Question Time

AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:19): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries a question about research stations.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: South Australia once led the world in agricultural research. In the Adelaide Hills the primary industries' dairy research station at Flaxley was part of this research. Several years ago there was an Australia-wide reorganisation of primary industry research. As part of that reorganisation South Australia's dairy research was transferred to Victoria, and this state concentrated on research into other agricultural fields—if you will pardon the pun—at other research stations. When it signed the nationwide agreement on the research restructure, the current Labor government agreed that there would be no diminution of the total research effort, there would be no overall cut in funds or the facilities, and the effort would be maintained.

But the Flaxley research station sits unused. It has offices, sheds, laboratory space and a dairy, as well as good water and high quality soils ideally suited for horticulture. There is plenty of space to allow several operations to be based at the site simultaneously. Several businesses have expressed an interest in using the site in a range of industries from food to biotechnology to horticultural training. As the Mount Barker Courier pointed out in 2011, it could be an economic boon for the region.

The council is keen to foster growth of local jobs and to encourage residents to stay in the district for their employment, but the state government has begun the process to sell the land and all the buildings. My questions are:

1. Is it true that the proceeds of this sale will go into consolidated revenue in an attempt to reduce the Weatherill government's catastrophically high state debt?

2. Is this a breach of faith to the agricultural sector in keeping all the funds in the industry?

3. Is the minister simply skimming the cream off the dairy industry, leaving it with a sour taste and spending the money on some other project?

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) (14:20): This government has been very committed to research funding. I have spoken in this place before about our negotiations with the Adelaide University that have been going on for some time, in-depth discussions between parties, and the partnership arrangements that have been entered into whilst we continue to explore various options.

The university and PIRSA are obviously very strongly committed to supporting the formalisation of enhanced research partnership involving both parties, including looking at a model where SARDI can be a discrete entity. That is particularly focused on trying to ensure that it is able to attract as much federal funding as possible, whereas the current structure does not allow full advantage of access to federal funding. We are working very hard on that and we believe that the model that we are looking at has the potential to increase significant access to federal funding, which will be a real boost and a fabulous opportunity for research in this state.

This government has been up-front and very open about the savings initiatives that we have been required to put in place across all agencies, and SARDI is included in that. They are required to make savings. We know that the way we do research has changed significantly over the years and, indeed, we are now working in a cooperative arrangement with the federal government and with other jurisdictions. South Australia now has a national leadership role in poultry and seafood, beef technologies, some pork, national plant biosecurity, sheep, eWater, future farm initiatives and invasive animals, where CRCs here in South Australia are heavily involved.

There are a number of areas that we have been designated lead roles in and areas where we provide significant aspects to research. We now do research in a very different way. The advances in technology have really shaped the way that we do contemporary research and the need for reliance on the old agriculture research stations has lessened over the years. A number of those facilities have become surplus to our requirements. We continue to review and assess our needs to ensure that we are making good use of crown land and also making the most efficient and effective use of our research capacity.

The current arrangement, in terms of the circular requirements for surplus land, I believe is fifty-fifty. I think 50 per cent goes to the agency from any purchase of surplus requirements and 50 per cent goes to Treasury. I believe that would be the arrangement for any land that is deemed surplus to our requirements and might be sold. In relation to SARDI I believe it is the case—that the circular would apply—but I am happy to double-check and make sure that that is so.