House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-05-26 Daily Xml

Contents

ADELAIDE OVAL

The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (14:54): My question, again, is to the Treasurer. Does the $535 million state government contribution toward the Adelaide Oval upgrade include the cost of new car parking infrastructure in the precinct, and will football or cricket codes be expected to pay any costs towards new car parking infrastructure; and, if so, how much?

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Federal/State Relations, Minister for Defence Industries) (14:54): Again, Madam Speaker, I have answered that question—if not in full, certainly in large part—in my press conference today and other media interviews that I have done. We are in the process of identifying a number of locations around the precinct that will be suitable for a low cost transformation, perhaps greening. Some current industrial land in the precinct, particularly around the rail yards, will give us an option to provide a good—

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: Why is that funny? How hilarious is that?

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: What, the western Parklands?

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I am not sure who is answering the question here, the Deputy Premier or the Leader of the Opposition, but it was directed at the Deputy Premier.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: We are identifying that land. My advice from the SMA is that they are undertaking a very detailed audit—

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: It's funny.

The SPEAKER: Deputy Premier.

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Squirming—of the car parking availability in the CBD—the average availability on a Friday night, a Saturday afternoon, a Sunday—to get a good understanding of what is the installed capacity of available car park, which, I am advised, is a very large number. Of course, we also have the Convention Centre car parking that is in place at present and car parks such as the one we have within this place. We have the park-and-ride on Port Road at the Entertainment Centre—before the member for Norwood interjects, when a concert is not on or a concert that fills the car park—and a greater use of public transport than is used at present. With that work underway, there has already been public discussion, indeed, by the council itself, that there be an underground car park—

The Hon. I.F. Evans interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I am getting to that. They would like to see some underground car parking in the precinct. We are not uncomfortable with that at all, but what we have said to the SMA is that any contribution from taxpayers towards any car park would again have to fit within the 450 plus 85 envelope. That is entirely up to them. My understanding is that they are looking at commercial operators, commercial car parking companies and investors who might want to invest and, indeed, talking to the council, which, I understand, on advice, has a car parking fund of some millions. We will not be making a provision for an underground car park as such, in addition to what we have already said.