Legislative Council Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1) 55 1 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Regional Emergency Accommodation Regional Emergency Accommodation The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN Legislative Council Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister for Forest Industries SafeWork SA The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:01): I seek leave to respond to an earlier question with some additional information that has been provided to me. Leave granted. The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN Legislative Council Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister for Forest Industries The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: This is in regard to the queries about housing and River Murray flooding. The South Australian Housing Authority is continuing to monitor the situation in consultation with other agencies. Dedicated staff are on the ground, preparing for emergency relief operations in the area, and indeed I understand an executive director was in Loxton yesterday to oversee that work. The South Australian Housing Authority is represented at the State Emergency Centre to coordinate with other agencies and has been represented at the Riverland zone emergency support team for the last six weeks and will continue to be a member of this team throughout the current event. As part of its emergency relief responsibilities, SA Housing has identified locations for emergency relief centres, if they are required in coming weeks or months; identified hotels and motels in affected areas and has the contact details in the event of activating large-scale emergency accommodation; and contacted organisations, such as Lions and Rotary, who may be asked to assist in emergency relief work. The authority is also working with the local homelessness service provider to conduct assertive outreach to vulnerable communities along the riverbank. The authority will take advice from the State Emergency Service and other agencies about locations where emergency accommodation and other relief may be required. It is important, of course, for households to consider their backup plans, which may include family or friends, but hotels or motels can be used for emergency accommodation if that is the only option that people have. Of course, they may also be needed to support a range of emergency and relief workers who may go to the region to assist with flood response. I thank the office of the member responsible in the other place for providing that information so quickly.