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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-05-30 Daily Xml
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THINKERS IN RESIDENCE

Mr ODENWALDER (Little Para) (14:07): My question is also to the Premier. Can the Premier inform the house what is happening with the Adelaide Thinkers in Residence program and the Integrated Design Commission?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Minister for State Development) (14:07): Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Premier, can you sit down for a moment until we have some order from the other side. It is not appropriate to shout across the chamber. The Premier, thank you.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Thank you, Madam Speaker. The government has announced today that we will wind up the Adelaide Thinkers in Residence program and the Integrated Design Commission. Given decreased revenues, the government has had to rationalise programs and we have taken—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —the decision not to invest further in funding these programs. Since their inception, though, in 2003 the Adelaide Thinkers in Residence program has brought a range of new ideas into the state and helped turn them into practical solutions which improve the lives of South Australians. In particular, Fraser Mustard has sparked our world-renowned children centres; Fred Hanson, who now leads the Urban Renewal Authority, was crucial in changing our thinking in how we planned our neighbourhoods to be more people focused; Rosanne Haggerty's work has led to common ground housing for homeless people; and recently Göran Roos has informed our advanced manufacturing strategy.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: These outcomes are concrete, and it is clear to me that the legacy of our thinkers will continue to reap benefits for many years to come. However, we needed to make sensible economies—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! There will be order on my left. I cannot hear the Premier.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: We needed to make some sensible economies, and the government-funded initiative, the Thinkers in Residence program, will conclude in the 2012-13 financial year, once the current contracted Thinkers in Residence complete their residencies.

The program has evolved from an entirely state-funded program to one where industry and non-government investment provide an important source of funding. Therefore, we are hopeful that partners willing to continue this approach outside of government will be found. We will explore this possibility during 2012-13 with the private and non-government sectors.

This is also the case for the Integrated Design Commission, for which funding will cease at the end of 2012. Over the past two years, the commission has worked on a range of projects, including mapping South Australia's design sector, exploring how to strengthen design capability in our advanced manufacturing industry, and the flagship integrated design strategy for the city and surrounds known as 5000+. 5000+ has brought together the federal, state and local government design industry and thousands of South Australians to consider how our city will be shaped into the future, and is due for completion in June. Although the Integrated Design Commissioner's contract was due to end in June, I have asked him to stay on until the end of the year to complete his work and to ensure that we embed the lessons of 5000+ and the integrated design approaches across government.

An important change brought about by the IDC will continue through the role of the South Australian Government Architect, and the design review has now been embedded in our planning system, most significantly in the work of the Adelaide City Council's new development plan. The IDC has played a key role in promoting innovation across design, planning and development, and I thank Commissioner Tim Horton for his leadership and hard work.

The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition.

Mrs REDMOND: I am a bit tempted to ask why it is that government members get answers to budget questions before budget day, but I won't.

The Hon. J.J. Snelling interjecting:

Mrs REDMOND: And you will say you are the government and you will tell us what you want. I will ask a question of the Premier instead.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Point of order, Madam Speaker.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for MacKillop will be quiet or leave the chamber.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: For the benefit of the member for MacKillop, the standing order that covers questions is 97. It does not allow musings about what you might do in a different world.

The SPEAKER: Thank you, minister for transport. I refer the member back to the question.

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