ADELAIDE WELLBEING INSTITUTE

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:03): I seek leave to make an explanation before asking the minister representing the Premier a question on the subject of the $7 million Jay Weatherill Labor government wellbeing institute.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: As members will be aware, a well-sourced cabinet leak this week of a submission from the Premier himself sought 'to build South Australia as the State of Wellbeing by providing positive psychology measurement and training to all children and teachers and establishing the Adelaide Wellbeing Institute'. That submission sought funding of $7 million for this wellbeing strategy and, amongst other things, sought to make Adelaide and South Australia a leader for the Asian region in wellbeing, as well as ensuring that South Australian citizens have regular exposure to the latest wellbeing science.

It included, in its $7 million budget request, a retreat on 'The Science of the Imagination', to take place on Kangaroo Island which, I am sure you will be pleased to hear, Mr President, will be followed by three public lectures on the science of the imagination. It includes a variety of initiatives including the health, community services and education portfolios in particular, and a number of other portfolios as well. As I said, the budget bid is for $7 million but the submission makes it clear that considerable funding has already been expended on this wellbeing strategy championed by the Premier himself. My questions are:

1. How much taxpayers' money has been spent thus far on the Jay Weatherill Labor government's $7 million wellbeing strategy and, in particular, how much money has been spent thus far on the pilot program between the Department for Education and Child Development and the University of Adelaide involving online measurement tools; and how much funding in particular on the pilot involving the Department for Education and Child Development involving the development of a research unit delivering the middle years development index, incorporating the work of Dr Seligman on PERMA?

2. How much funding has been expended thus far on the development of the wellbeing curricula within the Department for Education and Child Development, and how much funding, if any, has been expended on a four-month investigation building upon the work of the UK economist, Lord Richard Layard?

3. How much money has been spent thus far on the development of the first wellbeing activating hub for community wellbeing involving intervention programs in the Mount Barker community, involving the Mount Barker High School and its six feeder schools, and involving mental health and community health providers in the Mount Barker region?

4. How much funding, if any, has been spent thus far on the retreat on Kangaroo Island on the science of the imagination and the three related public lectures?

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) (15:07): I thank the honourable member for his important questions and will refer them to the Premier in another place and bring back a response.