SERVICE SA, MARION

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA (15:26): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Government Enterprises a question about the Marion customer service centre.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA: Service SA provides the South Australian community with a one-stop contact point for government information and services through an integrated network of shop, call centre and online delivery channels. Will the minister advise the council of progress on the customer service centre upgrade at Marion?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (15:26): I thank the honourable for his most important question. Service SA provides a single access point to government information and service through an integrated network of phone, face-to-face and online service delivery channels. The Service SA network includes things like regional customer service centres, metropolitan customer service centres, rural agents, customer contact or call centres, which includes the government switchboard, and also the government services gateway website.

Service SA strives to provide its customers with options for accessing a range of different services, products and information across all government agencies. To deliver this, Service SA continues to look at how it can best present its customer service centres to facilitate the provision of information in a timely and friendly way. To this end, Service SA and DTEI are managing the upgrade of the Marion Service SA customer service centre. The new site is to be located within the new building development at Marion, which is due for completion by 31 March 2011.

The fit-out of the new centre will include nine over-the-counter terminals and six virtual call centre seats. Virtual call centre technology enables staff to shift between serving customers over the counter and providing assistance over the phone, depending on fluctuations in demand, so it affords greater flexibility in service delivery. Not only will this new centre contribute to providing access to government information and services for the local community, it will also be able to field questions from across South Australia as part of that virtual call centre.

The total budget for the initiative is $1.4 million. In 2009-10 the necessary development approvals were obtained and a lease agreement was drawn up for the customer service centre's new location. In addition, I am advised that the concept design for the building fit-out is well advanced and nearing completion. I am pleased to advise that the site works commenced in August 2010 and the project is well on its way to meet the projected completion timetable. It is anticipated that Service SA will relocate the Marion customer service centre to new premises around April 2011, providing customers and staff with upgraded facilities and an enhanced service delivery environment.