Question Time

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 relating to the Riverland Sustainable Futures Fund.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: The Riverland Sustainable Futures Fund was announced in February 2010 and aimed to boost community and economic development by offering $20 million to businesses. With $5.1 million remaining in the fund in December 2012, minister Gago announced that unallocated money would be used to leverage federal funding through the $100 million Murray-Darling Basin Regional Economic Diversification Program. My questions to the minister are:

1. Will the remaining $5.1 million be leveraged from the $100 million Murray-Darling Basin Regional Economic Diversification Program as announced in December 2012, or will it be leveraged from the $265 million River Murray Improvement Program as suggested by the minister in estimates this week?

2. When will the remaining $5.1 million be available?

3. Can the minister advise how many Riverland Sustainable Futures Fund businesses have not yet claimed approved funds?

4. Can the minister provide certainty in funding commitment to the Riverland's business community?

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Ridgway will begin to relax.

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 can't answer the question. He is interjecting, Mr President, so I couldn't possibly proceed with my answer while he is interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: Try to ignore him like I do.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Thank you for your advice, Mr President. It is an easy thing to do.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: It is very easy to ignore the Hon. David Ridgway, I have to say. Indeed, as I have indicated in this place on a number of occasions and on many parts of the public record, this government has committed to a $20 million Riverland Sustainable Futures Fund, a series of grants to be made available to the Riverland region. It was in response to the devastating impact that the drought had on that region. They were particularly disadvantaged by that drought, so it was to assist that community to get back on its feet to help inject business and industry and diversification. Those funds—

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

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Well, you keep coming back into this place—the opposition keep coming to this—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: —and they keep asking the same old questions over and over again. They keep coming in here time and time again and then they complain when I give them the same information because it is the same old question. I give accurate and concise information every single time—$20 million for the Riverland, over the four-year period, we are still committed to that time frame. We are still well within that time frame.

The money will be committed to generate this economic activity in this region, so our intentions for the way we spend that money, we are still committed to those intentions, nothing has changed. The only thing that has changed is—goodness gracious me—we have the ability to double the government contribution to the remainder of the fund. Double our money! That is what is before us. We have an opportunity to double our money and what did the local member, Tim Whetstone, say on radio today? He doesn't want to wait around to double our money. No, just grab what is in the fund and spend it now, he says. What an idiot! What an irresponsible fool! How irresponsible is that, to deny his electorate of doubling government—

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: He knows more about his electorate than you do.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: He does not. He is an embarrassment to the electorate. Every time I go there they apologise for him.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Every time I visit I have these people come and apologise, 'We are so sorry.'

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: 'We are so sorry for Mr Whetstone's behaviour.' He is an embarrassment to them. Fancy being that irresponsible to say, no, we'll just grab what is out of the fund, grab what is there and spend it now. Don't double your money. There is a potential here for us to double our money out of the fund and to leverage what is left of that fund. As I said, the intention is to commit within the same time frame as we always have for the same sorts of projects that we have always intended to spend it on. But no, the Liberals don't want that, they don't want to double the money. It is just irresponsible. I am out there doing the work of Tim Whetstone because he is too lazy and indifferent to look after his own region.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!