Auditor-General's Report

Auditor-General's Report

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:26): I move:

That standing orders be so far suspended as to enable the Report of the Auditor-General 2023-24 to be referred to a Committee of the Whole and for ministers to be examined on matters contained in the report for a period of one hour.

Motion carried.

In committee.

The CHAIR: I note the absolute majority.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: In the Auditor-General's Report for the year that ended on 30 June 2024 under heading AGD on page 26 of Part C, under income it indicates that funding victims of crime levies income increased by $2 million, from $40 million in 2023 to $42 million in 2024. On the same page, it shows that victims of crime payments decreased by $20 million to $30 million in 2024 compared to $50 million in 2023. Can the minister advise why there was a significant decrease of $20 million in victims of crime payments, despite there being an increase in the income?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I thank the honourable member for her question. It was in relation to a question in question time today that I was able to outline pretty much exactly what the honourable member has asked, but I have further figures in front of me, so I am happy to go over again what I answered less than an hour ago.

Very specifically, the Auditor-General's Report refers to a decrease in victims of crime compensation and in legal payments from $50 million in 2022-23 to $30 million in 2023-24. The honourable member has asked what gives rise to a decrease of $20 million being paid out. The main reason—in fact, the reason for the whole of that $20 million and a little bit more—is a one-off payment in the 2022-23 year of $25 million to support the state's participation in the National Redress Scheme.

I will note, putting aside the one-off payment of that $25 million for the National Redress Scheme in the 2022-23 financial year, both the underlying value and the number of compensation payments—that is, the total dollar amount for compensation payments and the number of those payments—continues to increase. In the last financial year, 2023-24, $24.2 million in compensation payments were made compared with $20 million in 2022-23, an increase of $4.2 million in compensation payments to victims of crime from the one before that; and when you compare it to the year before that, it was $13.5 million in 2021-22. So from the financial year 2021-22 to the financial year 2023-24, it is a couple million dollars shy of double the amount that has been paid for compensation payments.

In terms of the amount of each payment, the average payment in the 2023-24 financial year was $20,600, which compares with an average payment the year before of $18,300 in the 2022-23 financial year and $14,800 in the 2021-22 financial year. In terms of the actual number of applications that were approved, 1,175 applications were approved in the 2023-24 financial year compared with 1,091 in 2022-23 and 912 in 2021-22. So the number of applications approved, the value of each one of those applications and, of course, very significantly, the total value of compensation payments to victims of crime have increased in each of those years. As I have said, the total value of compensation from 2021-22 of $13.5 million to 2023-24 of $24.2 million is just shy of double the amount over a couple of financial years.

In relation to why it was $20 million less in this year than the last year, that relates to the $25 million payment in the financial year before to the National Redress Scheme.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: Referring still to page 26, can the minister advise the number of people who were asked to repay victims of crime payments prior to receiving compensation in an out-of-court settlement, as was reported in relation to the family of the Hillier murders?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I am happy to check, but I am not aware of anyone who was asked to repay an amount that had been paid. In relation to the particular case the honourable member refers to, I want to be very clear again that no-one was asked to repay an amount that was paid in relation to that case. A victims of crime compensation amount was paid; no-one was asked to repay that amount. That amount was kept and on top of that there was a civil action against the state where further compensation was awarded.

The idea that someone has received money that they have had to pay back to the government was certainly not the case in the matter the honourable member is referring to, and I am not aware of a case where an amount has been asked to be repaid. I am happy to check, but I am certainly not aware of that occurring.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: Can the minister advise how many matters he has been asked to intervene in where there have been victims of crime payments and where there is a question around out-of-court settlements interfering with any victims of crime payments that may have already been paid?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I think what the honourable member is asking about is ex gratia payments; that is, a payment where a payment has either already been made or where there does not exist a method from under the act to have a payment made. The example that the honourable member was referring to was a request for an ex gratia payment. I want to be very clear about that because there was already a payment made in accordance with the operation of the scheme and, in that particular matter, there was a request for a second payment as an ex gratia payment. In relation to the 2023-24 financial year, I am informed 23 ex gratia payments were made under the Victims of Crime Act, and the total value of these payments was just over $1 million.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: Perhaps if I can provide context for the Attorney-General, I would appreciate his response. The way it was reported in The Advertiser was that the Attorney-General had been asked to personally intervene in the matter for the money to be returned. Can the Attorney-General please confirm that where there have been victim of crime payments already received, and then later consideration in relation to an out-of-court settlement, that is deemed as an ex gratia payment in those instances?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: My advice is, in relation to the matter the honourable member is referring to, that there was a payment made from the victims of compensation scheme—as the scheme is intended to operate—after a matter was settled in relation to a civil claim. My advice is that the request was for a further payment in the form of an ex gratia payment. Ex gratia payments are occasionally made in circumstances where a conviction was not recorded or in other circumstances. I am advised that in this particular case there was a request for a second payment—that is, an ex gratia payment—on top of the original payment that was made.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: In the Auditor-General's Report for the year that ended 30 June 2024, on page 28 of Part C it states that the Attorney-General has discretion to make ex gratia payments to a claimant where an offence has not been established. Can the minister please advise how much was paid in total for the year 2023-24?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I am very happy to go back about 4½ minutes into the past and two questions ago where I gave that exact figure. If I was being churlish I would advise the honourable member to read Hansard in relation to it, but I am happy to repeat it. Two questions ago, or three questions ago, I said that there were 23 ex gratia payments at a value of just over $1 million, as I answered the honourable member as she will find when I am sure she consults Hansard to remind herself why she would ask the same question within a few minutes of each other.

The Hon. L.A. Henderson: It is a different question.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I said it was a value of just over $1 million. In fact, I have the exact value. It is $1,003,106.51. So when I said it was 23 payments of just over $1 million, it was $3,106.51 short of being the exact amount.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: Can the minister please advise what the average of those payments were, and what percentage of these matters were for unknown offenders or where no-one had been charged, and what the offences committed were?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Certainly, I am happy to. The amount will be, the average will be, $1,003,106.51 divided by 23. I do not have the average amount.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: I am not asking for the average of the total. I am asking for what the average of your payments were.

The CHAIR: Order! The Hon. Mrs Henderson, you do not need to interject because you can ask the question next.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: The average of the payment will be the total amount divided by the number of payments. That will be the average value of each payment.

Members interjecting:

The CHAIR: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: In relation to those 23 ex gratia payments in 2023-24, I am advised that 13 per cent related to matters where no-one was charged. The other figure that I have in front of me was almost 70 per cent were concerning alleged sexual offending.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: Can the Attorney-General please advise what the average of each payment made was, as opposed to the average of the total payments? We are capable of working out the average of the total. What is the average individual payment that is made? It is a pretty simple question.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I think the honourable member is going to have to explain the question. I understand it as what the average of each payment is, not what the average payment is. I just do not understand the difference.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: You just gave me the total payment. I am wanting to know the average each individual member has received.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: On average, there was $1,003,106.51. I have said there were 23 payments, so if you are looking for the average amount for each of those payments you would divide just over $1 million by 23, and I reckon you would get about $43½ thousand as the average amount of each payment. If the honourable member means something different by 'the average amount of each payment' than the average amount of each payment, I am happy to try to understand the difficulty she is having explaining the question.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: Can the minister please advise what each of those 23 payments were?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Of the 23 payments, I do not have a breakdown of each individual payment. As I have said, the average amount will be about $43½ thousand. I am happy to go away and have a look at the actual amount of each payment, but for the four or five times the member was asking the question she was asking for the average amount, and it is about $43½ thousand.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: Can the minister please take on notice the amount of each payment made?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I am more than happy and always obliging.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: In the Auditor-General's Report for the year that ended 30 June 2024, under the statement of administered financial position, liabilities, on page 27 of Part C, it states that total liabilities increased by $75 million to $143 million, mainly due to the new lease liability for the State Rescue Helicopter Service. Could the minister please advise why the funding for emergency aircraft is being provided by the Attorney-General's budget instead of through SAPOL or emergency services?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: My advice is that there are a number of different agencies that are involved in this particular procurement. The AGD administers the contract management in effect and the procurement on behalf of a number of different agencies.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: How long will this funding support the State Rescue Helicopter Service?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: As I said, because we administer it on behalf of a number of different agencies, I will have to take that on notice. I do not have details of that, but I am happy to bring back a reply for the honourable member.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: Will this funding continue to come from the Attorney-General or be more assumed by the police and emergency services budget going into the future?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: My advice is that the current funding arrangements and the way the contract is managed is intended to continue into the foreseeable future.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: Could the minister please advise why the government has decided to lease rather than purchase the state rescue helicopters?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Once again, I am happy to take that on notice. Again, because it is a number of different agencies, in my experience with these sorts of procurements there is a lot of work that goes into what is the best value for money for taxpayers, but, as I said, I am happy to consult with the other agencies involved, which includes police and emergency services.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: On that, could the Attorney-General please advise what the cost benefit is to the taxpayer in leasing these helicopters instead of purchasing the aircraft?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: As I said, I am happy to take that on notice but in my experience there is a lot of work that occurs to make sure these procurements are done in the way that best benefits the taxpayer.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: A media release highlights that the SRHS is shared between SAPOL and SA Ambulance Service to provide critical emergency response across the state. Could the Attorney-General please advise how this resource is being managed and shared between SAPOL and the Ambulance Service?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Once again, I am very happy to take on notice how something is managed between departments.

Members interjecting:

The ACTING CHAIR (The Hon. R.B. Martin): Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: The honourable member has referred to the—

Members interjecting:

The ACTING CHAIR (The Hon. R.B. Martin): Order! The Attorney has the call.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: The honourable member has referred to police and the South Australian Ambulance Service. As Minister for Industrial Relations and the Public Sector, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Attorney-General, neither of those two things fall under my portfolio of responsibility. There are a number of things in the Attorney-General's budget areas, including things like Consumer and Business Services, that don't fall under my portfolios either, but being the obliging sort of minister I am, I am happy to take that on notice, refer it to the ministers whom the honourable member ought to be referring her questions to and bring her back a reply.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: Can the Attorney-General please confirm that in the Auditor-General's Report under Attorney-General's Department on page 27 it states:

Total liabilities increased by $75 million to $143 million, mainly due to the new lease liability for the State Rescue Helicopter Service.

And as such that it does fall under his purview?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I can confirm that the honourable member has cited the right page. I can confirm that to the best of my knowledge and belief the honourable member has read the words in the correct order and has read all those words correctly, so that does appear to be what it says on the page.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: Referring to the liability that is cited under the Attorney-General's Department, Auditor-General's Report, can the minister please advise when the Airbus H145 D3 helicopter was brought online?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I am happy to seek a response from the minister who is responsible for that particular piece of aircraft that the honourable member is so interested in and bring her back a reply.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: Can the minister advise if the Bell 412-EP is still due to arrive in December 2024 and when it will go online, noting that it is provided for within his budget?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I thank the honourable member for her question. I don't know what the word is for trainspotting for aircraft, but regarding the Bell helicopter that the honourable member refers to, I am happy to find out from the agency and the minister directly responsible for it about that particular aircraft as well.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: Does the funding that has been provided by the Attorney-General's Department also go towards the four additional pilots hired to provide a third line of flying for 24/7 operators, or is it just going to the lease for the helicopters themselves?

The ACTING CHAIR (The Hon. R.B. Martin): I think I know where this is going, but I call on the Attorney.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I think we are all a bit bamboozled. I understand the honourable member is still quite new and has a bit of difficulty being flexible enough to pivot to something else when it is apparent that it is not going very well. I am happy to refer that to the honourable member who is actually responsible and bring back a reply, and if there is another sort of helicopter or a different group of pilots that the honourable member wants to know about, I am happy to save time to say I will pass them on also.

I would invite the honourable member to keep reading out, keep going the way we are, because this has to be one of the easiest Auditor-General Reports I have ever had the pleasure of sitting down and having misdirected questions for.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: The Auditor-General's Report—

Members interjecting:

The ACTING CHAIR (The Hon. R.B. Martin): Order! Attorney!

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: —for the year ending 30 June 2024, under the heading of AGD on page 28 of Part C, under recoveries from offenders, indicates that outstanding amounts subject to a judgement that are actively managed decreased by only $200,000 to $13.3 million in 2024, down from $13.5 million in 2023. Can the minister advise why only $200,000 was recovered?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I thank the honourable member for her question in relation to something that is in my portfolio responsibilities. I am pleased and confused that this is a tactic that is now being embarked upon. As the Auditor-General Report states, recovery from offenders is difficult, as much compensation relates to unknown offenders or where the offender is known but has limited means to pay. The report also mentions that outstanding amounts subject to a judgement that are being actively managed fell by $200,000 to $13.3 million. This reflects the obvious difficulty in recovering these amounts from offenders. I am pleased to say that I am advised that the amounts recovered from offenders increased from $1.2 million in 2022-23 to $1.7 million in 2023-24.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: Can the minister please advise what is being done to pursue recovery of these outstanding amounts?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: As I said, the Auditor-General Report says and acknowledges the difficulty in recovery from offenders, as much of the compensation relates to unknown offenders or where the offender has limited means to pay. But as evidenced by the fact that there has been an increase in the amount recovered from offenders from $1.2 million to $1.7 million, by quick arithmetic I reckon that is about a 45 per cent increase in the year. Clearly, good work is being done to do so.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: In the Auditor-General's Report for the year that ended on 30 June 2024 under the heading AGD on page 20 of Part C, under highlights from the financial statements, administered items, recoveries and other incomes went from $56 million in 2022 to $21 million in 2023, and this year's report for the year that ended on 30 June 2024 showed that it decreased a further $2 million to $19 million. Can the minister explain why we are seeing a decrease year by year?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Page 20 in my Auditor-General's Report is headed Adelaide Venue Management Corporation. It talks about gross box office receipts and the funding for Rec and Sport, so I am not sure how that relates. I know the previous line of—

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: Page 26, sorry.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: In the previous line of questioning we had a tenuous relationship to AGD, but Rec and Sport, box office receipts—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Page 26? Given I was looking at page 20, as the honourable member asked it, maybe I can get her to summarise the question again.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: Going from the commentary from the minister just then, before I re-put my question—

The CHAIR: Just ask.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: —can the minister advise whether he is the minister responsible for almost $150 million of budget spend in his department? I am referring to page 27. It is the line of questioning that I was referring to earlier that you just referred to.

Members interjecting:

The CHAIR: Order! The Hon. Ms Bourke!

Members interjecting:

The CHAIR: Order! Sit down, the Hon. Mrs Henderson. Right; let's start again. You ask a question. You provide an answer.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: In the minister's commentary in reference to questions—

Members interjecting:

The CHAIR: Yes, okay; order!

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: I am about to give it to you.

The CHAIR: The Hon. Mrs Henderson—

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: Page 27—

The CHAIR: Thank you.

Members interjecting:

The CHAIR: Order, order!

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: —under liabilities—

Members interjecting:

The CHAIR: Order, order!

Members interjecting:

The CHAIR: Order! Sit down. You will ask the question. You will start with the page number. You will answer the question. And the rest of you will stay silent.

The Hon. R.P. Wortley: You'll get better as time goes on.

The CHAIR: The Hon. Mr Wortley, do you want me to name you today? In Auditor's question time, really?

Members interjecting:

The CHAIR: Order!

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: I refer the minister to page 27, under liabilities, following on from his commentary there: is the minister the minister who is responsible for $150 million of budget spend from his department?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I am responsible for many millions of dollars of expenditure from my department. In relation to—

The Hon. L.A. Henderson interjecting:

The CHAIR: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: —the $143 million of expenditure, those are the liabilities referred to—if the honourable member is going back to a line of questioning from a number of questions ago—in relation to the State Rescue Helicopter Service, which is a number of different departments that I think we have discussed, including SAPOL, under Minister Cregan and others.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: In the Auditor-General's Report for the year that ended on 30 June 2024, under the heading of—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: Heading AGD on page 22 of Part C, under other audit findings it indicates that outstanding unclaimed residential tenancy bonds—

Members interjecting:

The CHAIR: Order, the Hon. Mr Hunter!

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: I just gave them the page number. It is page 22 in the Auditor-General's Report of the year that ended on 30 June 2024, under the heading of AGD. Again, I will give you the page number: page 22. Under other audit findings it indicates that outstanding unclaimed residential tenancy bonds continue to rise as previously indicated in the 2023 annual report. Can the minister advise how much is outstanding unclaimed residential tenancy bonds?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I thank the honourable member for her question. I give her great credit that she got the page number correct.

Members interjecting:

The CHAIR: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: —and got the words in the right order absolutely correctly.

Members interjecting:

The CHAIR: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: However, the only thing I cannot give her credit for is getting the right minister. It is residential tenancies, which is Minister Michaels for Business and Consumer Services. I am happy to refer that to the actual minister who has responsibility in this portfolio.

Members interjecting:

The CHAIR: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: As I explained already during this Auditor-General's examination, Business and Consumer Services is part of the Attorney-General's Department but falls under another minister. That would have been the big hint to the honourable member in relation to asking this question. So, good, right page number. Great that the words were read in the right order; not so good the wrong minister.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Do you have another question, the Hon. Ms Henderson?

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: Those are all my questions.

Members interjecting:

The CHAIR: Order! We have finished questions here. Do we have another minister?

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Page 293, audit findings: the Auditor-General's Report indicated that PIRSA's research projects were either not reviewed or not reviewed promptly. Can the minister identify which research projects were not reviewed? Can the minister advise what procedures and additional controls PIRSA has implemented to improve the review of project milestones?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I am advised that a number of actions have been taken in regard to this finding. The SARDI Contract Pathways document and associated processes have been updated to reflect the updated titles of responsible officers: two responsible administration officers (RAO), including name and contact details of officers and areas of responsibility. The RAOs have also been provided with individual training on project milestone reporting.

For research agreement schedules between SARDI and university partners a new report has been developed for quarterly distribution to indicate outstanding financial milestones greater than three months. This will be sent by the relevant RAO to the corresponding university for follow up. Where a milestone appears on a quarterly overdue milestone report for two consecutive quarters, the relevant program leader will be copied into the email to the principal investigator to assist with compliance.

RAO supervisors attend regular contract team meetings to ensure continued implementation of documented processes. Agreed further actions were that progress would be monitored with RAOs and the research partnership business manager as part of the next quarterly milestone review, and program leaders and subprogram leaders will be provided access to Minuet, the program used within PIRSA to monitor the status of individual project milestones. I am advised that access has been provided to these staff.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: I am happy for the minister to take it on notice, but can she identify which research projects were not reviewed as opposed to not reviewed promptly—just simply not reviewed?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: My advice is that all were reviewed, but some were not within the timeliness outlined. We will double-check that, but that is my advice at this stage.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: If the minister can double-check that and, if there are any that were not reviewed, can she take it on notice and bring back the projects that were not reviewed?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Yes.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Referring to page 294, appropriations from the South Australian government, in 2023-24, how much of the $4 million of additional funding for the On-Farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme has been spent, and can you break down the spend into projects? I am happy for you to take it on notice.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I am happy to take that on notice and bring back a response.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Similarly, page 294, under appropriations from the South Australian government, in 2023-24, in terms of the $3 million Future Drought Fund, was it expended in its entirety and, if so, what was the drought fund spent on?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I am advised that the funding was to continue the Farm Business Resilience Program and the Regional Drought Resilience Planning Program and the state's contribution to the South Australian Drought Hub.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Was that $3 million expended in its entirety?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: My advice is that, yes, it was.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Again, under appropriations from the South Australian government, same page, can the minister break down the spend for the Lower Murray Reclaimed Irrigation Area assistance, noting the appropriation from the South Australian government was $4 million?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I am advised that we do not have the breakdown of that.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Supplementary: was the $4 million expended in its entirety?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: My advice is that yes, it was.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: On page 295, grants and subsidies expense, in 2023-24 the state's contribution to the varroa mite response plan was $2 million. Can the minister indicate what will be the likely contribution in 2024-25?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Mr Chair, I will seek your guidance but my understanding is that questions in regard to 2024-25 are not subject to this Auditor-General's Report, and therefore the question falls outside of the scope.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Referring to page 295, grants, subsidies and transfers, why did the transfer revenue from industry increase from $39 million in 2023 to $43 million in 2024?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: My advice is that grants, subsidies and transfers increased by $5.7 million from $59.7 million in 2022-23 to $65.4 million in 2023-24, primarily due to additional externally funded programs in 2023-24, including the Kangaroo Island sterile blowfly rearing facility, the Snapper Science Program, UTAS Southern Australia Moorings, and an increase in transfers from the fisheries research and development fund and aquaculture fund.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Again, under grants and subsidies, same page, can the minister advise what initiatives and research SARDI is working on with state, national and international collaborators?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I am advised that we will need to take that on notice.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: In taking that on notice, can the minister indicate whether those initiatives and research are part of the net zero agriculture that is in line with the Carbon Farming Roadmap implementation growing carbon pilot?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I have just been provided with some additional information which may answer the first part of that question. SARDI delivered over 300 research projects during 2023-24. These included the effective control of pest snails in Australian grain crops funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation; management and diagnosis of grapevine trunk disease funded by Wine Australia; effective genetic and sustainable management of ascochyta blight of chickpea funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation, Snapper Science Program, estimates of biomass funded by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation; and South Australian Integrated Marine Observing System funded through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Just going back to page 294, in regard to fire ants. In 2023-24, the state's contribution for the red imported fire ants response was $5 million. How was the funding used to ensure that treatment efforts are efficient in prevention of further spread of the fire ants into the southern regions of Australia?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I am advised that, in regard to red imported fire ants, they were discovered in south-east Queensland in 2001 and Australia is committed to eradicating fire ants through the National Fire Ant Eradication Program. It is funded by all state and territory governments and the Australian government, with South Australia's share being 3.56 per cent of the total cost. Queensland is the lead jurisdiction and they sought commitment to a new response plan for 2023 to 2027. The total cost of the new plan is $593 million, with South Australia's contribution being 3.56 per cent. In 2023-24, South Australia's contribution was $4.738 million under the new response plan, and South Australia's total contribution over the 10-year period from 2017-18 to 2026-27 is $29.9 million.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Supplementary: how is the percentage of contribution determined?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: My understanding is there is a nationally agreed formula. I am not sure, off the top of my head, whether that is based on population or some other mechanism, but it is a nationally agreed formula.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: How will the effectiveness of spending be measured to ensure that the $5 million is spent wisely and achieves the desired result?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: If I recall correctly, there is a national monitoring group or steering committee or similar, which is made up of representatives who report back to the jurisdictions to ensure that that is occurring. I visited the red fire ant facility in Queensland I think it was the year before last, or it might have been last year, to get a sense of the work that they are doing and also to see the level of risk, which became quite clear simply by having a visit, where they had detector dogs indicating the location of red fire ants in a suburban area. It certainly is a significant risk to South Australia and to the lifestyle of Australia, in addition to the impacts it would have on our primary production sectors.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: As part of that program, are there plans to establish a permanent monitoring or management program to track the status of fire ants over the coming years?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I do not believe that forms part of the Auditor-General's examination.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Red fire ants.

The CHAIR: We are talking about what has actually occurred and the Auditor-General reporting on what has occurred.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: What lessons have been learnt from Queensland's experience with fire ant management.

The Hon. I.K. Hunter: That's not to do with the Auditor-General's Report. Stick to the Auditor-General's report!

The CHAIR: Order!

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: It says 'fire ants' as a program.

The Hon. I.K. Hunter: It's a program. Expenditure—ask questions about that, not about policy issues.

The CHAIR: Order!

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Goodness gracious!

The CHAIR: Order, the Hon. Mr Hunter! The honourable Leader of the Opposition, ask your next question, please.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: I refer you to page 295, commonwealth grants. Funding for the National Water Grid funding program increased from $2 million to $5 million. Can the minister outline what that funding was used for?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: During 2023-24, the Department for Environment and Water took the whole-of-government lead on all future proposals to the National Water Grid Authority from South Australia, including in relation to water science, feasibility, projects and business cases. PIRSA remains responsible for project management, including project closure for its existing NWGA projects.

I am advised, for reference, that a number of connections pathway projects experienced delays due to River Murray flooding, which subsequently pushed out some project milestone dates and completion dates into 2023-24 and 2024-25.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Page 295, under expenses: can the minister explain the increase from 751 FTE for 30 June 2023 to 815 FTE at 30 June 2024?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I am advised that the increase primarily reflects a higher FTE count with the filling of previously vacant positions following completion of the department's functional realignment in 2022-23. Additionally, according to my advice, an improved labour market in 2023-24 contributed to shorter lead times in filling vacancies.

I am advised that the actual FTE for PIRSA as at 30 June 2024 is 815, which is an increase of 65 compared to 750 as at 30 June 2023. The increase relates to a couple of matters: first of all, there were lower staffing numbers in 2022-23 while the department undertook a review and realignment of its structure and functions; there was an increase in FTEs in 2023-24 for the fruit fly eradication response following further outbreaks across the Riverland and metropolitan Adelaide; and there was an increase in FTEs in 2023-24 for the Future Drought Fund to continue the Farm Business Resilience Program and the Regional Drought Resilience Planning Program to 30 June 2026, as well as for the On-Farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme. There was an incremental increase in FTEs in 2023-24 to enhance the state's capability and capacity to address the increased risk of emergency animal diseases.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: I refer to page 294 and the revenue decline. What specific factors contributed to the decrease in sale of goods and services from $15 million in 2023 to $12 million in 2024? On that, were there any external factors, such as regulatory changes or supply chain disruptions, that negatively impacted the ability to generate sales?

The Hon. C.M. Scriven interjecting:

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: What specific factors contributed to the decrease in sale of goods and services from 2023 to 2024?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: My advice is that the decrease in sale of goods is mainly due to a lower sale of biological assets with lower harvest of crops due to the poorer seasonal conditions and unfavourable market conditions for livestock in 2022-23.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Is the minister suggesting that she does not believe there were any regulatory changes or supply chain disruptions, it was just purely climatic?

Members interjecting:

The CHAIR: Order! Do you want to repeat the question so I can hear it, please?

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: I asked about factors contributing to the decrease in the sale of goods. The minister suggested a reduction in output due to climatic variations and I am asking now, as a supplementary—

The CHAIR: There are no supplementary questions; you will just ask another question.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Were there regulatory changes or supply chain disruptions in addition to climatic factors?

The Hon. C.M. Scriven interjecting:

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Negatively impact the ability to generate sales.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: The advice that I have had does not refer to any regulatory changes having an impact.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: I refer to page 295, employee-related expenses. Can the minister explain why workers compensation expenses increased from $334,000 to $449,000 over the past year? That is an increase of 34.4 per cent.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I will take that matter on notice and bring back a response.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: I refer to pages 296-297, inventories. Can the minister identify what type of research on agricultural activities was carried out in this section and how it is conducted on a commercial basis?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I am happy to see if there is additional information that can be provided on notice.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Under the same heading, can the minister also provide an answer to the chamber as to the aim of the research and how that research is beneficial to the South Australian community?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: My understanding is that most, if not all, of that information would be available in other publicly available documents, and those specifics are not referred to in the Auditor-General's Report.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Can the minister indicate where I might find this publicly?

The CHAIR: That is not a question.

The Hon. C.M. Scriven interjecting:

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: I just thought she might be helpful, Mr Chairman. Page 297, 'Other financial assets', Australian Grain Technologies Pty Ltd is involved in research to assist with wheat breeding programs. Can the minister advise what are these wheat breeding programs, what are they trying to achieve, and will it bring down the cost of food whilst yielding a larger wheat production?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Certainly, I cannot provide speculation on impacts on prices. What I can say is that PIRSA recognises unlisted private company shares in Australian Grain Technologies Pty Ltd (AGT) as other financial assets in the financial statements. AGT is an Australian-based plant breeding company specialising in wheat varieties. The investments are held for strategic rather than financial or for trading purposes. For information, the department holds 14.9 per cent of shares in AGT, and the other shareholders are the University of Adelaide, the Grains Research and Development Corporation and Vilmorin and Cie.

PIRSA's shareholding in AGT had its historical origins back in 2002. This consisted of a series of cash payments or share purchases, and agreements around the lease of buildings, equipment and facilities aggregated over time to $4.5 million. In 2023-2024, all shareholders agreed to engage Ernst and Young to provide an independent valuation on AGT's shares to meet the financial reporting requirements. In 2023, PIRSA received a $1.63 million dividend from AGT, and it is used to fund research activities.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Page 295, grants, subsidies and transfers, which mainly comprised of $14 million from the Fisheries Research and Development Fund and the Aquaculture Fund administered by PIRSA. Can the minister indicate what this funding was used for?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: The Fisheries Research and Development and the Aquaculture administered funds partially fund the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division and SARDI research activities, as per the cost-recovery agreement with F and A industries.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Page 295, again under commonwealth grants. The commonwealth revenues increased by $13 million to $19 million, and part of that was due to new funding of $9 million for building resilience to manage fruit fly. Can the minister indicate to the chamber how that funding was utilised in the 2023-24 period?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: A federal funding agreement titled Building Resilience to Manage Fruit Fly (BRMFF) was approved in 2023 to the value of $20 million in total. The following projects make up the BRMFF:

the expansion of Queensland fruit fly sterile insect technique facility at Port Augusta;

additional quarantine checkpoints to maintain the integrity of pest-free areas, and the east-west distribution profile;

national rollout of a new electronic plant health assurance certificate system;

updated interstate certification assurance protocols (ICA); and

contribution towards the post-harvest treatment infrastructure delivered by the South Australian Produce Market Ltd.

The South Australian government has completed work on the expansion of the Q-fly sterile insect technology facility in Port Augusta in September 2023. The expanded facility was scheduled to produce up to 40 million sterile flies every week, which is double the previous capacity. Since April, I am advised the facility has been producing up to 50 million sterile pupate, which is above expectations. Those additional sterile flies are important in combating the multiple outbreaks of Queensland fruit fly that are currently under management in the South Australian Riverland.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: I refer to page 295 under grants and subsidies expense. Total grants and subsidies increased by $9 million to $69 million. Obviously, PIRSA operates many grant programs and one of those is the Thriving Regions Fund of $15 million for grants for the enabling infrastructure for the Thriving Regions and Strengthening Industries programs. Can the minister indicate whether that $15 million was fully expended during that period of time and can the minister provide a breakdown as to the projects that fell under the Thriving Regions Fund and the amounts per project? You can take it on notice.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: No, that is alright. I am happy to provide them. That gets you off the hook because you are running out of questions, I appreciate that.

The Hon. N.J. Centofanti interjecting:

The CHAIR: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I can tell. The Thriving Regions Fund is a $15 million per annum commitment to support regional projects that act as enablers to regional industries to grow jobs and strengthen regional communities. Assessment criteria considers alignment with state and regional plans and priorities and benefits of the project to the region. The long-term outcomes from investment through the Thriving Regions Fund are identified as improved quality of life for regional communities; thriving, resilient and sustainable regional communities that attract and retain people to live and work; a pipeline of regional leaders providing a voice for their regions; and regions creating job opportunities and improved career options by capitalising on regional growth potential and stronger regional economies.

Grant payments under the Thriving Regions Fund increased by $2.9 million, from $11.9 million in 2022-23 to $14.8 million in 2023-24. It is important to note that payments are made on achievement of milestones by grant recipients. To the extent that the milestones are not met in the year the allocation was approved, the balance is carried forward to be distributed to the applicant in a subsequent year on achievement of milestones. Therefore, it is fair to say that, whilst the amounts may be committed, they may or may not be fully expended in each year because of the milestones perhaps being delayed by the applicants.

The Thriving Regions Fund is made up of four subprograms. In 2023, the state government allocated money to the Thriving Communities Program to support community projects in regional South Australia. It was immensely popular and there was a total of $1,400,000 provided in funding. A total to be exact of $1,443,200 in funding was awarded to the following 39 projects:

Glencoe Woolshed Branch National Trust, $36,000;

54 31 Collective, $44,379;

Naracoorte District Men's Shed Incorporated, $21,000;

Millicent Golf Club, $28,802;

Bundaleer Forest Community Areas Association, $50,000;

SA ICPA, $30,209;

Kingscote Football Club, $50,000;

Hahndorf Bowling Club Incorporated, $26,000;

Callington A&H Society Incorporated, $50,000;

Hardwicke Bay and District Progress Association, $20,000;

Wilmington Progress Society Incorporated, $25,000;

the Riverton Community Management Committee, $22,250;

Barngarla Aboriginal Corporation, $47,635;

Barossa Valley Community Kids, $28,621;

National Trust of South Australia, Willunga Branch, $31,196;

Girl Guides South Australia Incorporated, $50,000;

Loxton Netball Club, $38,000;

Fisherman Bay Progress Association, $35,000;

Kyancutta Community Club Incorporated, $45,000;

Ngarrindjeri Ruwe Empowered Communities, $50,000;

Foodbank of South Australia Incorporated, $35,000;

Snowtown Progress Association, $47,000;

Price Progress Association Incorporated, $47,485;

Millicent Men's Shed, $30,000;

St Vincent de Paul Society of South Australia Incorporated $22,500;

SYP Community Hub, $34,686;

Kalangadoo Community Club, $50,000;

Milang & District Community Association, $50,000;

Southern Yorke Peninsula Agricultural Society, $35,000—

The CHAIR: Minister, if you would like to table that, time has expired for today's session.