Regional Development South Australia

The Hon. T.T. NGO (15:11): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Can the minister tell the chamber about the Regional Development South Australia 2024 annual summit held in Port Augusta earlier this month?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:11): I thank the honourable member for his question. A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of visiting Port Augusta again, this time for the 2024 Regional Development South Australia annual summit. I was excited to attend the 2023 annual summit on population and prosperity, and this year I was equally pleased to join the conversation about net zero, the circular economy and AI.

The summit began with dinner under the stars at Tickle Belly Hill, with many attendees arriving via the Pichi Richi Railway where I am told they enjoyed a stunning view of the sunset as they arrived. I, unfortunately, missed this train ride, though I am no stranger to the Pichi Richi as I attended the 50^th anniversary celebrations in August this year. However, the dinner was a fantastic opportunity to experience the best that Port Augusta has to offer, and also to speak to summit attendees in a less formal setting.

The state government is a major funding partner, together with local government and the commonwealth government, to support the South Australian RDAs to deliver on the priorities for their respective regions. RDAs play a critical role in supporting their communities to ensure they have a chance to benefit and share in the prosperity offered in this great state.

The summit was a fantastic opportunity to discuss the plan the Malinauskas government has for our state, which the RDAs will play a huge role in delivering. The South Australian Economic Statement, released in April last year, identified three interrelated missions which focus on the most significant opportunities for the South Australian economy: capitalise on the global green transition; be a partner of choice in an insecure world; and build South Australia's talent.

To set us up for success, the Economic Statement also singles out 'liveable and connected regions'. It identifies South Australia's regions for the crucial role they play in our economy, and that to realise the vision, our regions must attract and retain residents now and into the future. This means our regions need to be connected to the rest of the world and have the right infrastructure and services. We want our regions to continue to contribute to our prosperity, and for regional communities to be a big and key part of the forthcoming opportunities.

A huge part of prosperous, liveable regions is net zero, the strategic direction of which is set out in the South Australian Economic Statement. As everyone in this chamber would be aware, the South Australian government has statewide goals to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50 per cent by 2030, achieve net zero emissions by 2050, and achieve 100 per cent net renewable electricity generation by 2027.

Net zero was spoken about at great length at the summit. It was great to hear from speakers about the opportunities that are available for regional South Australia in the net zero transition. A large part of this is, of course, the Malinauskas government's Hydrogen Jobs Plan, which Sam Crafter, the CEO of the Office of Hydrogen Power, spoke to.

The summit also provided an opportunity for passionate and robust discussion among attendees, who included industry representatives and key stakeholders. The future is bright for our regions, and I look forward to continuing to work with the RDAs, industry and stakeholders into the future towards our common goal, which is to support prosperous, liveable regional communities.

It was also a pleasure to be able to officially thank at the forum Kelly-Anne Saffin, who is leaving her role with RDA Adelaide to take up the role of Cross Border Commissioner. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to thank her and wish her well as she moves into that next very important role.