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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-12-01 Daily Xml
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CITY WEST DEVELOPMENT

Mr BIGNELL (Mawson) (14:20): Will the Treasurer advise the house of the impact on the state's finances of the latest version of the opposition's proposed inner city stadium and hotel complex on the banks of the River Torrens?

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Federal/State Relations) (14:20): There has been much fanfare about the Leader of the Opposition's grand vision for the redevelopment of City West. We have made it very clear that our priority as a government is that it should be a hospital.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: With a blaze of glory they announced their grand vision. It is a number of iterations of the former leader, the member for Waite. In general, what was proposed by the leader was an undercover stadium with a retractable roof that would have a capacity somewhere between—depending on which interview and which spokesperson—50,000 and 80,000 people. They are going to demolish the Entertainment Centre, which has just had a major upgrade.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: They want to move the interstate rail terminal, not all the way into the city but, rather, just halfway.

Mr VENNING: I have a point of order, sir. The minister is debating the answer.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: When one looks at all the diagrams, it would clearly require the undergrounding of the metropolitan rail network from City West into Adelaide Railway Station. Then there is a grand vision of the country club hotel—I think there is one on both sides of the river—looking like something out of Las Vegas—and, of course, on Parklands. I am sure their candidate for Adelaide, Rachel Sanderson, was absolutely delighted and excited by that prospect.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: When it comes to cost, let us look at what the Leader of the Opposition said. She said:

A revitalised city centre is at the heart of a multimillion dollar development that will, once again, put Adelaide on the map as a vibrant and modern city or place to live.

She said 'multimillion'. I had an opportunity this week to debate the Leader of the Opposition. I was asked on Friday whether I would come into the studio to debate the Leader of the Opposition on this matter. I was more than happy to do so. I heard on the radio and was told on Monday morning that the Leader of the Opposition chose not to debate me on this matter: she debates only the Premier.

As members know, having an ego is not one of my failings. If the Leader of the Opposition chooses only to debate the Premier, not me, I can handle that. One would then expect that I would be debating the shadow treasurer. Would one be expecting that?

Honourable members: Yes!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Of course one would be expecting that, but I was told that that is not the case.

Mr PENGILLY: I have a point of order, sir. The question was: could the Treasurer elaborate on the plan put forward by the Liberal Party? The Deputy Premier is trying to debate the issue and straying into other areas.

The SPEAKER: I do not uphold the point of order.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Thank you, sir. This is a relevant point when one is explaining debating costs. So, who do I get? I get Rob Lucas. Come on down, Rob Lucas. Now, Rob Lucas rings in, and do you know what he said? I said, 'Where Is the Leader of the Opposition?' This is what Rob Lucas said on radio, 'The leader chooses only to debate the Premier.' I can accept that; that is what comes as being deputy. What did Rob Lucas say?—'Unfortunately, Kevin, you've got the B grade.' So, Rob Lucas is quite happy to admit that he is number two when it comes to finances. What I do say is that the deputy leader—if anyone has had any doubt and thought that I had been a bit harsh on the deputy leader in recent weeks—

Mr PEDERICK: On a point of order, Mr Speaker, I believe the Treasurer is straying from the context. The question was specifically about how good our City West proposal is.

The SPEAKER: I do not uphold the point of order. The Deputy Premier.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Thank you, sir. All I am saying is that, clearly, the shadow treasurer has given up. He has run away, he is scared to debate me, and I accept that. What I would like to say—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: —is that I am happy to have my old mate Rob Lucas back.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I am happy to have him back.

Mr Venning interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the member for Schubert!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Well, the leader's officers are telling everyone that Rob Lucas is the go-to man on finances. Her own advisers are saying that to the media. What Rob Lucas then had to admit on radio was that, in fact, it is not a multimillion dollar development; it is not even a $1 billion development: it is a multibillion dollar development and it is likely to be worth at least $2 billion or $3 billion, and it is not happening overnight. Rob Lucas said, 'It's a 20 or 30 year vision.' There is no final figure, but it will be some $2 billion to $3 billion and a 20 to 30 year vision. What he did say is, 'What we will promise to do is, in the first four to six years Isobel has committed to, firstly, the establishment of a development authority which will oversee the whole development.' So, all we have is a development authority.

Let's have a look at the finances and what it means for the state. Anyone can see that it is a poor man's Las Vegas on the Torrens. It would, without doubt, strip us of our AAA credit rating and plunge the state into very serious financial troubles. When she was asked how she was going to pay for it, the leader said—

Mr PENGILLY: On a point of order, sir, can I ask that the Treasurer refer to members—whether in this place or in the other place—by their correct titles and not 'She said', 'He said', 'Isobel'.

The SPEAKER: I did not hear the Deputy Premier do that but, if he did, he must use proper titles.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I apologise, sir. It's good to see the D and E grades coming out to attack me, isn't it?

Mr Griffiths interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: This guy sits there absolutely shell-shocked. Look at him—shell-shocked; he doesn't know which way to go. He doesn't know how to handle me, and this bloke had the cheek to question my capacity to be Treasurer of the state. He can't even get into a radio interview for a debate.

The leader said that she would raise $1 billion from land sales. In fact, what she said was that we would sell at least $400 million of State Sports Park, which I think, sir, is part of your electorate. That is $400 million. Do you reckon, if we were sitting on $400 million, that I, or even the Minister for Infrastructure, would let that sit there and not be sold?

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Yes—she says, 'Take advice from professionals.' The Acting Chief Executive of the Land Management Corporation, on written advice to the government, rezoned residential at the top of the market only. At the top of the market, you would be lucky to get $100 million for it. That is written advice. So, she is already $300 million out of pocket. Then she goes on to say that we could sell Keswick. Well, I am sure that more will be said about that during question time. I do not think Keswick will be an attractive option, given that it will still have rolling stock and it will still have heavy gauge; it is not going to be the most attractive place to live. Then, talking about the stadium—this stadium that grows and grows and grows—the leader said on FIVEaa:

We have specifically said that it needs to be built to FIFA standards, and we would anticipate something in the order of 60,000 to 80,000 capacity, with some convention and corporate facilities and car parking.

She is nodding. She has gone from 50 to 80,000—800 million—

Mrs Redmond: In the order.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: In the order of 50,000 to 80,000—in the order of. Well, what is your $800 million? Is that for 50,000 or 80,000? This just goes to show the financial risks the state takes, it could be 50,000 at $800 million, which is in a press release, or it could be 80,000 at God knows whatever.

Then, we have a look at the issue of parking. Rob Lucas in a radio interview said, 'I'm just getting note from the leader's office. Oh, there's plenty of parking,' and I think he said something to the effect—and I stand to be corrected—12,000 to 15,000. Breaking news: Heathrow Airport, the largest airport in the world, has about 13,000 car parks. You would need about four layers of the entire site built as car parks to accommodate the 12,000 to 15,000 car parks that Rob Lucas said would go on the site. Another ill thought through plan. It only gets more laughable—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: When we look at the argument that they would move the Keswick interstate rail line to the new stadium at the back, now with some 80,000 seats, as I said, it is not moving it into the city; it is moving it halfway. You still have to walk. They have allowed a number, I am told, of $200 million for that, and I am sure there will be more said. But, do you know what they did not take into account? That the suburban rail line and the country rail line, the haulage rail line, are two different gauges. I am advised—

Mr Venning: It is now.

The SPEAKER: The member for Schubert is warned.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I am advised by—

Mr Pengilly interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: We'd change them, would we? We would regauge the entire city. I am advised—

Mr Pengilly: I know a fair bit about trains.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: He knows a fair bit about trains.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson: The Kangaroo Island railway.

The SPEAKER: The Attorney-General!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The house will come to order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: They have allowed $200 million. A grade separation, which is infrastructure talk for an overpass or an underpass, advised by the head of our infrastructure department, at least $150 million. If you do not do that, you will have congestion and inoperability of the two systems. They did not put that cost into the—

Mr Griffiths interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Where were you, Steve, during all of this? You must have been on holidays. The final statement from the leader, which I just found both amusing and really sums it up—when she was on ABC Radio, this is what the leader said—because they are going to have a development authority in their first four years, that's what we get—cop this for a quote—

We're not planners.

Obviously—

We're not developers.

Obviously. Then she says:

Oh! And we're not the visionaries.

Well, who is the visionary of this proposal? It is an ill thought through proposal. It will cost billions and billions of dollars. It is—

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order. Not only is the Deputy Premier not responsible to the house for this matter, but he is debating it.

The SPEAKER: I think the Deputy Premier is starting to stray into debate, but I think he was winding up in any case.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I will conclude. This may well be the last question I get in this place before the election, because the shadow treasurer never asks me a question, so I will finish on a high note. This government has done much in the last eight years to regain our AAA credit rating, to make up the party of financial—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: —and economic government—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: —and I don't want to see—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: —all of our hard work—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order!

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for MacKillop will take his seat. The Deputy Premier has finished.

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