RIVERLAND SUSTAINABLE FUTURES FUND

The Hon. J.S. LEE (14:58): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Regional Development a question regarding the Riverland Sustainable Futures Fund.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: In a press release issued by the minister on 17 December 2012 the minister said that some of the remaining funds in the Riverland Sustainable Futures Fund would be held over to leverage federal funding for the Murray-Darling Basin Regional Economic Diversification Program. In yesterday's press release the minister confirmed once again, by stating in her press release:

As previously announced, the remainder of the RSFF will be held over in an attempt to leverage additional federal funding to deliver even greater benefits to the region.

My questions are:

1. Was the Riverland community consulted on the decision to use part of the fund to leverage money from the federal government?

2. Exactly how much of the futures fund will be utilised in this way?

3. Will the minister offer a guarantee that, as promised earlier by the government, the full $20 million of the futures fund will be allocated to projects in the Riverland?

4. Will the businesses that were previously denied funding be eligible to apply to the Murray-Darling Basin Regional Economic Diversification Program and, if successful, receive support from the futures fund?

5. In the event that the government is unsuccessful in leveraging federal money, will the minister reopen the Riverland Sustainable Futures Fund to applications from Riverland businesses?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (15:00): I am almost speechless; not quite but almost. I do not know of anyone who would not embrace the doubling of their money. I cannot imagine who would knock back or want to put further red tape obstacles in the way of gaining more money—more money—and they want us to go out and consult. 'Excuse me, do you want more money for your region?' It just absolutely beggars belief.

Here we have an opportunity from the Murray-Darling Basin Regional Economic Diversification Program, something like $100 million of commonwealth money, an opportunity to leverage money from that, so if we take a dollar out of the futures fund the commonwealth match it with a dollar and the recipient (the project proposal from the Riverland) matches it as well. At the moment, we have the state government putting in a dollar and the recipient putting in a dollar.

This is just an opportunity which says that instead of it being one government dollar, the commonwealth will put a dollar in and double the money—it doubles the government contribution. It beggars belief that the Liberal opposition wants us to go out and crawl through more red tape to access that money. This was a golden opportunity that came along which was unforeseen. We still had moneys in that fund and here was an opportunity where instead of delivering, say, five of the projects that are in the pipeline for the Riverland we might be able to fund 10 of those projects.

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: Over what time period, though?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: 'Over what time period?'—it beggars belief. I have said right from the outset, 'We just want to throw money at the Riverland; that is what we want. That is what a Labor government wants to do, just throw money at the Riverland.' It is just incredible. This government has contributed $20 million to the Riverland to assist it through a really tough time. People there were very hard done by because of the drought and we said that we would commit that $20 million over a four-year period for projects in the Riverland dealing with investments, sustainability, business growth, etc. We have stuck with that. We have honoured that. We have committed $15 million.

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: No, you haven't.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: The Hon. John Dawkins is just wrong.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: He is completely wrong. We have signed up agreements to spend $15 million worth of money in the Riverland. That has all been signed up.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: Where's the other five?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Duh! Spare me! Listen to your own member, the Hon. Jing Lee. The $5 million outstanding we want to leverage additional commonwealth money to spend back in the Riverland.

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: You want to delay.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: I have given clear commitments. We intend to commit the money in the same four-year period to the—

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins interjecting:

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: The Hon. John Dawkins is just wrong. He is misrepresenting me in this place. He is totally inaccurate and totally wrong. Go to the records.

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins interjecting:

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: You have been caught out! You are wrong and you are misleading this place. Go back and look at the records. Go on radio. I am on the public record making it very clear, interview after interview, that $20 million will be committed over the same four-year period, all moneys will be spent in the Riverland for the same purposes as originally intended—investment, invigoration, diversity, etc. Nothing has changed. God forbid, nothing has changed, and I put that on the record months ago. Nothing has changed, except we want to double our money, double the government contribution to spend in the Riverland. The Liberals do not want us to do that. That is how silly they are. That is how hell-bent they are on being negative. They do not want us to double government spending in the Riverland to help this district. They do not want us to do it. As I said, it beggars belief.