INNER CITY REVITALISATION

The Hon. M. PARNELL (15:15): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for State/Local Government Relations about state/local government relations.

Leave granted.

The Hon. M. PARNELL: The minister and other members would have perhaps seen in today's version of InDaily the article by Liam Mannix, entitled 'Mayors angry at loss of planning powers'. In this article, Mr Mannix refers to the state government's Inner Metropolitan Growth Development Plan Amendment, which came into force yesterday. The article points out that any development projects that are in the areas rezoned by that DPA that are five storeys or higher will now be assessed by the state government's Development Assessment Commission, rather than by the local council's development assessment panel.

According to the article, mayors in Unley and Norwood say that the first time they heard about this move was when Premier Jay Weatherill announced it at a press conference yesterday. To quote the article:

'We are very unhappy with that,' Unley Mayor Lachlan Clyne said this morning.

Clyne's council area covers Greenhill Rd and Unley Rd, parts of which the State Government's DPA rezones for higher density development.

Another quote from mayor Clyne:

'Councils are the best placed to assess development and the State Government is taking control and the decision-making away from us,'...

Norwood, Payneham and St Peters mayor, Robert Bria, is also referred to in the article. He said that his council was being unfairly tarred as antidevelopment. The quote from mayor Bria in the article was:

'I think that as a matter of good faith they—'

meaning the state government—

'should be giving councils at least an opportunity to see how they go processing applications for that sort of density.'

My questions of the minister are:

1. Before making the announcement yesterday to strip local councils of development assessment responsibility, did the government consult with any local councils about that move?

2. Did the government consult with the Local Government Association and, in particular, did the government consult with the President of the Local Government Association, Mr David O'Loughlin, who also happens to be the Mayor of Prospect, which is another council affected by the DPA, and who also happens to be the director of major projects at the Urban Renewal Authority and also happens to be the Labor candidate for the seat of Adelaide?

3. If Mr O'Loughlin—

The Hon. R.P. Wortley: He will do very, very well. Using parliamentary privilege to attack the integrity of the Local Government Association.

The Hon. M. PARNELL: Parliamentary privilege!

The Hon. R.P. Wortley: How do you live with yourself?

The Hon. M. PARNELL: If I can finish my question free from—

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. M. PARNELL: —the Hon. Mr Wortley's interjections:

3. If Mr O'Loughlin was consulted, was it expected that he would advise the other mayors of the government's proposals, if the government in fact did not consult the other mayors itself?

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) (15:18): I thank the honourable member for his questions and I will refer those to the Minister for Planning in another place and allow him the opportunity to respond to those questions.

I have to say I am surprised at the Greens, although I should not be. The planning that this government has brought into place, and the remodelling that has taken place, is about trying to improve efficiencies, particularly of our infrastructure. It is about increasing residential density and other activity along really important transport corridors and using infill sites to be able to increase and expand to our population needs, rather than urban sprawling, which of course has huge infrastructure costs and greater inefficiencies.

This model helps not only improve the efficiency of our infrastructure but also reduces the reliance on the use of cars and increased public transport. That is the real issue—that is the policy underpinning this, and we get no acknowledgment from the Greens. They don't stand up in this place and acknowledge the important policy work behind these decisions. No, no, he wants to nitpick about consultation. We know a number of these local councils are very protective of any changes to their own backyards, so it is not surprising that we hear the response from some of those councils, as we have.

It is a matter for the Minister for Planning, and I will refer those to him and he will respond as he sees fit. I would like to think that the Greens would at least be acknowledging some of the important policy and environmental values underlying these decisions.