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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
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MINING INDUSTRY

Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop) (15:02): Can I ask a supplementary, Mr Speaker?

The SPEAKER: Yes, I suppose you could, member for MacKillop.

Mr WILLIAMS: Given the Premier's expansive answer to the previous question, can he explain why the reputable Canadian-based Fraser Institute has dropped our ranking from number 7 only a few years ago as a place of preference for the mining sector, to currently number 20 in the world?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Housing and Urban Development) (15:02): Thank you very much.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: A point of clarification, please.

The SPEAKER: No, if you're going to ask me why the Minister for Mineral Resources is answering the question instead of the Premier, I am going to have to call you to order because it is a frivolous and vexatious point of order.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: No, it is a genuine point of clarification. I thought if a supplementary was asked to the person who provided the first answer, then that person should answer.

The SPEAKER: No, that's not correct and, so, accordingly, I call you to order. The Minister for Mineral Resources.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I am surprised that the member for MacKillop has raised the Fraser Institute, because every time the government gets up and lauds our ranking in the Fraser Institute in terms of our regulatory approach in the nation, compared to the rest of the nation, and how we compare to the rest of the world, we usually get groans from the opposition benches about how the Canadian Fraser Institute is not always the best mark to be counted against.

An honourable member: So you were over-spruiking, were you?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Were we over-spruiking? We are passionate about South Australia and, if you want to talk about how well we're doing in terms of mining, I think members opposite should take a look at the actual basic figures. South Australia is continuing to grow in the mining sector. Adelaide Resources yesterday demonstrated that, as exploration targets, we are a very good place—

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Point of order, member for MacKillop.

Mr WILLIAMS: There appears to be no relevance to the answer that the minister is giving to my supplementary question.

The SPEAKER: I will listen carefully. Minister.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: In the calendar year 2011, production reached a record $6.5 billion, increasing by $1.6 billion from $4.9 billion in 2010.

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: If the member for MacKillop takes a point of order of relevance, I shall have to call him to order. Does he wish to take that point?

Mr WILLIAMS: I do, indeed, sir.

The SPEAKER: Then I call you to order.

Mr WILLIAMS: My question was about the Fraser Institute's ranking. It was nothing to do with the production figures it was about the Fraser Institute's ranking.

The SPEAKER: The member for MacKillop is warned a first and second time. The Minister for Mineral Resources.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Just to educate members opposite, the Fraser Institute does a series of anonymous surveys. They speak to people who conduct business within South Australia and they speak to people who are producers, explorers, speculators and minerals service providers, and they take surveys. They ask them about their interaction with government, the commonwealth government, the EPA, DMITRE, and they ask them about how their production and exploration targets are being met. But, when I try to talk about how exploration and exports are going, which a lot of the rankings are based on, members opposite say, 'You can't use that.' Well, that's how the Fraser Institute bases its rankings.

So, on that, we have increased our production by 31 per cent more than the previous year. Growth in our mineral sector continues as a result of mine development and expansion, rapid growth production and on-going exploration efforts. In 2002, we only had four mines; today we have 20 major mines operating, approved or under construction. That's a five-fold expansion in the number of major mines in the last decade. In the 2011 calendar year, production for the minerals sector reached a record $5.5 billion. That's up $1.5 billion from 2010. That's an increase of 38 per cent.

Now, that means the state is on track to meet the challenging target of $10 billion, set out in our State's Strategic Plan for mineral production and processing by 2020. In the last financial year, the mining industry increased its contribution to South Australia's gross state product by $1.059 billion, taking it to over $3.8 billion per year. The breakdown of the state's commodity production highlights—you're leaving. You don't want to hear the rest of the answer and the good news? You're walking out. You're walking out—it's typical, Mr Speaker. It is typical of members opposite. They mock question time; they don't take it seriously. He asks a question; now he walks out of the chamber.

Members interjecting:

Mr PISONI: Point of order, Mr Speaker. You have time and time again pulled members up or called points of order yourself when other members have discussed the movements of members in the house.

The SPEAKER: Yes, the member for Unley is quite right, and he needn't present standing orders to me, because it actually isn't in standing orders. It's in Erskine May and the tradition of the house. I was distracted from the minister's breach of that practice by the Opposition Whip giving me the grievance list, and so we'll leave it there.

Mr GARDNER: I fear I must ask a question of clarification. Are you not yourself then talking about my position in the house, and is that appropriate?

The SPEAKER: It's entirely appropriate that you give me a list of opposition questions and entirely appropriate that you give me a list of projected opposition grievances and that I give it due attention, which I did, and which distracted me from the breach of the minister.

Mr GARDNER: I feel suitably assisted by that.

The SPEAKER: Good. Happy to assist.

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