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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-03-09 Daily Xml
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GILLMAN MOTORPLEX

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite) (14:46): My question is to the Premier. Why will the government not sell land held by LMC at Gillman to the proponents of a motorplex at Port Adelaide? The proponents of the motorplex want to invest $100 million of their own money over five years. Their proposal requires no spending by the state government, and they are willing to pay commercial rates to buy or lease the land. Over 500 local businesses and thousands of others have indicated their support for the project.

The SPEAKER: I am sorry. Before you start, minister, can the member for Waite just repeat the question? I did not hear the question properly.

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: Why will the government not sell land held by LMC at Gillman to the proponents of a motorplex at Port Adelaide?

The SPEAKER: Thank you. The Minister for Defence Industries.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Police, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Motor Sport, Minister Assisting the Premier with the Olympic Dam Expansion Project) (14:47): The Minister for Motor Sport, Madam Speaker. I met with this group today. I am also the local member—

Mr Williams interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Do you want an answer? Thank you.

Mr Williams interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Sorry?

Mr Williams: Get on with it!

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister will answer the question.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Madam Speaker, I am also the local member for Port Adelaide, and I declare a clear conflict of interest for the final decision. I would say up-front that, if and when this matter goes before cabinet, I would absent myself given my clear position as a local member, because, as a local member, there are serious issues of impact on surrounding households very close to residents within inner Port Adelaide, within Rosewater, Ottoway, the Newport—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Sorry? It is a conflict of interest. You clearly do not understand ministerial responsibility.

Ms Chapman: Oh, you do?

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Yes, I do.

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Bragg!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I'm not going to bother.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Pisoni: Go on, go home. If you don't want to do your job, go home.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Madam Speaker, I have no intention of giving an answer and trying to compete with a howling gale of abuse opposite. Now, members asked a question; we are trying to give an answer. But if members do not want to hear, I am not going to waste my time or the time of the house.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Bragg, you are warned.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: All I am asking is that you allow me to answer the question which was asked. It was a fair question; I will give a fair answer, I hope. Thank you. It is a conflict of interest, as we see it. As a local member, my pecuniary interest is substantially enhanced, or not, by significant decisions given that this affects all of my electorate. I believe that to be a conflict of interest, and that is in keeping with the ministerial code of conduct. I would therefore allow another minister to carry that matter to cabinet.

You may disagree, member for Bragg, but I am happy with that decision. However, it does impact significantly on local residents. Equally, it is a substantial piece of industrial land currently put aside for industrial development. Now, we have a shortage of good quality industrial land close to the city in Adelaide; so, we need to be mindful of the best use of available land.

That said, what the Premier undertook—and the Premier and I visited the site shortly after the election and, I have to say, were attacked by a swam of mosquitoes.

The Hon. M.D. Rann: We were. Very aggressive.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Exactly.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Waite will behave.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: The Premier—and I said this to the group today—has offered to pay half for an acoustic survey to be undertaken as to the noise impact on the community. I said to the group today that if that piece of work is done and shows that there is no detrimental impact then I will certainly accept that. I will manage the logistics of the exercise up until the matter goes before cabinet. We have a project officer who has been given the job of managing this project and we have two officers from the LMC working with the group.

The problem we have is that the group was asked nearly a year ago, I think, at least eight or nine months ago, to provide a detailed concept design of what they are proposing so that we can then assess and call in the consultants to undertake the noise study, and they have not come back to us. They have not delivered plans or a concept design for the facility to government. So, in the absence of a design we have nothing for which we can prepare work to model the noise impact.

What I have said to the group today is, 'Let's get together.' There seems to be a large number of people speaking to this group. I have said, 'You really have to get your act together in terms of who it is that is negotiating with government.' We have agreed to have a meeting in the next week or so with my officers to get this stuff sorted out.

That said, the group has said that they will be protesting on Friday, they will be parading a number of their cars promoting a Port Adelaide motorsport park on the roads around the Clipsal on Friday. I have asked them not to do that because that I think that: (a) I am acting in good faith, they do not need to protest, the ball is in their court; and (b) it is an incredibly important day for the state. The Clipsal 500 is a flagship project and event and I think it would be unwise for that to occur. I am very disappointed that the member for Waite has endorsed that particular protest action. It seems unusual that an opposition would endorse a potential civil disobedience.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: It has been suggested that they will disrupt traffic.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: That is what has been said. All I am saying is that I hope they do not.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition, be quiet. Minister, could you finish your answer?

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I think I have.

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