Leigh Creek

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (14:45): My questions are to the Minister for Employment. Minister, what is the status of Leigh Creek township, what is happening with infrastructure in Leigh Creek, and what does the minister see as the future for Leigh Creek?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:45): I thank the honourable member for his question and his always keen interest in regional affairs matters in South Australia. The government has been consulting with the Leigh Creek community, and the Upper Spencer Gulf and outback areas more generally, about what the future will hold for that area. There was a request for information process that I understand has closed, and all the ideas that have been put forward—particularly for the future of Leigh Creek—will be assessed.

I can let the honourable member know that the ideas have included further tourism opportunities, and there are obvious tourism opportunities in that part of the Flinders Ranges. We see places like the Prairie Hotel at Parachilna, and there is the caravan park and obviously the hotel complex in Leigh Creek that could lend themselves to those sorts of opportunities. From time to time there has been a film industry in and around that area, with companies using it for sets. The airport is a fantastic facility just outside Leigh Creek, one of the biggest airports of its type in Australia, and people have suggested future uses for that.

A number of companies have also expressed interest in the coal resource that is still at Leigh Creek. Although Alinta found it was not viable to continue its operations mining the coal and using it to generate power at the Northern Power Station at Port Augusta, there are other companies that have expressed some interest, and we will support their endeavours and see if anything comes of that. I will inform the honourable member once the government has finished that request for information process.

In terms of the township itself, there are some significant assets in that town. I have talked about the hotel complex, and there is also the sporting club and recreational facilities, the swimming pool, the tennis courts. It is a very well-planned town which has, for many years, supported a thriving community. I know that in the next few weeks many members of cabinet will be up in that area and will be visiting Leigh Creek to hear firsthand from some of the locals.

Certainly the area is a major service hub. It supports towns like Copley, Nepabunna and Lyndhurst as well as pastoral areas further north, as many people have already told us and we will keep that in mind when we look at the very long-term future of Leigh Creek. However, the government has committed to keeping those essential government services, the school and the police services that are there, at least up until mid-2018, and Alinta has a responsibility to keep their services ongoing while we continue to work with residents and people who want to stay there and people who want to see if there are business opportunities there beyond that time.