Contents
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Commencement
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Parliamentary Committees
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Parliamentary Procedure
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Question Time
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Matters of Interest
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Motions
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Parliamentary Committees
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Motions
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Bills
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Motions
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Bills
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Motions
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Bills
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Environment, Water and Natural Resources Department
The Hon. J.S. LEE (14:49): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation questions about the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources.
Leave granted.
The Hon. J.S. LEE: Reported in the Ombudsman SA's annual report for 2013-14, a complaint was submitted to the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources about a misinformed farmer. The farmer purchased land near a river comprising freehold land and a licence to occupy the land. He was advised by the department that existing rights, including grazing rights, over the land would be transferred to him upon settlement; however, the new licence did not contain grazing rights.
The farmer was not provided any reason for removing the grazing rights from the licence. The investigation found that the department has fallen into error and should have provided the farmer with proper and transparent advice. The department did not make it clear that the decision was a ministerial one. The department failed to provide a clear explanation of the reasons why grazing rights were not granted. My questions to the minister are:
1. Can the minister explain what new policies and procedures have been implemented to ensure that failures of the administrative practices of the department have been addressed?
2. What training has been undertaken for staff to ensure that these types of errors will not occur again?
3. Can the minister explain the cost implications in relation to fixing the problem and reviewing the department's policies and also costs associated with staff training?
The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:50): I thank the honourable member for her most important questions. I do not have those details before me at the moment, so I will need to take those questions on notice and bring back a response.