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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-04-29 Daily Xml
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VICTORIA PARK REDEVELOPMENT

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:07): My question is to the Minister for the City of Adelaide. Does the minister, now that she has special dispensation from the Premier as the Minister for the City of Adelaide, support the construction of a large temporary grandstand proposed by the Treasurer in Victoria Park for 11 months of the year for one event?

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Federal/State Relations) (15:08): Breaking news! I have breaking news here somewhere.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I can't, because you want the whole docket. I will just check that I have the right one.

Mr Williams: Would you like us to come back in 10 minutes?

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Possibly, that could help. Just stand by, please. Here we are. I am under so much pressure during question time, I can do two bags of dockets, read the Financial Review and talk to my mates next to me! I am happy to table whatever is in this docket, because it is interesting stuff. I have a letter from Mr Jim Daly, of Adelaide Parklands Preservation Association Inc. and Adelaide city councillor fame, dated 27 March 2008, which I understand was just after they were briefed on the 11-month period. He writes, as follows:

Re: Declaration of Prescribed Works Period and Specified Area for the Clipsal 500 Adelaide Infrastructure Upgrade.

This is to me. 'Dear Mr Foley'—doesn't say 'Kevin', but never mind.

An honourable member: Who wrote it?

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Jim Daly. He writes:

I refer to the proposal that a new Prescribed Works Period for Park 16, Victoria Park, for the purposes of undertaking an upgrade of the Clipsal 500 infrastructure commencing on 30 April 2008 and conclude 15 May 2009.

At that point you would think that the next paragraph would go, 'Shock, horror, don't do it for 11 months.' Hello, it is not. He says:

Whilst APPA [that is, the Adelaide Parklands Preservation Association Inc.] is pleased that it is now proposed to erect a demountable pit building in lieu of the originally proposed permanent structure we are concerned—

and I thought at that point that it will be 11 months that this thing is going to be up for—no—

that it is intended to maintain and utilise the existing on-site administration huts as the works management offices during the above Prescribed Works Period.

He is worried about some huts. He further states:

It is considered both inappropriate and inefficient to retain these site administration huts in their current location remote from where the construction activity will be occurring. With the SAJC's decision to vacate Victoria Park surely these buildings could be relocated to the north-eastern area of the park where road access, power, water and sewage facilities would be readily available? Alternatively the demolition program for the SAJC buildings may allow for one of these vacated buildings to be available for use as works management offices during the period. It is therefore requested—

and I thought at this point maybe he is going to request that we don't do it for 11 months—no. He says:

It is therefore requested that consideration be given to removing the existing site administration buildings from their current inappropriate location.

APPA is also concerned that the proposed infrastructure works will restrict public access and other events and supporting activities in Victoria Park during the extended Prescribed Works Period. Also of concern is the effect on existing trees and grasses.

Your early response to the above concerns would be appreciated.

Nowhere does he say, 'Shock, horror' about 11 months. Nowhere does he say, 'Don't do it.' Nowhere does he say, 'We want you to redesign it.' Who was on telly yesterday? Jim Daly was on telly, from memory. I can only guess, I cannot recall exactly, but I think he was concerned—and shock, horror—about the 11 months. So was that councillor, the one named Anne Moran. She was also briefed. The 11-month period has not been argued against by the Adelaide Parklands Preservation Society.

They are arguing about where a few huts are, where we might get a bit of access and where there might be some trees that are ruffled, but nowhere do they say, 'Don't do it', because they have had it explained to them that this is necessary. Why is it necessary in the first year? We have to do new foundations, new concrete pads, new sewerage, new water, new electrics and new plumbing, and for certification of the structure, bearing in mind this particular type of infrastructure has not been built, a new configuration, they need more time to erect it to get it right. We are putting in place the largest—wait for it, world first—shaded canopy. At 400 metres long, it will be the largest shaded canopy over a grandstand anywhere in the world. Do you know what they reckon we had better do? We had better put it up and make sure it works before the race—

Ms Chapman: That is what they used to say about the Le Cornu's building—the longest curved window in the southern hemisphere!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: No, Vickie, I am not as old as you, sorry. We have to put it up, so that we can get it all certified that it works. The last thing I want to do is to see this thing go up and—

Mr Hamilton-Smith: Fall down on you.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: That is true; that would probably be the last thing I would ever do in this job. But we have to put it up before Christmas to get it certified.

Can I say, as I said yesterday, and as the Premier said before, sometimes you have got to admit that you're wrong and do what's right. And you know what? I was wrong. I reckon I was wrong. Because the new structure we have now is better than what we would have had under the compromise of a permanent structure. What we have now is 25,000 South Australians who will not get sunburnt. That matters to this government now. They will have shade, and our sponsors will have better facilities, and it will be a better structure. So what happened by being forced back to the drawing board, as I said in a press conference yesterday, was that we let our creative juices flow. And I was brought into the mix. They even asked my opinion. They brought me around the table, and they said to me—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: No, seriously, I remember Roger Cook saying 'Minister, we might be able to cover all the grandstands, but the only problem is it's never been done anywhere in the world,' and I said, 'Let's be world leading,' and we've done it. So I am pretty happy with it. I am sure the minister is delighted with it.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Jim Daly's happy with it. And, Mr Speaker, good government is about admitting when you're wrong to do what's right. I hereby table the document.

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