Thriving Regions Fund

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (14:30): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Will the minister please update the chamber about the major projects the Thriving Regions Fund has enabled to come to light since the Malinauskas—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Have you finished your question?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: No, I haven't. I have just been rudely interrupted.

The PRESIDENT: I will try to give you every bit of protection. The Hon. Mr Wortley deserves my protection.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Will the minister please update the chamber about the major projects the Thriving Regions Fund has enabled to come to light since the Malinauskas Labor government was elected three years ago?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:30): I thank the honourable member for his question. As people know, primary industries and regions are significant contributors to our state's ongoing prosperity. In the 2022-23 state budget, the government of South Australia committed $1.49 billion for our regions to deliver on our election commitments that support primary industries and regional communities.

As Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development and being from a regional area myself, I am extremely proud of the Thriving Regions Fund, a $15 million annual funding commitment which supports South Australia to achieve thriving, resilient regional communities through improving quality of life, delivering diverse leadership, implementing place-based programs, attracting and retaining a skilled workforce and capitalising on growth potential. Enhancing and supporting our resilient regional communities is vital. That's why this program has had such strong support from the Malinauskas Labor government.

There are three programs that fall within the Thriving Regions Fund. The Thriving Communities Program aims to build social capital through facilitating community group participation, a sense of belonging and equity of access. This is achieved through supporting minor infrastructure, services and wellbeing outcomes.

The Enabling Infrastructure Program supports projects that strengthen and build strong regional communities through:

value-added investment in priority community infrastructure that improves quality of life or attracts and, importantly, retains people in our regions;

enabling infrastructure to attract and retain business (goods and services) in regions and support a strong regional economy;

collaboration with other projects, programs or initiatives;

having broad regional community benefit; and

having considered latent and also future demand.

Finally, the Strengthening Industries Program: through this program the government recognises the importance of industries that support our regions to thrive. The program helps primary or regional industries impacted by significant supply chain disruptions, market access constraints and changes to the operating environment.

The Thriving Regions Fund is continuing to demonstrate its success with each round of funding that is provided. In 2023-24 alone, the Enabling Infrastructure Program funded eight key regional projects with a commitment of over $5 million. The Thriving Communities Fund funded projects with a commitment of $1.4 million. The Strengthening Industries Program funded nine key projects, committing $21 million towards the regions.

A project that deserves special mention is the Royal Flying Doctor Service, which, through the Enabling Infrastructure Program, received funding of $1 million to construct a state-of-the-art health, research and education centre for the state's Far North. The centre will help attract, train and retain a future health workforce for the Far North, including rural generalists—doctors specialising in healthcare delivery in the bush. The equivalent of 222 full-time equivalent jobs were being created during the construction phase of this project, according to my advice, with the RFDS employing 17 new ongoing FTEs as a result.

Through the Thriving Communities Program, one example is the Port Broughton Bowling Club, which received $50,000 to construct a disabled access ramp and install an automatic door. The upgrades will make the facility more accessible, allowing elderly individuals and people with disability to participate in group activities. I am advised that the clubroom serves as a vital hub for the Port Broughton community as well as the surrounding region.

The impact of these accessibility upgrades on the community will be far reaching, enabling more community members to engage in community events. The Strengthening Industries Program has also enabled vital reforms in the region by providing funding for programs, such as fee relief for the marine scalefish fishery, large-scale biosecurity reforms, snapper fishery management and, amongst many others, the Riverland grape and wine blueprint.

I recently announced that the state government has also allocated an additional $1.2 million to the Thriving Communities Program to help community groups in regional South Australia to bring their projects to life. The Thriving Regions Fund is a fantastic initiative that this government is very proud to support, and I look forward to seeing all the most recently funded projects coming to life to assist regional communities to thrive.