Grievance Debate

Glenelg Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Centre

Mr PATTERSON (Morphett) (15:39): The Labor planning minister has done the dirty work for his mate, the Minister for Health, and approved the government's sponsored Crown development application for the alcohol and drug rehabilitation facility in Glenelg, which will open in a few weeks. While so many people in my local community are deeply disappointed, they are not surprised because, all along, the Malinauskas Labor government and the arrogant health minister have gone to extraordinary efforts to silence and sideline genuine community concerns about the location of the facility: 200 metres from the entrance to the local primary school.

The community only found out by accident that they would have a drug rehab centre a few weeks before it was due to open. The Holdfast Bay council immediately pointed out that the Malinauskas Labor government had awarded Uniting Communities $6 million to operate out of a facility that was not approved to run as a drug rehab facility, raising questions about maladministration of taxpayer funds.

The government went into damage control, running belated community consultation—if that is what you could call it—but the community were not prepared to be walked all over. And why? Because Maturin House is on the same street as the local primary school, St Peters Woodlands, which has an entrance 200 metres away and the only outdoor area in the front yard is in close proximity to the footpath that students and residents use. Why also? Because the government's own tender documents stated that, 'These facilities need to deal with clients who may present with complex and diverse needs. These may include people who are at risk to others.' Also, because the government's own tender documents stated that a compulsory requirement for the drug rehab facility was to be located in 22 complying suburbs—nowhere near Glenelg. In fact, all 22 suburbs were in Labor electorates.

The community, though, was reassured that the required development application to change the use to a drug rehab facility would go through council, and the community could be consulted and have their concerns heard. Instead, the Labor health minister enacted the extraordinary powers of state government to get his colleague the planning minister to assess the application by declaring an 1890s house in Glenelg as essential infrastructure for the whole state—an outrageous attempt by this arrogant Labor government to manipulate the planning laws to avoid public engagement and scrutiny, and self-assess their own controversial project.

The local community sent a strong message when 1,015 people signed a petition that I tabled here in Parliament House, that urged the government to reject Maturin Road, Glenelg, as the proposed location. In response, the government tried to avoid answering valid questions of parents and residents, labelling them as 'shameful' and 'blatant nimbyism'. With no other option, local residents—some retirees, some with young families—commenced, during a cost-of-living crisis, costly legal proceedings in the Supreme Court against the health minister to stop his Crown development application that took away their ability to be consulted and have their concerns addressed.

The government threw everything at the case, having an army of lawyers attending court. In March, the judge ruled that the health minister could use his legal loophole within the current planning laws; importantly, not that the project had merit. The health minister was excited by this decision: excited because it meant his Labor planning minister was now free to approve the drug and alcohol rehab centre going ahead, which he did straight away. This sets a dangerous precedent where, if the Malinauskas Labor government wants to put a drug rehab centre anywhere, they will. No school, no early learning centre is safe and communities will be silenced to achieve this.

Thank you to the 1,015 people who signed the petition. I can reassure all of you that I have heard your concerns and will fight to ensure that these concerns are not ignored. I also acknowledge the massive financial and emotional sacrifice made by those who were involved in challenging the legality of the government's process in the Supreme Court, simply to fight for their right to have their concerns heard and addressed. Thank you for standing up to this bully government.

These residents are wonderful people who are considerate and do charity work. They understand the need for rehabilitation facilities in the correct location. They also understand that the government has turned its back on them and their children, and they will not forget the contempt with which this government has treated them.