Legislative Council Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1) 52 1 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Planning and Local Government Department PLANNING AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS Legislative Council PLANNING AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (15:14): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for State/Local Government Relations a question about resourcing of the Department of Planning and Local Government. Leave granted. The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS Legislative Council The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: Over a period of many months, councils across regional South Australia have raised with me concerns about the delays being experienced in the processing of statements of intent and development plan amendments by the Department of Planning and Local Government (DPLG). I understand that a serious backlog of statements of intent and DPAs to be processed by DPLG remains and that there appears to be no priority for the processing of DPAs from areas outside the 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide. A number of regional local government associations have made their frustrations about these delays well known to the government by way of correspondence to the Premier and ministers and to officers through their regular regional meetings. My questions are: 1.	As a former local government elected member, is the minister aware of the difficulties experienced by many councils as a result of delays in the processing of DPAs? 2.	What action will the minister take in support of these councils and the regional LGAs which represent them? 3.	Will he ensure that the DPLG has the resources it needs to clear this backlog? The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY Legislative Council Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (15:16): I would like to thank the honourable member for his important questions. First of all, I do not have any control of the finances of the department of planning. The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins Legislative Council The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: No, it is planning and local government. The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY Legislative Council The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: I am not the planning minister. The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins Legislative Council The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: No, but you are the local government minister. The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY Legislative Council The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Okay, but I am the— Members interjecting: The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: Order! Members interjecting: The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: Order! Members interjecting: The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY Legislative Council The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Mr President, the question was directed to me. I have had discussions with many councillors and I have made it quite clear that, if there are any issues that I can help them with, I would only be too pleased for them to call me and I will try to assist in any way I can. It is a question, to a partial extent, to the minister for planning (Hon. Mr Rau) from another place, so I will refer the question to the planning minister.