Legislative Council: Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Contents

Manufacturing Works Review

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:34): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation questions with respect to the Manufacturing Works program.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: In the Budget and Finance Select Committee last week the Department of State Development announced that they would initiate a second review of the Manufacturing Works program. The new review is scheduled to be completed by June this year, yet the department has yet to commission anyone to undertake the review. My questions to the minister are:

1. What was the cost of the first review, which I understand is commonly called the Frost and Sullivan review?

2. How long did that review take to perform?

3. What recommendations from the Frost and Sullivan review have been implemented?

4. Why is the second review going to be finalised after the 2017-18 budget has been finalised?

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) (14:35): I thank the honourable member for his questions in relation to manufacturing programs in South Australia and his questions about the Hon. Andrew McLachlan's favourite piece of work, the Frost and Sullivan review. I know it was a reasonably comprehensive piece of work—the Frost and Sullivan review—that talked to a lot of those early recipients of Manufacturing Works grants programs. I do not have a cost for that, but I will be able to find that out reasonably quickly, I am sure, and bring back an answer for the honourable member.

In relation to a review of the new program, programs are continually assessed on an ongoing basis as to their efficacy from state government support, and I am sure that reviewing current programs will happen as quickly as we possibly can, given other priorities for the work of the Department of State Development.