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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-05-13 Daily Xml
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ADELAIDE OVAL

The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (14:21): My question is to the Treasurer. Following the Treasurer's statement on 2 December in regard to the upgrade of Adelaide Oval that, 'This is a $450 million commitment at the most,' and another comment on 8 April that there would be 'no more from government than the $450 million', why is the Treasurer now not prepared to confirm to the house that $450 million is the maximum level of commitment from the state government?

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Federal/State Relations, Minister for Defence Industries) (14:21): Prior to the election we made a commitment to football and cricket that, if they get the agreement of all parties to move to Adelaide Oval, we will provide $450 million. That $450 million includes a repayment of SACA's debt. The final level of SACA's debt will not be known until completion of the current stand. That was the offer approved by cabinet.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Treasurer.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Getting all excited over there.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Deputy Premier.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I have been unable to be more specific about the cost of the stadium and what the state government contribution will be for the reason that I announce to the house now. The Stadium Management Authority knows that it has to come back to government with an oval suitable for AFL football and capable of holding 50,000 people within the $450 million envelope from the government. We also have an offer from the commonwealth, which includes a $100 million contribution from the commonwealth.

I can advise the house that detailed negotiations, in confidence, have been undertaken between the state government and the commonwealth. The South Australian government and the commonwealth government have reached an agreement on cost sharing of the Adelaide Oval upgrade and redevelopment, to cost share the costs to enable it to be compliant for World Cup purposes, contingent on Australia winning the World Cup bid. Costs for stadium redevelopment and associated World Cup capital works will be provided by the commonwealth to a cap. I announce to the house today that that cap is well in excess of the earlier $100 million figure sought by this government.

The quite significant amount of money that the commonwealth has agreed to provide to us should we be successful means that the envelope of available funding for the upgrade of Adelaide Oval means that the SMA is able to provide to the government a number of options. There will be an option within the envelope that we have provided to the SMA. There is also the option of a more significant development within the envelope of the quite substantial commonwealth cost sharing offer, which is well in excess of $100 million. This will require—and this is the important point—no further state government contribution. That is my advice. That really does take the sting out of the story.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I am advised that the substantial amount of money that has been offered to the state government can be used forthwith in terms of the construction upgrade. It will not be provided to the government in 2022 or 2018, whichever World Cup we get.

This government realises that the contribution provided by the commonwealth to make the oval FIFA compliant, enables design work to let to see what it would look like with a larger budget available to build it. That does not require any more state government contribution.

I am reluctant to be more specific simply because we do not as yet have agreement from the football codes and the cricket on the actual move to Adelaide Oval. This could be a hypothetical question. The SMA—

An honourable member: I think it is.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I believe it is going ahead but until you see the signature on the bottom line—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: No, I am talking about my responsibility as a minister in answering questions. We do not as yet have agreement. We do not have the final design work; we do not have the final engineering work completed. The SMA, on my advice, do not have the final costs themselves but I can say today to the house that the upgrade of Adelaide Oval—if the opposition is trying to suggest that it would be an expansion of its footprint—will be built within the existing footprint of Adelaide Oval. The care, control and maintenance issue is about the parklands and on-site parking. The control of the precinct is a matter between the council and the SMA as to the appropriate boundaries for that.

We have diligently been working through the issue of funding. If we are successful with the World Cup, we will have an envelope of money—of commonwealth provided assistance—together with our $450 million which will enable us to have an outstanding, FIFA compliant, AFL compliant stadium that is suitable for other sports. In the words of Andrew Demetriou just the other day to me, 'This will be the best stadium in Australia in terms of its size and its function.' Now the opposition—

An honourable member: Like the MCG.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: —like the MCG; like every football oval in the United Kingdom, bar Wembley I think. I even asked Leigh Whicker and he told me that the average days of rain at a football match last season was 2.2 Saturdays. A lot of money—

The Hon. M.D. Rann: The leader hasn't even been to AAMI Stadium!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: The leader has never been to AAMI Stadium. She doesn't know what a football match is, but Australian men—because it is a man's sport at AFL level—are rugged and tough. They can handle the rain but, in the early designs that I have seen, the vast majority of people will be undercover.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Bragg!

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Norwood!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I keep saying to the member for Norwood: just a little more subtlety. Even in the Liberal Party, it will take you more than 12 months to have your first leadership crack.

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: Maybe not.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Well, maybe; it is the Liberal Party.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: But I think the member for Norwood does have tickets on himself, doesn't he?

The SPEAKER: Deputy Premier!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: He's been here three days.

The SPEAKER: Deputy Premier!

Mrs REDMOND: I have a point of order regarding standing order 127: reflections on members.

The SPEAKER: I think the Deputy Premier does need to be careful there, but he is finished, I think, so we will go on to the next question. The member for Davenport.

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