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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-03-06 Daily Xml
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KANGAROO ISLAND FUTURES AUTHORITY

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (15:20): I would like to spend a few minutes today talking about the expenditure of millions of dollars by the Kangaroo Island Futures Authority, more particularly in relation to education. I will immediately go to something that happened last week when they were behind an aquaponics workshop at Parndana on Kangaroo Island. There is an aquaculture program at Parndana school that produces barramundi, which is basically a training centre, and they do sell some off commercially.

Suffice to say that a member of the governing council spoke to me expressing their concern that this workshop was being held and that the school administration, etc., had not been informed in any way, shape or form. I find it absolutely ridiculous. Further, the organisation KIFA has now put out a glossy video on an integrated education model for Kangaroo Island. Well, a little bit of history needs to be put into perspective here.

Some nine years ago Kangaroo Island community education was brought into vogue. I think that the member for Reynell was involved in that at the time; I think she chaired a meeting over there. It had a pretty rough start and it did not work all that well. The three schools were brought under one school banner and three campuses now operate. In the last few years it has starting performing like a Rolls-Royce. I can only express my admiration for the way the system is working, the way that the money is being spent on the developments and putting in place other things. It has been wonderful to see.

So I am somewhat stunned, bewildered and, indeed, highly annoyed that KIFA have decided that in their infinite wisdom they are going to put in place an integrated education model and put in another layer of bureaucracy to run over the top of the school and put together places like TAFE, schools, Housing SA, preschools etc., and bring them all under one banner. I find it absolutely point-blank ridiculous including preschools. There would have to be legislative changes to do this.

I have had a number of governing council members on the island express their concern to me. Whoever dreamt up this wants putting out in the back paddock, quite frankly. It is errant stupidity to do this to a system that is running particularly well. I find this waste of taxpayers' money on something like this to be completely ridiculous. If they spent money on something useful instead of putting pie-in-the-sky ideas like this into perspective, I could understand it. I have complete and utter faith in the current administration of the school, the principal, the three heads of campus and most of the governing council members who are running the operation at the moment.

It is running particularly well. It does not want this stupidity thrust upon it; indeed, it should not have this stupidity thrust upon it. Increasing bureaucracy is about the last thing that is needed. I wonder where some people are on this. They need to stand up and be counted. I have had concerns for some time about the activities of KIFA, and I will continue to bring those matters to the house. If they dealt with issues like the cost of sea transport back and forward across to the island instead of trying to invent ways to justify their existence, they might be of some use. However, at the moment they are really not serving too much useful purpose.

I know they are messing around with the electricity connection from the mainland. In my view, the best thing that can happen there is for the cable to break and then they would get a new cable. Messing around with the education system and trying to put in place a different model—a prototype—smacks of absolute hypocrisy. It is a ridiculous and stupid idea. I suspect that I will probably get a phone call from somebody in KIFA fairly quickly after this.

It is in the bailiwick of the Deputy Premier. I have spoken to him a couple of times about it, but from what I have gathered nothing has been put in place to halt this integrated education concept. It is foolishness, it is an act of madness in my opinion, and it should be left alone. The schools should be left alone to run as they are now, running very well, running properly, and running in the best interests of the students in particular, the staff, and the people of Kangaroo Island.

I would humbly suggest that the house picks up and take notice of this, that KIFA gets back into its collective box and deals with things that it would be able to deal with instead of perpetrating ideas and spending thousands and thousands of dollars on consultants to try to put in place something that is simply not needed. I am going to keep a close eye on this. If I have to come back to the house and talk about it again I will. I am not happy about it. I expect it to be stopped forthwith. Stop producing glossy videos and sending people running around the countryside. Getting back to the start of it, what took place last Thursday under the KIFA banner was an act of stupidity.

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