SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SCHOOL FOR VISION IMPAIRED

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT (15:09): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking questions of the minister representing the Minister for Education regarding the South Australian School for Vision Impaired.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT: The South Australian School for Vision Impaired (or SASVI, as it is known) is the state's specialist educational institution for young people with vision impairment. There are, according to information released to me under the Freedom of Information Act, currently 27 teachers at SASVI. In January this year, 29 SASVI staff attended the South Pacific Educators in Vision Impairment Biennial Conference held at the Rendezvous Hotel in Auckland, New Zealand. My questions to the minister are:

1. Who paid for the travel, accommodation and conference registration of this trip?

2. Was the minister aware of the travel of these employees?

3. Who approved the travel of the SASVI staff?

4. What was the registration cost per delegate?

5. How has the conference directly benefited South Australian children with vision impairment?

6. Did any DECD departmental staff attend the conference?

7. Did any partners and/or family members accompany staff to the conference? If so, were any accommodation costs paid by DECD recovered from SASVI staff, partners or family members?

8. Did SASVI staff produce a report based on their attendance at the conference? If so, who can access that report?

9. Will DECD or SASVI be sponsoring a visit to Australia by Mr Patrick Pink from the Homai College in New Zealand? If so, when, at what cost, and for what purpose?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (15:11): I thank the honourable member for her important question about travel costs and conference registration for a conference in New Zealand for staff of the South Australian School for Vision Impaired. I undertake to take those many questions on notice to the minister in the other place and bring back a response.