WUDINNA HOUSING DEVELOPMENT

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:12): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Regional Development a question about regional housing developments in Wudinna.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: On radio last week it was reported on several occasions that the proposed $2.5 billion iron ore mine in Wudinna will see 600 jobs created for the region. However, the town does not have anywhere to house the new employees of the proposed mine. Mr Andrew Stokes, Managing Director of the Iron Road, commented to ABC West Coast SA news that:

We're not particularly keen to pursue the fly-in, fly-out model for employees. Wherever possible we like to employ locally and house locally.

Real estate agent for Wudinna, Ms Elaine Seal, stated on ABC radio on 4 July that she is getting phone calls every day about places to buy or rent in the area. She says there are virtually no houses or rental accommodation to be found as investors and locals prepare for a possible influx.

Mr Tim Scholz from Wudinna District Council believes there will be a lot of growing pains at Wudinna, and to help resolve the issue the council will need to speak to the state government about planning principles. My questions to the minister are:

1. If the $2.5 billion ore mine project does go ahead, how does the government expect to accommodate the influx of workers?

2. Has the government consulted Wudinna District Council and property managers in relation to the issues with the planning rules and regulations of the development plan for the area?

3. How is the Minister for Regional Development preparing neighbouring regional centres for the possible ore mining project?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Public Sector Management, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister for Gambling) (15:13): I thank the honourable member for her most important questions. There is a great deal of opportunity available throughout South Australia, particularly for a number of our regional centres, to benefit from the mining and resources boom—or we are on the cusp of a boom; I don't think we are allowed to say that it is quite a boom yet.

Nevertheless, there are enormous opportunities on our doorstep because we are rich in those primary mineral products, other precious sands and other deposits, so we have a rate of exploration occurring thought South Australia like never before, and the number of mines that have opened up and are mining again equate to an exponential increase. There is an enormous potential for wealth to be generated across the state, particularly to be captured by regional centres.

I also accept that with those opportunities are challenges, because communities are looking—many of them for the first time in many decades—at population growth and possible explosion, whereas in the past they have been facing diminishing populations and reducing sizes of their communities and service structures. The tide has turned and we are now faced with a different set of problems, if you like, which of course provides, as I said, a great deal more positive opportunity for growth and investment in our regional centres.

Indeed, Wudinna, is a beautiful place. I know it is a bit of a contradiction, really, because when you go out and visit Wudinna you pass through vast areas of pastoral land and it is very difficult to understand when one hears statements such as there is no room for extra housing in Wudinna. It is a vast space. The issue is not that there is not land available. As I said, Eyre Peninsula is indeed a very vast peninsula. The issue is about planning and appropriate zoning: that is the issue. They are challenges for us and they are challenges that involve the local council and our planning and development agencies.

I have been advised that just recently the Eyre Peninsula regional plan was released. Again, work has been done right throughout South Australia to develop these regional plans to address some of the very challenges that the Hon. Jing Lee has raised here today; that is, to assist regions to plan and equip themselves to be ready to maximise every opportunity in relation to some of the potential growth and development in our mining and resources areas.

We see that that planning is already well advanced, and that involves very extensive community consultation at local council level, RDA level, etc. It also involves discussion and consideration across government agencies, and information is fed in so that these plans are quite comprehensive. Recently I announced extra funding for an upgrade of the Port Lincoln airport. We need to be able to maximise facilities there.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: We are talking about mining opportunities. We are talking about being able to fly in services and other support structures to be able to assist building, development and growth and, of course, Port Lincoln is the largest, nearest airport to that. We have commitments there.

We have also seen the federal government committing over $1 billion through the RDA structure to regional sustainable growth and development. Those regions like the Eyre Peninsula and the Wudinna area are in exactly the right place to be applying for these sorts of grants to assist them to meet these future challenges. Over $1 billion is going to be offered: $100 million has just been recently put on the table—$100 million worth of grants. I think the Thevenard port and Port Lincoln—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Mr President, if they would just let me finish.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: I am referring to the only RDA grant proposals that came from Eyre Peninsula. There were none from Wudinna. The closest, in terms of the grant proposals from Eyre Peninsula, if my memory serves me—I think there were only two—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: I might stand corrected, and I will check my facts.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Lee would like to learn something. If the rest of the opposition doesn't, it is up to them to be quiet.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: I will check my facts. There was one to do with the Port Lincoln airport and the other one was to do with Thevenard. There is an opportunity that could have been maximised but clearly was not at this point in time. Let us hope that for the next grant proposal there are some applications from Wudinna and those local councils to assist them with these opportunities.

Of course, in the Upper Spencer Gulf area we know that additional funding has been made available to assist in developing particular industries to help support mining and to enable the service support and structures within that area to be able to support mining development. You can see that this state government, along with the federal government and local government, have done a great deal. There are a number of opportunities in place to assist not only Wudinna but all regions to maximise opportunities around the mining boom.