UPPER SPENCER GULF

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:30): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Regional Development questions relating to the Upper Spencer Gulf memorandum of understanding.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: On Wednesday 25 September 2012 at Whyalla, representatives of the commonwealth, the state of South Australia and the Local Government Association signed a memorandum of understanding for a place-based approach to the Upper Spencer Gulf. This initiative is intended to support regional development in the Upper Spencer Gulf by developing and prioritising key projects for the region.

Under the MOU, the Minister for Regional Development is responsible for providing leadership and coordination with respect to South Australia's commitment under this memorandum. My questions are:

1. Can the minister advise how many meetings have been convened since the signing of the Upper Spencer Gulf MOU in September 2012?

2. Can the minister advise how many of those meetings have been attended by the state Minister for Regional Development?

3. Can the minister provide the details of the names and positions of the state government representatives who have attended the meetings to date?

4. Can the minister confirm if minutes from the meetings of the Upper Spencer Gulf Working Group will be available on PIRSA's website for the public to view?

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) (14:31): I thank the honourable member for his most important questions. Indeed, on 25 September the state and federal governments and the Local Government Association of South Australia signed an MOU in Whyalla to establish a place-based approach to regional development in the Upper Spencer Gulf. The purpose of that place-based approach is to facilitate the development of coordinated, strategic, place-based investment strategies for the USG and associated regions.

A partnership agreement with the federal government to recognise that we have a mutual interest in developing that place-based approach will focus on a holistic view of the region's economy, social and community wellbeing, and also the current and planned significant state, federal, local government and private sector investments.

There are a number of factors arising from that. Whilst endorsement of strategies arising from the place-based approach does not mean a commitment to fund specific projects, nevertheless this approach provides a much more targeted and compelling case for federal government funding, such as the RDA Fund which is $1 billion, and also the Regional Infrastructure Fund which is $4.5 billion. Hopefully, these projects will be able to target some of those funds.

The MOU includes mutual objectives and outcomes sought for the USG and governance arrangements, which includes minister Albanese, myself, local government leaders supported by a working group of officers from the three levels of government, and also local regional development Australian bodies. The governance framework includes:

an Upper Spencer Gulf Alliance, consisting of the federal and state regional development ministers, the president of the LGA SA, the mayors of the three USG cities (Port Pirie, Port Augusta and Whyalla);

an Upper Spencer Gulf Working Party, consisting of the chief executive officers of the three USG city councils, the chief executive officers of the three RDA committees, the executive officers of the relevant regional local government associations, the executive officer of the Upper Spencer Gulf Common Purpose Group, and senior officers from the federal department and PIRSA;

a South Australian reference group, including senior officers from federal agencies with a presence in South Australia, state government agencies, the LGA SA and the three RDAs; and also

a commonwealth reference group, including senior officers from key commonwealth agencies.

The USG Working Group has reviewed the draft place-based strategy development by the DRALGAS, and over 70 initiatives have been prioritised within the five draft action plans. It was agreed that the three USG councils would then further review their local projects and prioritisation process detailed in that draft action plan. PIRSA is, obviously, the leading South Australian government agency inputting into those draft strategy documents and draft action plans.

The USG Alliance held its inaugural meeting here in Adelaide in February to consider and endorse the proposed draft strategy, and I attended that meeting. Further work will be undertaken by the USG Working Group on refining the action plans for each strategy area, articulating the timing, responsibilities and required support.

Whilst, as I said, endorsement of the strategies arising from the place-based approach does not mean a commitment to actually fund the projects identified, it is providing a targeted vehicle for approaching the federal government for funds. As I said, it is quite a complex and extensive governance arrangement in terms of the reference group and the alliance groups, and the number of those meetings I would have to take on notice.

As I said, I am not in charge of this process. It is a process that involves the partnership of three levels of government; we are all equal partners in that. I personally do not have any problems with putting copies of minutes online—I would have assumed that they were—but all partners would need to agree to that. I cannot see any reason they would not, but I am happy to check and, if partners agree, for the minutes of any of those levels of governance to be publicly available—as I said, with the permission of all partners.