Legislative Council Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2) 53 2 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Northern Economic Plan Northern Economic Plan The Hon. R.I. LUCAS Legislative Council Northern Economic Plan The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:11): I seek leave to make a brief explanation prior to directing a question to the Leader of the Government on the subject of the Northern Economic Plan. Leave granted. The Hon. R.I. LUCAS Legislative Council The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: As members will be aware, the government and the minister announced the Northern Economic Plan in January this year with the promise, a commitment, of 15,000 jobs. I understand the minister and the government are very excited as it is may well be they are in train to fulfilling the first job out of those 15,000. There was a recent advertisement for a senior executive position in the Department of State Development for the position of strategic coordinator for the Northern Economic Plan. The advertisement says, in part: The position of strategic co-ordinator for the Northern Economic Plan is a joint initiative of DSD and the Cities of Playford, Salisbury and Port Adelaide Enfield. Further on in the advertisement it says that the strategic coordinator, this senior executive position, will report to the Northern Economic and Social Implementation Board which, up until last week, was still to be appointed. My questions to the Leader of the Government are: 1.	Is this position of the strategic co-ordinator wholly funded by the state government and the Department of State Development, or is the jointly funded with the local government areas that are listed in the advertisement? 2.	Given that the Department of State Development coordinates, handles or reports to five separate ministers, can the minister indicate which of the five ministers will have line responsibility for the Northern Economic and Social Implementation Board and the senior executive position of strategic coordinator? The Hon. K.J. MAHER Legislative Council Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy 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) (15:13): I thank the honourable member for his question and his very strong interest in the Northern Economic Plan. In relation to funding for such a position, I will have to check that. This is a position within the department. I do not get myself involved in every single position within every single department. I am happy to go away and find an answer in relation to that question. I know that many areas of the Northern Economic Plan are being supported jointly by the councils and the state government. In relation to this one particular position, I will be very happy to go away and find out an answer about the exact nature of how that position is funded. I know there is much work going on within state government working very closely with the three councils involved in the Northern Economic Plan. In relation to this particular position, I am happy to take it on notice and find out an answer. In relation to the administrative arrangements for the Northern Economic Plan, I have ministerial responsibility for those.