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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-11-29 Daily Xml
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PLANNING STRATEGY

Mr PICCOLO (Light) (14:47): My question is to the Minister for Planning. Can the minister update the house about the government's planning strategy, particularly how the government has acted to protect the character of the fertile agricultural land in the Barossa and McLaren Vale regions?

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Planning, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (14:47): I thank the honourable member for his question, and I note as a matter of interest to the house that the honourable member for Light, together with the honourable member for Mawson, has been very much involved in the process of working on this important legislation, and I thank them both for that. I acknowledge the member for Schubert, too, who at various times has had an opinion on many sides of that particular question and has recently finished painting a bridge, which is to his great credit. I think the EPA want to visit you about something in the water—but I digress.

Today I tabled a report card to the planning strategy for 2011-12. The report card tracks the government's progress and details our achievements over the past year—of which, of course, there have been many. A key aspect of our planning strategy is the need to plan for the future growth of Adelaide. We know that a metropolitan Adelaide that starts near Port Wakefield and finishes near Victor Harbor would not be workable. More than this, metropolitan Adelaide would swallow important productive agricultural land (which is a matter that I know concerns the member for Schubert).

We have identified the need to reduce growth on the fringes and encourage consolidation around the heart of the city. The government's Vibrant Adelaide initiatives are clearly important to achieving these goals, but the government also recognises the importance of agriculture and is committed to building the state's clean, green food industries. The 30-year Plan for Greater Adelaide identifies the need to protect 375,000 hectares of productive agricultural land from inappropriate development.

Another key achievement of the Weatherill government this year has been the preservation of valuable agricultural land through the character preservation legislation (in particular, we are talking here about the McLaren and Barossa Valley regions). These groundbreaking laws will support key agricultural regions and halt the march of new suburbs into productive land.

The Hon. I.F. EVANS: Point of order, Madam Speaker. I draw your attention to standing order 128, which is repetition: where the member indulges in repetition of the substance already presented in debate. What the minister is speaking about has already been fully debated through this chamber and passed. He is simply repeating debate.

The SPEAKER: Minister, I am sure you are very aware of that standing order. I hope you have something new to add.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I am. It is in the forefront of my mind, Madam Speaker. But I am also minded of the member for Morialta's standing order: having a fair go. That one I am also thinking about. But I am nearly finished, anyway. These groundbreaking laws will support key agricultural regions. The government is committed to working and, more importantly, to actually getting things done. This is a government that delivers on its ideas. We are a can-do government.

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