SA Water Bills

Mr TELFER (Flinders) (14:48): My question is again to the Minister for Small Business. Did the minister undertake any modelling with respect to the impact of the government's water bill increase on small businesses and, if so, what was the overall impact?

The Hon. N.D. CHAMPION (Taylor—Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Minister for Housing Infrastructure, Minister for Planning) (14:48): What we looked at when we were looking at water bills is to moderate the increases against what the demands were. What we needed, as the Premier and the Treasurer outlined to you, and what should have been blindingly obvious to the opposition is not only did you not release enough land when you were in government but you did not put in any water infrastructure.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. N.D. CHAMPION: You did not put any water infrastructure, and in fact what you engaged in was the ultimate false economy.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. N.D. CHAMPION: Just listen. You engaged in the ultimate false—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Flinders, you have asked your question. Listen to the answer or you will be listening to it from your office.

The Hon. N.D. CHAMPION: You all engaged in the ultimate false economy, which is to artificially lower water bills because you didn't put any infrastructure in place. What good is that to the average person on the street or the average business person if your housing prices are going through the roof because there is no greenfield front under the previous Liberal government? What we have done is put in a moderate increase, a sensible increase in water prices, to pay for infrastructure.

If you look at the $1.5 billion worth of infrastructure that we are putting in the ground, six and a half thousand metres of that pipe is already in the ground. If you go to Supple Road, if you go to Angle Vale Road, Petherton, Heytesbury, Bishopstone, Woodford roads, if you go to Craigmore Road, if you go up to Sandy Creek, if you go to any of these places, you can see pipes going in the ground. Where are they going in the ground for? For Roseworthy, for Riverlea, so that we can expand housing supply. All of you opposite did none of that—you did none of that.

Mr TEAGUE: Point of order. This is all very interesting but it's contrary to standing order 98(a). The question goes to modelling of a price increase. Was there modelling done? The answer is debating the point about water infrastructure generally. The question goes to modelling.

The SPEAKER: I would have thought if you are going to model anything you have to look at the situation and I think the minister is explaining the situation that they faced when the modelling needed to be done, and part of that situation was based on what had happened in four years of the previous government. I think, from my listening to what the minister is saying, he is on track with his answer. Minister.

The Hon. N.D. CHAMPION: I am just trying to alert the opposition to the consequences of not putting infrastructure in the ground. It's completely reasonable to say—and I have found that whenever I have talked to people they're happy this infrastructure is going in the ground, they're happy that new-home buyers can get a chance to buy their part of the great Australian dream. Because as the Premier points out, you can't build a home—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Infrastructure is warned for a final time.

The Hon. N.D. CHAMPION: —if you don't have a sewer and water network and I am telling you all the places we are putting the infrastructure in. There it is for you. It's very, very clear. Now, a bit of good news: in the last 12 months, SA Water has executed 152 Development Agreement Formal Instruments (DAFIs) for a record number of 5,350 allotments. That's the consequence: if you put more infrastructure in the ground, you can release more allotments and that means more homes. That is good for the state economy, it's good for every small business, every big business and every homebuyer.