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. J.M.A. LENSINK Legislative Council Northern Economic Plan The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (14:25): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before directing a question to the Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills regarding the Northern Economic Plan. Leave granted. The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK Legislative Council The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Despite the Northern Economic Plan being launched in January last year, northern Adelaide continues to lag behind the rest of the state in employment and jobs growth. Honourable members may recall that last week, in response to a question to him about how many jobs had been created by the Northern Economic Plan, the minister's technical answer was, and I quote, 'Lots.' My questions for the minister are: 1.	Does he stand by the figures which are in the Look North document? 2.	Given the benefit of one week, will the minister update on the actual number of jobs that have been created, rather than just simply saying, 'Lots'? 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) (14:25): I thank the honourable member for her questions and her interest in these matters generally. I am pleased to be able to report to the chamber that, in the year to the December quarter 2016, 2,800 more northern Adelaide residents became employed; furthermore, an estimated 2,556 jobs are projected to be created from Northern Economic Plan projects currently underway. The NDIS is forecast to create just under 2,000 jobs in northern Adelaide, and the Northern Adelaide Irrigation Scheme is estimated to create almost an additional 4,000 jobs in and around Adelaide's northern suburbs. So, there are a range of projects—a range of things—that the Northern Economic Plan has a watching brief over that are creating jobs, and, as I have said, in the year to the December quarter 2016, 2,800 more northern Adelaide residents became employed.