Buckland Park Development

The Hon. S.G. WADE (15:33): My question is for the Minister for Water and the River Murray. Given the extensive damage from recent flooding in the Northern Adelaide Plains, will the government now concede that its plans for urban growth at Buckland Park will create a potential localised flood disaster area, and what action will the government take?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (15:33): It sounds to me like this was a question that was written very quickly and hastily, and directed at the minister that is not responsible for the portfolio area that the Hon. Mr Wade is seeking an answer to.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: If you listen to his question, and I'm sure none of you did, because you don't usually do that in this place, you would have heard that he was talking about questions related to planning and development out at Buckland Park. He segued into it, of course, on the back—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: —on the back of recent flooding. Of course, it's well known that that area is prone to flooding: it's known as a flood plain.

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: Holloway should never have done it and you know that.

The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister has the floor.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: We have a number of interjections from Liberals opposite who have really been caught out; they do not have a question to ask so they have hastily written one and addressed it to the wrong minister. That is not unusual for the Liberals; they are totally disorganised in this place and in the other place, so I am not surprised.

The Hon. Mr Wade asked if the planning decision taken in terms of the area known as Buckland Park, to zone it for potential housing development, was an error in light of recent flooding. That would perhaps be the case if it were not known, previous to the decision, that it was subject to planning. This is a floodplain area, and people knew that. Indeed, I would expect, as I have answered recently with regard to a similar question, that when it comes down to the proper council processes that have to be gone through in terms of any development application—

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister has the floor.

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: He doesn't know what he is talking about.

The PRESIDENT: It is inappropriate for you to make that sort of comment. Minister, finish your answer.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I would, Mr President, if honourable members opposite would cease interjecting into the well-informed commentary that I was offering to the chamber. These issues will be attended to in any application for a development; they would have to be. I could not imagine any knowledgeable buyer wanting to buy property or houses in such an area if they were not assured that the issues to do with flooding would be managed appropriately by the developer.