Auditor-General's Report

Auditor-General's Report

In committee.

(Continued from 31 October 2024.)

The ACTING CHAIR (Mr Brown): I declare the examination of the Report of the Auditor-General 2023-24 open. I remind members that the committee is in normal session. Any questions have to be asked by members on their feet and all questions must be directly referenced to the Auditor-General's 2023-24 Report and Agency Statements for the year ending 2023-24, as published on the Auditor-General's website, and the Update to the Annual Report, as tabled in this house on 15 October. I welcome the Minister for Human Services and other members present, and I call for questions.

Ms PRATT: These questions are addressed to the minister in her role in terms of seniors and ageing. I am looking at page 216. I will start reading, as the minister finds this reference. In relation to staff working in aged care roles without a current aged care check, the Auditor-General notes that the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network 'developed a weekly reporting dashboard to monitor aged care compliance using workforce reporting data that includes—'

The Hon. N.F. COOK: Sorry to interrupt, but this absolutely still sits with the portfolio of Health. This is a question for the Minister for Health, not me.

Ms PRATT: That is fine. If I have your permission, Chair, I will submit the question.

The ACTING CHAIR (Mr Brown): Sure, go ahead.

Ms PRATT: Understanding that this is in Health, and understanding the minister's counter, I will submit the question all the same. I was completing the sentence, 'workforce reporting data that includes data on aged care employment checks.' The Auditor-General reported:

At June 2024, we identified 117 from a population of 333 staff (35%) who did not have the valid aged care employment checks required for their roles.

Given the minister's background and understanding the minister's guidance, my question is simply: can the minister account for the fact that at June this year 35 per cent of staff in SALHN did not have the valid aged care employment checks? What would the percentage be for all the networks?

The Hon. N.F. COOK: As I stated, that would be a question for the Minister for Health, and I am sure they will pay attention to the Hansard.

Mr COWDREY: Minister, I take you to page 257 of the report and also 252. The first question I have is in regard to two references the Auditor-General has made in regard to the state's contribution to NDIS funding. On page 257 it states that the state's contribution to the NDIS decreased in the financial year and on page 256 there is a reference to the state's contribution to the NDIS increasing by $100 million. There is a reference to an adjustment on page 257 in regard to the financial year ending 2023. Is the minister able to provide clarity to the committee in terms of the state's contribution to the NDIS this year and where that sits in comparison to previous financial years?

The Hon. N.F. COOK: This absolutely directly relates to the transition to the full delivery of services, with the last 12 months having three months of in kind and nine months of full NDIS service.

Mr COWDREY: Can you give us an indication of the full financial year's contribution, just so it is a clean representation and statement coming from yourself?

The Hon. N.F. COOK: The full payment was $860 million, and there is some dialogue in there regarding the population adjustment, which is why there was a change.

Mr COWDREY: If I take you to page 254 in regard to audit findings, in particular the Auditor-General has outlined a number of areas that he thinks are sensible in terms of improvements in regard to the current process in place, particularly around the NDIS-associated services that the government is still delivering. The first question in regard to this section of dot points on page 254 is in regard to the unsuccessful claims that have been lodged with the NDIA by the state government. Whereabouts is that $1 million in unsuccessful claims sitting at the moment? Has there been success in terms of claiming any of those moneys back, or is the outstanding amount still sitting at $1 million?

The Hon. N.F. COOK: I do not want to be obtuse, but because over time there are other claims and challenges, the amount, the $1 million, sits around a similar amount because we have been able to get some of that money back and then there have been other unsuccessful claims. So it does bobble around a little bit, but I can just tell you quickly that the work of the Auditor-General happened in April and there has been work since then to polish some of the processes.

There are the three areas: the unsuccessful claims, the invoice processing around self-managed plans and also, if I remember rightly, the client service agreements that needed to be put in place appropriately and actioned. For all of those processes, going from this sort of zero to very big NDIS provider service, all of that work is in place and all of those processes are absolutely on the improve now. I am confident the department has now put in place processes to remedy that.

Mr COWDREY: You referenced in your answer—and let me ad-lib slightly—that essentially we got to $1 million in claims that were unsuccessful based on the operation of the scheme coming into effect, and then for the period of time getting us through to the work that the Auditor-General has done in April, it was referenced that that amounted to $1 million. Since then, that amount has not been reduced; it just stayed the same.

In terms of the longest-tenured unsuccessful claim, are there still claims that have been unsuccessful that are on the books within the human services department or the government more generally that relate back essentially to the service coming on? Are there still unsuccessful claims from the very start of services being provided through the NDIS that have not been successfully dealt with?

The Hon. N.F. COOK: It is a very small amount compared to the big picture. Some of it might be part of a claim that still sits there and we have remedied the bulk of the claim, some of it might have been recognised that it was not a claim that was within the parameters of what we can claim, so there is quite a mishmash of whether or not there are parts of the claim. We would expect it would be a very low percentage that is legacy from that particular point of time. But, as I said to you, it does move up and down as different claims are processed.

Mr COWDREY: To quantify a small amount, are we talking less than 10 per cent or are we talking more than 20 per cent? To give us some contextual understanding of when you say this is a small amount in the quantum of things, I have two questions: what is the quantum of money that is at this point being claimed through government services per month and, again, what percentage of claims do you still believe to be legacy as in close to the beginning of onset of services via the NDIS?

The Hon. N.F. COOK: My advice is it is less than 1 per cent of moneys, because this year we anticipate the budget to be about $140 million, last year it was about $100 million—and remember this year is a full 12-month claim rather than a nine-month claim.

Mr COWDREY: In regard to the raising of invoices, this is obviously a reasonably troubling issue that was identified by the Auditor-General in the fact that there had been what appears to be the majority stated in the report. Perhaps you can give us more context. When the majority, does that mean more than 50 per cent of clients who had used services via DHS had not been invoiced via DHS, and what was the total quantum of those invoices?

The Hon. N.F. COOK: My advice is that these invoices are related to community participation and they are a very small amount. A lot of invoices get raised for that but they are small-value invoices that have been raised for those activities under participants.

Mr COWDREY: Sorry, that still does not answer the question, though. How many invoices were not invoiced that should have been invoiced over that period of time?

The Hon. N.F. COOK: No, I do not have the number, and that was at a point of time in April but by the end of the year they were raised.

Mr COWDREY: So you are confident that there are no untimely invoices that exist or that have not been invoiced, there are no services that have been delivered via DHS for NDIS participants that have not been invoiced in a timely manner?

The Hon. N.F. COOK: You can never say 100 per cent but we are raising invoices now on a fortnightly basis. As far as I can tell, the processes have been refined and they are doing their optimum best now to ensure that that is the practice that is happening.

Mr COWDREY: Have all of the invoices that have subsequently been raised been paid by the NDIS or NDIA? Essentially, with that backlog of invoices, has that payment subsequently been made to the state government?

The Hon. N.F. COOK: We will take that one on notice.

Mr COWDREY: In regard to the client service agreements that have been referenced resulting in more than $10 million of services that could not be, essentially, claimed because of the non-existence of those client service agreements, has that issue been remedied? Are we still at a point where essentially clients are being provided services and those clients have been retrospectively invoiced via the NDIS for those services, or did that revenue need to be written off?

The Hon. N.F. COOK: My advice is that it is now a much-reduced rolling number of somewhere within the range of 10 to 20, but the moneys were accrued. As far as we are aware at this point, we are very satisfied that that money has come in once the agreements have been signed.

Mr COWDREY: Of the 10 to 20, what is your understanding of the current outstanding revenue? It was referenced as $10 million for the 100 CSOs that were not in place—

The Hon. N.F. COOK: Sorry, I will just clarify. It now has gone from a number that it was identified at a point of time when there was some deficit in the client service agreements being completed, and that number was 100. Now there are times when the client service agreements are not completed in that timely manner, and that is that rolling amount of 10 to 20 that are different client service agreements, but they are being followed up as quickly as possible to get completed, and the money is then coming in.

Mr COWDREY: To be clear, there are now new clients entering the system that are having their CSO negotiated or settled? There are no legacy CSOs in regard to the 100 that were outstanding as at June—those 100 have all been sorted?

The Hon. N.F. COOK: Our expectation is that the vast majority of those, if not all of them, have been. We do not have that actual information in front of us, but we are satisfied that that process is now in place. The client service agreements, even for ongoing clients, change, so they have to be revised and reviewed. There would be very few new clients who come into the system, but the client service agreements can require updating.

Mr COWDREY: Given your answer, are you able to and happy to take on notice, then, to give an update in regard to the number of CSOs that are outstanding and the total quantum of those potential unclaimed funds?

The Hon. N.F. COOK: We are really happy to provide that. It will be like a point in time today, as far as we can ascertain.

Mr COWDREY: Yes. If, in taking on notice that question, you can provide us an indication of whether any of those that clearly have not been sorted out are a legacy back to the point in time at June?

The Hon. N.F. COOK: To be really clear what we are taking on notice, we will check the 100, and then we will let you know of the current number.

Mr COWDREY: To close off this particular issue from a financial statement perspective, it was noted in the Auditor-General's Report that effectively the financial statements had accounted for all of that outstanding revenue from the CSOs not being in place coming in within that financial year. How, from a financial management perspective, are you treating those moneys if there are still, as has been taken on notice, potentially a number and a dollar value associated with those CSOs that to this point still have not been referenced?

The Hon. N.F. COOK: It is fully accounted for in last year's accounts. It is fully accounted for—all the moneys.

Mr COWDREY: Yes—as revenue. You are not going to make an adjustment, given it was not accrued until this financial year. Essentially, you are going to maintain a position that all of that revenue should have been accrued during the last financial year. It will stay there. There will be no changes.

The Hon. N.F. COOK: Yes.

Mr COWDREY: Let's just shift to the energy bill relief program on page 259, if that is alright, at part C. How many businesses were provided with energy bill relief?

The Hon. N.F. COOK: In the year 2023-24 I have a combined total of $136 million, which was $105 million to households, and $31 million to small business. We can work that out by using the calculator or you can do that afterwards if you wish. I have the value of the dollar, I do not have the value of the individual numbers. This year $80 million has been paid out to households and $6 million has been paid out to small businesses.

Mr COWDREY: I am happy to do the maths myself, but I would much prefer to get a solid answer from the government in regard to the total number of small businesses.

The Hon. N.F. COOK: Yes. We will take it on notice.

Mr COWDREY: Is that something you can get to us quicker than that? If you have the total quantum, as you say, and are happy to give us some indication, that would be appreciated.

The Hon. N.F. COOK: We have the brains trust on it right now.

Mr COWDREY: I thought that was you, minister.

The Hon. N.F. COOK: It is.

Mr COWDREY: Regarding page 260, part C, Julia Farr services and the associated sale of land there. Just in regard to that, essentially the transaction resulted in a $17 million gain that has been outlined obviously in the report. Can you provide an understanding to the committee in terms of how you see the proceeds of that sale being reinvested; what structure will be put in place; what will the framework be in terms of decision-making; and where do you see those funds being invested?

The Hon. N.F. COOK: I think what I will need to do is refer the member to my previous answers which have been more fulsome in regard to this. However, we have been working with a committee of lived experience representatives, with the assistance of Julia Farr Purple Orange, and they have provided a report, and we are now ensuring that the vision for the expenditure meets all the moral and legal obligations of the fund—and that is coming soon. As soon as we have information—I am not holding on to it, so as soon as we have that advice we will be able to provide that.

Mr COWDREY: Again, I am well aware of the answer that the minister gave in the house previously in question time in regard to the sale and then obviously some high-level commentary around where those funds would be distributed but, given we are now probably three to four months progressed since that point, is there any more detail that the minister can provide in terms of over what length of time she believes the distribution of these funds will be provided over and whether there will be a board perhaps that sits and administers the fund over a period of time? Are you able to give us any more insight in terms of the operational parameters of what is a significant amount of money that has obviously been quarantined for a specific purpose, for a very good reason, given the sale of the infrastructure, and where is this money looking to be spent in the future?

Is there any more information that the minister can furnish the house in regard to how this money is going to be spent, the structures that are going to sit around it and the safeguards that will be in place in terms of the expenditure of that money?

The Hon. N.F. COOK: It was not really clear when receiving the advice of the lived experience group. In saying that, the group is clear and we agree that the money should not be spent on services that are the responsibility of the NDIS, or indeed the government, so it is to be used in a way obviously which genuinely enables connecting people to their communities and improving participation and economic social and cultural life in community.

It would be difficult to guess, in terms of the length of time. However, there are similar trusts, such as the Macleod Trust, etc., that have been well managed under the auspices of places like Julia Farr, Purple Orange and the trust to ensure that the funds last and can continue to give for a very long time—and they are doing so. Only last week I went to an opening of a house that has been developed with inhousing, one of the arms of the cohort. The only thing I can really say is that it is very difficult to measure. It will be based on the guidance of the group as to how the money is spent, which will then dictate how long it lasts for, which we hope will be for a very long time.

Mr COWDREY: I do not want to press the matter, but essentially is there going to be a limitation of spend each year that is based on, say, the interest earned within the funds that are there? Are you foreseeing this as a fund that will be drawn down over a number of years, or is this something that you see will be essentially a perpetual fund where simply the revenue on top of or income earned on the invested funds will be spent year-on-year? I am really just asking very broad, high-ranging questions to get some level of indication of what the minister's plan is in regard to these funds and how this is actually going to be practically rolled out.

The Hon. N.F. COOK: The minister does not and should not have a plan in regard to this, except to say that we will do all we can to support the committee or board that is put in place, following the direction of the current lived experience group who have spelt out recommendations. We will listen to them and, of course, a perpetual fund is one option and the investment options with drawing down money is another. We will wait and hear what they say. The minister's plan is superfluous, except to say the minister wants to make sure we provide as much guidance and support to get the best out of that money.

Mr COWDREY: The minister has just indicated that there would be a board or committee overseeing the funds, which is more than I think has been given to this point. There is somewhat of a plan and I am glad to know that at least you have that in mind. I might very briefly, given we have got only a couple of minutes left, turn to page 258, which is the capital works expenditure of $8 million in relation to youth justice and custodial services. Can you explain what improvements this project will bring to youth justice in South Australia and how it aligns with the broader goals for producing youth incarceration?

The Hon. N.F. COOK: Broadly it is providing a better built environment to provide support and care for young people who find themselves questioned, in terms of their behaviour from a criminal point of view. It provides better care and support for young people who have a disability, young people with neurodivergence, young people who are needing a calming and soothing environment in order to rehabilitate and seek support that they need to divert away from custody.

The best experience is one that is given in an environment that offers that requisite support for young people to learn and to be able to trust the people they are with to help teach them behaviours and strategies that will ensure they are not returning to the custodial environment. For those who remain in the custodial environment for any given length of time, they should be subjected to the best possible environment to help support their behaviours and any disabilities or sensory issues that they might have. We have shown these environments publicly and they are very satisfying for us to be able to deliver.

Mr COWDREY: Again, in regard to the last answer, are you able to provide a current status of the capital works?

The Hon. N.F. COOK: Ostensibly, it is a completed facility with some building remediation that needs to be done by the people who have constructed it, so there are just a few changes that need to happen to ensure full safety and then it will be opened for use.

Mr COWDREY: My understanding is the original timeline was for that to be operational in early 2024. We have obviously significantly slipped past that. When are you expecting the facility to be operational and how far behind in timing are you happy to admit it is?

The Hon. N.F. COOK: I will take that on notice and provide you with a better estimate as soon as I can. Just to say there are safety and other matters that need to be taken into account to ensure that we can provide young people with the best accommodation that is not going to put any risk in place. I will definitely get you a response.

The CHAIR: The examination of this section of the Report of the Auditor-General has now expired. I now invite and welcome the Minister for Multicultural Affairs and the member for Morialta. I advise members of the committee that it is in normal session. Any questions have to be asked by members on their feet and all questions must be directly referenced to the Auditor-General's 2023-24 Report and Agency Statements for the year ending 2023-24, as published on the Auditor-General's website, and the Update to the Annual Report, as tabled in this house on 15 October. We have 30 minutes. Member for Morialta.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: I turn to pages 19 and 20 of the report to begin with, which is in relation to the Adelaide Venue Management Corporation and following on from some questions last year in relation to the Coopers Stadium upgrade. How often has the minister been meeting with the AVMC and/or receiving briefings to ensure that this upgrade is monitored closely?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Thank you very much for the question. I meet regularly with the AVMC, particularly the chair and the chief executive. You are obviously not following my media very closely because I was out there just recently to launch, of course, that we are nearly at the end of our great big build. There was particularly the new pitch that we announced and the signage upgrades, which were there for the FIFA Women's World Cup. We had to hold that work for a little while. We have now spent $43.2 million of that $45 million funding.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: I thank the minister for her answer. I got from her answer that there is a sense of mission accomplished and if that is the case then it is good that we are there. The Auditor-General in this document says that the Venue Management Corporation expects to complete the project in 2025 with, at that stage, $1.8 million unexpended. Is there further work to do, as the Auditor-General suggests, or is the Auditor-General out of date with this statement?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Just as I was advised, which led to my being down there for my media, the final works were completed in October 2024, which of course is not part of the financial year that we are discussing today. It was in preparation for the opening home game of the 2024-25 A-league season and, if I am right, it was voted the best place to play by the players. Martin is going to nod at me—excellent. It is a great credit to us to have that as well. Yes, that was in May 2023. It was voted by Professional Footballers Australia as the best stadium in terms of pitch quality and atmosphere for the men's A-league 2022-23 season.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Can I just clarify, then: the minister said that $43.2 million had been expended. The Auditor-General in this document says that $43.2 million had been expended as at 30 June and that there was $1.8 million still to be expended. Is that money still to be expended this financial year, bringing the total project cost to $45 million, or is it a cost saving to taxpayers of $1.8 million, or is it a different figure still to be spent in this financial year?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: That money has been spent. Alas, there were no savings. The current final invoice is being collated and there is no budgetary overrun expected.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Last year, the minister reported that at this time last year there was $3 million remaining for outstanding works on stadium signage to be completed in November, and that pitch replacement that I think the minister referred to in her earlier answer was due to be completed by last month. Is that the timetable that has gone through, and were there any other expenditures? I suppose my main question is: did it cap out at that $45 million or were there any further cost outlays over and above that?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: The answer is yes, completed.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Yes, it was $45 million and no more?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Yes.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: I will go to the SATC. We are looking at page 368, and probably page 367, of the annual report. I will just quote from the middle of the page:

2023-24 saw the continuation of major sponsored events such as LIV Golf and the AFL Gather Round.

I think last year the minister identified also Harvest Rock and Tour Down Under were supported from the Major Events Fund. Can the minister provide a list of all the events the SATC received funding from the Major Events Fund to run during the financial year in question?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Certainly. You have already labelled some of those events, but it was quite a substantial year in 2023-24. We know we have this great positive momentum going forward. I particularly feel it when I am interstate. People say, 'What are you doing over there? It's all very exciting.' Things in particular like Illuminate Adelaide had some additional support, as did the PGA Webex golf 2023-25, Harvest Rock music festival, UCI Track Nations Cup, Adelaide Festival, WOMAdelaide, AFL Gather Round, Adelaide Equestrian Festival, LIV Golf, Wheelchair Rugby National Championships, CommBank Matildas versus China in May 2024, Suncorp Super Netball final, Socceroos match 2024, beach volleyball domestic events, Beach Volleyball World Championships 2024-26, and the British & Irish Lions game in 2025.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: I thank the minister. Can I just confirm that all those events were supported by the Major Events Fund or was that a list of the major events that the SATC is supporting separate from the Major Events Fund?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: It is not. As you know, we are very busy at the SATC. There were a further 18 events that received sponsorship payments from the SATC's general appropriation, including the 2023 State of Origin; the 2023 Frida Kahlo exhibition that was held at the Art Gallery; the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup held in Adelaide—and of course those five events meant we were beamed around the world, and that is why we spent that money on upgrading Coopers Stadium—Illuminate Adelaide; The Bend; the 2023 Australian Masters Games; the National Drag Racing Championship; the Adelaide International (that is the tennis); the Riverbend National Drag Racing Championship; the 2024 national Athletics Championships; the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia; The Bend Classic; the bike festival; swimming short-course champs; the TDU GRVL event, the TDU Paracycling World Cup; TDU Women's Crit; and the Laser World Championships, which I must say a former Minister for Tourism from the other side signed off on—an incredibly great economic impact, because people were here for about six weeks in the western suburbs.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: At the risk of provoking further response, you are welcome for a few of those events that the minister has just listed. On page 367, there is a highlight of grants transferred. I think there is an increase of $23 million from the previous year. Can the minister identify that increase is all as a result of the Major Events Fund or is there a different source of increased funding?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: There was an increase of $23.9 million, and that is from the Major Events Fund associated with sporting events to grow and develop our existing owned and managed events and secure major national/international events. Of course, we had this funding going back and forth and decrease to transfers on the TTF contingency for the River Revival program, which was Rise Up for our River, so we see money going back and forth between different agencies and the SATC.

What I would say, though, is there is quite a lot of fluctuation in income and expenditure, depending on when we are paying forward. Often, we are paying out money quite in advance of an event—two, three years, even up to five years at a time. Money that comes across when we are supporting those events is that transfer of funds that comes to the SATC from the Major Events Fund. We know that they are approved on a year-by-year basis, and that is why we have this fluctuation, but they might be approved many years in advance.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Can the minister then clarify: did the SATC expend any funds for major events over and above what it received from the Major Events Fund?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I think I listed 18 events before that had sponsorship directly from the SATC.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Going back to the minister's two previous answers to related questions, in the second answer she has just referred to the 18 events that were funded outside of the Major Events Fund and, if I am correct then, the list that she started with included, as with previous years, LIV Golf, Gather Round and Harvest Rock but was joined by the Matildas, Illuminate, PGA, UCI, beach volley and wheelchair rugby. They were all funded from the Major Events Fund; is that correct?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: That is correct.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: That is much appreciated. Can the minister identify the role played by the SA Tourism Commission in relation to the Adelaide Festival grant that she has just identified?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: From my recollection there were some specific parts of the Adelaide Festival. If I recall accurately it was Little Amal that was here, but there were some other parts to that. I will endeavour to get you an answer before our time is finished.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Can the minister confirm if the SA Tourism Commission sponsored the request for funding for Little Amal?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I will have to come back to you on that. Obviously, decisions we have talked about before are made through MEAC, the Major Events Fund. We do briefs up to the Major Events Fund. My understanding is that was the decision made, but I will come back to you about the detail. We can confirm Little Amal was supported through that process.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: I thank the minister. Can you clarify, for my benefit, whether the Little Amal grant was a suggestion of the SATC or was it one that came from elsewhere—perhaps the Adelaide Festival, for example—and on which the SATC was asked to offer support or otherwise as a consultative body?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I will take that on notice, because obviously when people have a project that needs additional funding we often have conversations with them over a long period of time, as does Major Events. It is possible that over a long period of time Adelaide Festival has been talking to us, they talk to Arts about what their intentions are, so I will have to take that on notice.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Thank you, minister. I ask the minister whether she would care to share with the people of South Australia what the grant was. What was the quantum of the grant? How much did it provide?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: That grant was commercial in confidence, so it would be inappropriate for me to share that figure.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: On the same audit line, can the minister outline the new funding I think she identified for Illuminate Adelaide? My recollection is that there was previously a specific budget stream for Illuminate Adelaide from money to the budget provided to the SATC for that purpose, but the minister, I think, just included it in a list for the Major Events Fund. Was this over and above that previously provided or is it instead of the funding that was previously through the SATC budget?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: For Illuminate Adelaide we were pleased to continue that funding, and it continues into the future for several years. It is a celebration of innovation, art, light, music and technology. Most importantly, it has been an opportunity to introduce a winter event, building on the work of the Cabaret Festival, for example, at a time when it is much quieter in the city, bringing people in. That has continued.

The last one in 2023 was held between 28 and 30 July, which was in that last financial year, and it was the third iteration of that event. A key part of that is the City Lights program, and for me that is incredibly important because it draws people in. It is quite popular in my own electorate of Ramsay; people come in on the train, and you see lots of families there that do not usually come to the city enjoying that free event. That is part of the sponsorship we have with Illuminate Adelaide.

Of course, Resonate in the Botanic Gardens was very popular as well, and Mirror Mirror in Victoria Square. In fact, I was saying to someone the other day that had Illuminate Adelaide not been using the Botanic Gardens as it has—and we had the Fire Festival this year, and Chihuly, which has been taken up with great support—we might not have seen it in that light before, the use of the Botanic Gardens, particularly at night. So Illuminate has continued to do that. We saw 1.3 million attendances, $54.3 million in economic activity for the state.

There was something special, though, in that previous year in 2023. As you know, we were looking at Rise Up for our River and ways to support that, and we encouraged Illuminate to go up to Mannum, with the support of the Mid Murray Council. They had a regional event to support the river recovery. River Lights went from 4 to 13 August, including the displays on the main street and the riverfront, and saw 20,000 attendees going up to Mannum at a time when it really needed our support.

It was across 10 nights, and I remember talking to the mayor of Mid Murray and she said, 'Do you know what this was? It was a trigger, a trigger for everyone to open up again,' because there was some nervousness, there was some concern after such a devastating time. To have River Lights up there really prompted that opening. So Illuminate works really well for us. We continue to support it and will do into the future.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Can I ask the minister about the Harvest Rock festival, which she identified in that list before. My understanding is that the Harvest Rock festival that was due to take place in 2024 has been postponed or cancelled. Perhaps the minister can just clarify that for me, and are there any risks or liabilities for taxpayers as a result of that?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I will start with your second question first: no, there are no risks or liabilities. We were incredibly disappointed that Harvest Rock was not able to go ahead. It has been postponed. What is really important for me is that the delivery of the first and second Harvest Rocks was incredibly successful. It was incredibly successful because of the key headliners and the support acts that we had but also the opportunity for South Australian food and wine at its very best to be there. We got incredibly great responses.

If I remember accurately, the nights people were staying were 4.5 nights. So people came to Harvest Rock, that was the drawcard, and then they stayed on, often going out to the regions for most of them. At this point it developed a great response, combining this live music with the wine and food but of course in the heart of Adelaide, drawing people in, with really high levels of interstate attendance. But we had to make sure, particularly at a challenging time of increasing interest rates and inflation, that we had a really good drawcard, and at this point that was unable to happen.

We have seen quite a few of those festivals, before and after Secret Sounds' announcement, that have not gone ahead owing to the cost and the inability to get a person or a band at the right level. We will continue to have that conversation. We think it worked well. It was once again something that had been worked on for some time and got interrupted, did not happen because of COVID. It came back in, was really well received and a real positive. We continue to make sure there are conversations about that opportunity.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Stepping back 12 months to the 2023 Harvest Rock festival, can the minister identify whether the SATC or the government sponsored any promotions for influencers to attend that Harvest Rock festival?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: That is a Secret Sounds event, so they are the event runners. We, of course, are a sponsor for it. I think you might be talking about brand advocates. As you may know, there has been some review and recalibration about how we use the appropriate people at the right time. It is my understanding that that was not a situation for Harvest Rock.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: I thank the minister, and I will be sure to include the term 'brand advocates' next to 'famils' and 'influencers' in any future FOI requests. The minister's answer, as I understand, is there were no SATC arrangements for brand advocates to be supported to attend Harvest Rock. Can the minister advise what arrangements were in place for the SATC or the government, as a sponsor of Harvest Rock, to receive free tickets, and how were they distributed?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: As a sponsor, like for all events, we are provided with tickets to go along to those events that we sponsor. It would be an understanding and a commercial contract for each of those groups that we are doing, unless it is an event, of course, that is our own, such as the National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant or the Santos Tour Down Under—of course, these are our own events—or Tasting Australia, which has been supported by RAA. As always, these tickets, particularly with Harvest Rock, are for stakeholders and business partnerships, and that is for most of the events that are held.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: I thank the minister. This time last year in these questions I asked about tickets provided for a Twitter user, or I should say an X.com user, who approached the Premier for some free tickets, which the Premier indicated at the time he would be able to help with: 'Private message me your email address and I will get you some tickets,' which the Premier is still on X.com saying. Can the minister advise—I could not ask these questions last year because I was out of the wrong financial year—now to resolve this long awaited question: under what state government policy were those tickets provided?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I think I answered that: stakeholders and business partners.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: So how broad is the range of stakeholders and business partners that allows a casual user of X.com to get the Premier's ear, and is the minister able to identify the number of tickets provided under such circumstances?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I think that my previous answer covered your concerns. As I said, tickets are offered, particularly with Harvest Rock, for stakeholders and business partners. That was a decision that was made. Obviously with every group that we work with, that is the decision.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Is the minister able to find the number of tickets that state government was provided by Secret Sounds for the Harvest Rock festival 2023?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: I will take that on notice.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: I thank the minister. I will go to a different topic on the same page which is in relation to the marketing and advertising. There is a $10.6 million decrease identified in advertising and promotion driven by marketing funding from prior year interstate and overseas consumer advertising campaigns ceasing. We understand the previous year there were some events that were not continuing. Can the minister provide details on which advertising campaigns ceased or had reduced effort, and is the SATC replacing these advertising campaigns with another strategy or have they just come to their natural conclusion and are no longer needed?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: Of course marketing is always needed for our beautiful state. It is a very competitive industry. When we look at the different marketing activities that you are talking about, they include destination marketing, PR, digital, trade, global markets, and events marketing team. We are talking about things like production, media, market research, familiarisations, international representation, public relations, digital and web development, and trade marketing.

There was a decrease because when we came to government, people may well remember, we had an increase of $15 million for marketing—$40 million all over but $15 million for that first year back—because we needed to build back after COVID. So there was a significant increase in 2022-23 to make sure that we were competing with other states, other countries.

As you may well recall, it was just when that international traffic was starting to come back. That is where we saw quite a bit of change between those two years. Of course, we also had some extra expenditure for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. There was the Choose Tourism grant funding which was funding received by the commonwealth government, really targeted at people who might be interested in taking up tourism as a career.

One of the key things it also talks about is how we got people back internationally. I was really proud in that year of the industry assistance that we supported, particularly about trade opportunities. We subsidised groups of people going to the US and Europe. You may recall our tourism operators who had internationally facing businesses were absolutely devastated by the experience of COVID. Overnight, suddenly there was nothing coming. Some of them did not survive, which was very sad, and we lost incredibly great operators who had built their business over time.

But we do have a very strong cohort who we supported in that year to go for the US and the European markets. In fact, I held an afternoon tea here for those trade groups that went, and what we really saw is some fantastic collaboration come out of those trade events. People who were not sure whether they should go, whether they should invest money, with that subsidy of the South Australian government knew that we were behind them and knew that we were going to support them to build back our international tourism experience.

Just the other week I announced that Emirates were coming back, and I was there when the plane landed. China Southern is coming in December. These are all incredibly important parts of the puzzle for us, building back to where we were. We have already reached higher economic expenditure than we did, but we are not quite back at the same numbers. We are nearly there, but these are the things that marketing does.

Of course, we also launched our 'Travel. Our Way' campaign on 30 September 2023, followed by an extension of 'Winter. Our Way' as well. A key part, though, in the 2023-24 year was the river recovery support and voucher program. I have to say that everyone in this house supported what we did before when we experienced fires and the #BookThemOut campaign both in Kangaroo Island and in the Adelaide Hills, saying to South Australians, 'Hey, this has happened. It was devastating, but we need to support them.' We rolled that out with the River Revival program, which included quite a significant marketing component. These are the different things we have done.

Obviously, we have a summer ahead, and we have dry conditions at the moment. We are hoping that we will not need to do one of those marketing programs, but if you saw the budget, you would have seen that there is a substantial extra focus on marketing for our place-based marketing campaigns, so onwards and upwards.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Can the minister identify whether any influencers or brand advocates were sponsored through this budget line in the last year? If so, how much and how many?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: As we have spoken about before, we have had a substantial reduction in the use of brand advocates and a review in how people are used. Media famils, as we have spoken about before, is a way that has been used for as long as I can remember from a tourism point of view and, of course, in a very competitive landscape we use that quite a bit. Examples of those media famil activities include those traditional media outlets and publications. People were engaged, such as Tiffany Cromwell and Valtteri Bottas, who generated many impressions on their social media posts.

As I said before—and I think you and I have had a conversation on this many times—when we use someone in this capacity, it has to be relevant. It has to build on who we are and the connection that we are making. We want people selected on their relevance, audience reach, engagement and diversity, and we want them to align with what we are doing. The whole point around 'Travel. Our Way' was asking people to travel our way and engage in that way.

We have taken time to reflect and review, and I am satisfied that what we have now fits what we want to say, our travel narrative, and where we want to go. When we talk about that, sometimes it is paid, sometimes it is in-kind agreements. There was something just recently about using a very successful person, an Olympian, who was going out talking about the Limestone Coast. These are things that a review has examined and we will continue to use in the best way possible.

The CHAIR: The time to examine this part of the Auditor-General's report has expired. I declare this portion of the examination of the Report of the Auditor-General open. I remind members that the committee is in normal session and any questions have to be asked by members on their feet. All questions must be directly referenced to the Auditor-General's 2023-24 Report and Agency Statements for the year ending 2023-24, as published on the Auditor-General's website, and the Update to the Annual Report, as tabled in this house on 15 October. I welcome the Special Minister of State—I think that is your official title, or one of them—and the member for Bragg. You have 30 minutes, and the time starts now. Member for Bragg.

Mr BATTY: I might begin with the Department for Correctional Services and the audited financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2024. I turn to page 1, income and expenses, and particularly the employee-related expenses, where we see a decrease in the audited year in employee-related expenses. Does the minister consider that an achievement?

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: I thank the shadow minister for the question. I am advised that, in fact, there has been a number of certain adjustments that have been made including, for example, to take into account long service leave and, accordingly, there has not been a substantial reduction in staff but, nevertheless, accounting treatments have been applied which take into account, amongst other things, long service leave.

Mr BATTY: During the audited financial year then, would the minister agree that staff have been kept on relatively low incomes in the face of inflation and, if so, would the minister consider that an achievement?

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: I think that it is important to observe at the outset that salaries and conditions for DCS employees are informed by an enterprise bargaining process, and it is not the case that decisions in relation to salary adjustments or the adjustments of conditions can be paid outside of that process necessarily; it is largely informed by the enterprise bargaining process.

The department's advice to me is that employees are paid as against their job and person specifications, and that may as well inform escalations in salary as people's qualifications are taken into account as may be appropriate, and a similar process is followed in other state agencies.

Mr BATTY: There has been some recent reporting about the Department for Correctional Services engaging in some sort of leadership forum recently, where they engaged in various planning and brainstorming and one of those tasks required senior staff to write down an achievement, a challenge and a future opportunity. One of the achievements that was put up on a Post-it note was, 'Keeping staff on relatively low incomes in the face of inflation.' Does the minister agree with that assessment from a senior manager at his department?

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: I understand that there was a forum held for operational and leadership staff last Friday. There was, I am informed, a process whereby Post-it notes were applied to a board. I am informed, as I said to the committee just a moment earlier, the setting of salaries is not informed by that process. It is instead always a process that goes through the enterprise bargaining arrangements at a state level and I am not certain that it is possible to determine whether the note was made by any particular level of employee. As I say, there were operational staff and management staff present.

I am informed as well that there were opportunities and challenges identified and it is not possible to determine where the Post-it note was placed, in particular. I would make this observation as well. If there were Post-it notes put up around parliament about you or I, no doubt there would be views shared as well, but it does not necessarily reflect the views of the party of which the shadow minister is a member and I might resist the suggestion necessarily that those Post-it notes were about anybody in this place either. You can see, as I say, that it is simply a Post-it note, it would appear, on a board. There is no author attributed to the note and I am not sure that I could agree with the shadow minister's suggestion that it has come from any particular executive leader in the organisation.

Mr BATTY: Finally, and perhaps just to clarify, are you suggesting that the Post-it note might have been misplaced under the heading 'Achievements'?

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: I am not sure that I am able to illuminate the shadow minister any further necessarily, other than to make the observations that I have made. Most importantly, the salaries of employees in the department are largely informed by the enterprise bargaining process and so it would be wrong to suggest that some separate executive leadership team process was going to necessarily adjust salaries outside of the enterprise bargaining arrangements. As I have suggested, there were both operational and executive staff present.

As I understand it, the Post-it note that you have identified has not been authored; it does not have an author attached to it and it is not possible to know necessarily how it came to be attributed to that particular column against any other. But, as I say, the department is committed to paying a fair day's wage for a fair day's work according to the enterprise bargaining process that has been in place for a very long time.

Mr BATTY: I might move to some questions about the SAPOL reports now if you want to switch advisers.

The CHAIR: I see the deputy commissioner here, so you can start.

Mr BATTY: I turn to page 314 of the Auditor-General's Report and the heading 'Significant events and transactions' which refers to significant increased funding to support SAPOL's relocation from the Thebarton barracks. Can the minister advise what the final total amount of that significant increased funding was and whether all business units have now relocated?

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: I thank the shadow minister for the question. It is an important one. As the shadow minister is aware, the management of the new hospital and, of course, the relocation of the barracks is a process informed both by central government decision-making and subsequent agency decisions in order to ensure, in a South Australia Police context, that there is relocation and, indeed, improvement of certain facilities.

I am advised that the South Australia Police contribution to date is $150.056 million. I think the house has, on an earlier occasion in a separate context, been informed about a cost of approximately $160 million, so for the purposes of assisting the shadow minister I indicate that I am advised on this occasion that the contribution is $150.056 million, at least at the time of the reporting that is available to me now. I suppose you can look at different forecasts, whether received from Treasury or whether it comes from the health department and so on, about other aspects of the project.

Mr BATTY: Are you able to advise how much of that amount was for the mounted brigade staging area in the city and whether that project is now complete?

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: As I have indicated, the specific project allocation for South Australia Police to date, on the information I am presently advised, is $150.056 million. Without intending to frustrate the shadow minister, the question probably roams terrain outside the Auditor-General's Report and so I refer the shadow minister to my previous answer.

Mr BATTY: Perhaps just confining myself to the period of the report then which, of course, refers to the significant investment in the relocation from the Thebarton barracks, was the project for the mounted brigade staging area in the city completed during this audit year? Was there an expected timeline for it? I am just trying to ascertain whether that is all done now.

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: At the relevant conclusion of the reporting period, financial year end, the specific aspect of the project to which the shadow minister refers was yet to be completed.

Mr BATTY: Was there a completed expectation date at that time? Was it anticipated that the staging area would be completed after the Gepps Cross barracks project and the relocation of the mounted brigade and, if so, where were the horses being staged in the city in the meantime?

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: As I earlier indicated, these questions go to significant matters that obviously are relevant to the portfolio but are well outside the scope of the Auditor-General's inquiry. They could easily be put in question time any day; I would welcome them in that context. I think I will refer to my earlier answer in relation to the Auditor-General's Report.

Mr BATTY: Very well. I will move to some drier questions, then. I turn to the financial statement, page 21, supplies and services. There are two in particular I want to briefly look at, first employee programs and housing subsidies. There has been a reduction in expenditure on employee programs and housing subsidies in the audit year. Why, and does that have an impact on police recruitment and retention activities?

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: The shadow minister has, it would appear, homed in on or examined an apparent change in financial outcome of perhaps less than 1 per cent. I am informed that there is no change in policy that informs a change of less than 1 per cent; it is simply informed by the decisions that might have been made in that period in order to provide support, as may have been necessary in that category. As I say, there has been no change in policy so there is no departure from other arrangements to support staff in that way.

Mr BATTY: But don't you think there should be a change in policy? What are some examples of these employee programs and housing subsidies that, on the face of it, have decreased and certainly have not increased at a time when we see one in three South Australian police officers considering leaving the force in the next three years? Why are we not actively investing in employee programs and subsidies?

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: I thank the shadow minister for the question. I understand the government-assisted housing program is managed by DIT. We anticipate, of course, with additional recruitment that we will need to rely further on that program and we look forward to South Australia Police having those conversations with DIT in the months and years to come.

Mr BATTY: So are you as minister advocating for an increase in that budget line?

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: I thank the shadow minister for the question. As I say, the housing program is managed by DIT on an as-needs basis. We are engaged in a very substantial recruitment program which has both a domestic element and an international element. As the demand for housing increases, I have full confidence that those conversations will occur as between South Australia Police and DIT. In terms of the government's policy agenda, as I say that roams terrain that falls well outside of the Auditor-General's Report.

Mr BATTY: What portion of this line item was spent in regional areas?

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: I am advised that the majority of the program funds are used in regional areas but, once again, I think it bears repeating that the program is delivered by DIT rather than South Australia Police. South Australia Police is an agency accessing the program, and I have indicated that of course there are substantial recruitment efforts underway. We certainly want to ensure that we are supporting those recruitment efforts and, as I have indicated, I am quite sure that conversations will occur between South Australia Police and DIT at an officer level to ensure that there is additional housing provided when those conversations are necessary.

Mr BATTY: I go to the next line item down where there is a much bigger difference. Temporary agency staff and contractors has had a very substantial increase in the audit year. Why is this, and are you able to provide a breakdown of those temporary staff and contractors engaged?

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: It is a very good question. There is, I am informed, a significant variance year on year in terms of the programs that might need additional contractor or other support. It will not surprise the shadow minister to know that quite often the additional procurement of services and specialists services is informed by the need to access additional IT expertise. Some of the programs that might require that support include implementing changes to the firearms register or, indeed, seen through the implementation of the National Firearms Register as is informed by commonwealth arrangements. I am saying these are examples, not necessarily precise examples, relating to this particular year.

As well, of course, there may be the need to take the expert assistance of outside professionals to support change to programming in the Expiation Notice Branch and, of course, the shadow minister will be familiar with the government's policy position in relation to mobile phone detection cameras and the need to ensure there is potentially outside expertise, including IT expertise, to provide the programs and technology that is back of house of those particular programs.

I think it probably illustrates how it is that there can be, as I said at the outset, a considerable fluctuation year on year. As well, that fluctuation can be informed by contract commencement or conclusion.

Mr BATTY: Thank you, minister. I have a number of other questions on this portfolio area but I might give the floor to the member for Chaffey, if I can, who has some questions on emergency services.

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: Certainly. I just might confirm through the Chair that there are no further questions to SA Police, because I will release our executives. Very well; what we might do is momentarily substitute our officers.

Mr WHETSTONE: My questions are for SAFECOM, on page 327. Under audit findings and protective clothing, it states that SA CFS compliance levels for cleaning personal protective equipment are still low compared to last year. Were any steps taken to address the compliance in the last 12 months?

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: The shadow minister may be aware that the CFS is the first of the volunteer agencies that is seeking to ensure that protective clothing can be laundered to the same standard as the Metropolitan Fire Service. As the shadow minister will appreciate, the complexity of that task is significant. There are over 400 sites that are relevant to the contract, and there are 250 collection sites.

I am advised that, despite the large number of collection sites, we are having some success in ensuring that equipment, particularly personal protective equipment, is laundered to the MFS standard. It is also necessary, of course, for there to be a change in the way in which CFS volunteers engage with that process. I think it has probably been, it is right to say, sometimes a badge of honour to have a uniform that bears the marks of service. Accordingly, we are encouraging a change in approach to the laundering of these types of items.

The shadow minister will be aware that there can be certain carcinogens that are deposited onto personal protective equipment, and it is absolutely essential that this contract be in place to support the government's intention to allow for collection across those sites. To use, for example, certain remote sites to illustrate the point, there is a challenge in returning some of that equipment to sites.

Mr WHETSTONE: The audit mentions that these cleaning services are critical to firefighters' safety as they involve decontaminating carcinogens and other contaminations. Between the department volunteers and the contractor, who is responsible for any illness firefighters may suffer from these compliance issues?

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: I thank the shadow minister for the question. I am informed, as the Country Fire Service has moved to the mandatory laundering of rural fire service protective equipment, as compared to fire service protective equipment that is used for structure fires, not every agency has taken that particular step, but it is an important one.

It involved, as I earlier alluded to, a change of management piece in terms of the way in which volunteers engage with the agency and with those contracted to provide the service. It is an important change. It is one that, obviously, SAFECOM and the CFS support, but as I have earlier indicated as well, this is the first of our volunteer agencies that is taking a step towards a mandatory laundering process to the same standard as the Metropolitan Fire Service.

The CHAIR: The time available to examine this part of the Auditor's report—

Mr Whetstone: Sir, you were going to give us five minutes.

The CHAIR: I did give you five minutes. We stopped the clock, so you did not lose any time. We did stop the clock, and we started again. That is why I said that it was unlikely we would come back to the member for Bragg given that you only had five minutes left.

Mr Whetstone: It is sad.

The CHAIR: It is sad, yes. The committee has further considered the Auditor-General's Report 2023-24 and has completed its examination of ministers on matters contained therein.