 September, a quantity surveyor, Rider Levett Bucknall, was engaged to undertake a cost relocation estimate on a hypothetical basis of moving the business, and that report was received on 30 October last year. On 28 September, Mason Gray Strange was engaged to undertake evaluation of plant, stock and equipment, and this report was received on 18 October.

I understand Mrs Franks has engaged an independent business valuer to undertake a valuation of their business. Due to the dramatic differences in valuations between the two assessments—and the valuation that we make is done on legislation drafted and passed by the previous government and we are tied by legislation to how we conduct those valuations and what we value, and by case law—the department is currently waiting to receive an executed statement to the outcome arising from the joint valuers' conference, and I look forward to the results of that.

I understand that Mrs Franks has not yet taken up legal representation, which is her right. I would absolutely support her taking up that right of legal representation, of which the reasonable costs we will fund as part of the project, which we offer to all interested people. I will meet with Mrs Franks as well to do what I can, and to make sure that she can get a fair deal. I will inform Mrs Franks of the bipartisan nature of the valuations and the legislative reforms made in this house that inform every decision we have taken about this project.

I also remind the house that when previous Minister Knoll brought in those changes for underground acquisition and changes to compulsory acquisitions—I would refer members to his second reading contribution about the importance of these changes and the bipartisan support given by the then Malinauskas opposition to the then government's plan to compulsorily acquire so many businesses and homes.