Retirement Villages

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY (14:53): My question is to the Treasurer. During the proceedings of the joint committee of inquiry into the valuation and recording of retirement village units, the Valuer-General indicated that a body of work was needed to be completed before the recommendation could be implemented. Can the Treasurer advise whether the Valuer-General has been advised of the government's decision, and has an arrangement been made with the Valuer-General to implement the body of work that needs to be done prior to implementing the government's decision?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:53): I acknowledge the honourable member's ongoing interest in this particular issue on matters that appertain to the work of the Office of the Valuer-General. My advice is that the answer to the honourable member's question is yes, the Valuer-General has been advised. I will certainly get more detail in terms of response to the honourable member. But the government in its recent decisions that were announced in relation to the massive reduction in water prices decision, as part of that complicated series of decisions we took, we took decisions to implement the recommendations of the joint committee.

My recollection is the advice was that it is indeed correct that there is a body of work that has to be done, not just by the Valuer-General but by other agencies of government as well, to implement the new procedures and that we announced that the implementation date for the new processes will be 1 July next year. All the work will need to have been concluded before then.

In relation to the work the Valuer-General would need to do, it would obviously need to have concluded well before then to enable decisions from SA Water and others to be taken subsequently. I am happy to seek more detailed advice from Treasury, who will gather whatever information they need to from the Valuer-General, and SA Water and provide a more detailed response to the member.

I might just note that the government has recently taken a decision to what we have euphemistically referred to as 'transfer the generals' from the old department of planning, transport and infrastructure to the responsibility of the Attorney-General, who is now the Minister for Planning. Given the ongoing interest the member has in the work of one of those generals, the Office of the Valuer-General, the Deputy Premier and Attorney-General will be the new minister with whom the member will need to liaise. But I will take the member's question on notice in terms of further detail and bring back a further reply.