RIVERLAND SUSTAINABLE FUTURES FUND

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:36): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Regional Development questions regarding the Riverland Sustainable Futures Fund.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: In February 2010 the Labor government announced a $20 million Riverland Sustainable Futures Fund to assist the region in recovery from drought. In the following years the guidelines to access the fund have continually changed. After the last announcement of $1.2 million to a local business in February this year, the minister said that $5 million would be held over to leverage federal funding from the Murray-Darling Basin Regional Economic Diversification Program. My questions are:

1. Has the $5 million Riverland sustainable futures funding been quarantined by the Department of Treasury and Finance?

2. Can the minister give the council an assurance that the Riverland will have full access to the remaining futures funding?

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) (14:37): I have to say that it is really just appalling, the quality of questions by the opposition. I have answered this question several times in this place. It is on the record—absolutely, categorically on the record—in terms of our commitment to this fund.

They are lazy, Mr President; the opposition is bone lazy. My commitment regarding those funds is categorically on the record, and I refuse to waste the time of this chamber yet again. The Hon. Stephen Wade can get off his tail and for once actually read Hansard and listen to the responses given, because it is there—several times—on the record.