Wakefield Regional Council

The Hon. R.B. MARTIN (15:17): My question—

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Attorney!

The Hon. R.B. MARTIN: —is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! I would like to hear the question.

The Hon. R.B. MARTIN: My question is: will the minister please inform the chamber of the importance of the recent funding provided to the Wakefield Regional Council?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:18): I thank the honourable member for his question. Through the state government's Enabling Infrastructure Program, the Wakefield Regional Council will receive a grant of almost $1 million towards its project 'Celebrating Port Wakefield's Cultural Connection'. I am thrilled to be able to provide this funding to a town that is more than just a highway thoroughfare.

The Malinauskas Labor government is dedicated and committed to supporting the needs of our regional communities. As Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, I thoroughly enjoy visiting and engaging with people throughout our regions. I recently had the pleasure of visiting Port Wakefield to announce the $1 million funding and was excitedly joined by the member for Narungga, Fraser Ellis MP; the Mayor of the Wakefield Regional Council, Rodney Reid; councillors; members of the Narungga Nation Aboriginal Corporation; and local members of the community, including business owners and commercial fishermen.

The representation of such a large group of individuals coming together signifies the impact and importance this funding will have on the town, and is a testament that our regions matter and that by working together we can make them great.

Stage 2 of the project will build on the established Indigenous art trail, activate the tidal pool and upgrade public facilities to improve accessibility. There are also plans to create a new town centre, provide an inclusive adventure play space and turn a vacant public building into a usable business or community space.

The improved infrastructure will help attract new residents, unlock the growth potential of local industries and support tourist business development. The almost $1 million grant is a significant contribution to the project's overall cost of $3.4 million. The project is expected to generate more than 40 full-time equivalent positions, including six Indigenous positions, during the construction phase and six FTEs are estimated to continue beyond the project period.

This grant will assist the Wakefield Regional Council to improve infrastructure, which will support both an increase in visitor numbers and the imminent growth in the area. I am advised that it is expected that stage 2 will be complete within the next 18 months.

The township has many attributes and history, and this project will enable future generations to continue celebrating it for many years to come and instil renewed civic pride across the region. The town, I am advised, has recently seen something of a seismic change, with the national highway duplication and overpass project completed for increased safety and significant traffic flow improvements. I encourage everyone to visit this progressive coastal town and enjoy what it has to offer, including, of course, the delicious kitchener buns from the ever popular Kiplings Bakery.

I am delighted that this is yet another successful funding application to the enabling infrastructure fund, which is a stream of the Thriving Regions Fund. I alluded to it briefly yesterday, but just to expand a little bit more on the rationale behind the enabling infrastructure fund: it is around looking at those sorts of projects that can bring together multiple benefits and multiple streams and enable the benefits to be spread across an entire region.

Some of the things that we have already announced include worker accommodation, the project that I mentioned earlier today in terms of the Mypolonga sports centre, and also several projects in the South-East, one at Keith, in terms of the industrial estate there, and one at Naracoorte, which will enable child care. They are just some of the projects, but it is really important—

Honourable members: Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five—

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —that the importance of child care in particular is recognised and taken seriously—

Honourable members: —four, three, two, one.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —which I would have hoped those opposite would do, but clearly they don't take things such as child care in the regions seriously. They don't think it's important. They think it's an opportunity just to have another little dig.