Statutes Amendment (Budget Measures 2021) Bill

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 9 September 2021.)

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (15:40): I rise to speak in support of the government's Statutes Amendment (Budget Measures 2021) Bill, inclusive of the amendments I filed on 8 October. As we all know, there is considerable pressure on rental housing stock throughout South Australia. We are constantly hearing that it is well nigh impossible to find affordable rental accommodation in Adelaide and the regions. Competition and demand for rentals is high and rents are rising as a result of lack of supply.

The government's existing affordable home owner initiatives have not met the needs of lower income earners and welfare recipients. I was disturbed to see media reports this week that there are over 2,000 Housing Trust homes vacant. I am hopeful that the 50 per cent land tax discount for eligible new build to rent residential construction projects in this bill will act as an incentive for developers and investors to build more rental housing.

My amendments, [Pangallo-1], aim to provide additional certainty for build to rent residential construction projects by ensuring the guidelines referred to in the bill are substituted with regulations. This means the regulations are subject to the usual parliamentary scrutiny and accountability. Guidelines, on the other hand, can be changed and approved by the Treasurer at any time. I do not believe guidelines give the necessary confidence or certainty that the industry requires to significantly invest over the long term. I hope that members support my simple but sensible amendments.

I have some concerns about abolishing the legislated payroll tax exemption applicable to wages paid and ex gratia payments payable in connection to a feature film produced in South Australia and will be looking for some assurances from the government that this will in no way disadvantage our film industry. Abolishing the film production payroll tax exemption and ex gratia scheme and redirecting the average annual costs of those schemes to the South Australian Film Corporation's Screen Production Fund seems reasonable on the face of it, although I note that the two amounts—$1.6 million—are identical, meaning there is no net increase in the government's contribution to the Screen Production Fund.

I was especially pleased to see an ABC media report this week that the South Australian film industry has survived COVID-19 remarkably well and is expected to grow and expand even more, given our highly skilled and talented workforce. Chief Executive Officer of Mercury CX, Karena Slaninka, said it was actually lockdowns that had given South Australia a competitive edge with a variety of television and film projects getting produced in South Australia that would otherwise be filmed interstate. She said this included projects like the feature film A Sunburnt Christmas, the television series The Tourist, and at least two Netflix productions, all of which followed the pre-pandemic production of Mortal Kombat, the highest budgeted feature in South Australian history.

If we have learnt one thing from COVID-19, it is that South Australia has to develop its own people in our distinctive competencies and build our economic self-reliance. Whilst we must not become insular—indeed, it is vitally important that we have a global outlook—we must foster strong and independent creative industries here to broaden our focus from more traditional manufacturing jobs into new and previously unimagined fields such as in visual effects like those produced by Rising Sun Pictures and MR. X in South Australia. I am hopeful that this is not the only incentive the government will be offering the film industry in South Australia and look forward to pre-election announcements about this exciting sector.

I understand the bill also allows for the introduction of high definition mobile phone detection cameras, as prefaced in the 2020-21 budget. It will be interesting to see if the new mobile phone cameras manage to avoid the evidentiary problems we continue to encounter with speed detection cameras. I also support the minor Mining Act amendment to close a loophole that allowed tenement holders to pay lower royalties by contracting at less than market value.

I commend the bill to the chamber and look forward to receiving more information about the payroll tax changes and the film production fund during the debate.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. I.K. Hunter.