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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-10-29 Daily Xml
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Ministerial Statement

INNER CITY REVITALISATION

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Treasurer, Minister for State Development, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for the Arts) (14:05): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Modern capital cities compete in a global market for the most talented people and highly innovative businesses they work in. The high quality of South Australia's secondary and tertiary education means the best and brightest South Australians are in high demand across the world. Our graduates can easily get a job in Sydney or Melbourne, or London, San Francisco or Shanghai.

To keep talented South Australians here and to attract talented workers from elsewhere, Adelaide needs to be a city that delivers the sort of cultural and lifestyle experience that they demand. This is a lifestyle that is driven by the benefits of medium-density living like more walkable neighbourhoods; a broader variety of restaurants, bars and shops; and shorter commuting times. This is one of the objectives behind our Housing in the City policy, in which we outline our government's plans to build on the city planning reforms we introduced last year and the transport plan we released last week to increase housing in our inner city.

This is part of our vision for a new Adelaide: an Adelaide that is vibrant, cultured, creative and open for business; an Adelaide where trams return to our streets, where our expansive Parklands become the backyards of a new generation of inner city residents, and where people can live close to the places they work and catch up with their friends.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: To make this happen, we are rezoning selected inner city areas so new homes, restaurants and shops can be built.

Mr Marshall: Ashford?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: We are extending our stamp duty concession for off-the-plan apartment purchases to the areas being rezoned.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Premier, could you be seated for a moment? I call the members for Finniss and Morialta, the deputy leader and the leader to order, and I warn them all for the first time for repeated interjecting. Premier.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Thank you, Mr Speaker. For people living centrally, it will make it more viable to create the new public transport options we have outlined in the transport plan, including trams that loop the city, with spurs to the suburbs north, south, east and west, that will travel past the front doors of homes on our newly-zoned corridors. Importantly, we have listened to community views and we will make sure there is a strong focus on good design that complements the attractive housing for which our city is renowned.

We will engage those we want to keep—smart young people who are seeking new opportunities to get a start in their hometown and who want to live close to their work. As our policy notes, we have more than halved our annual loss of people to other states from the mid-1990s, from when those opposite were in power, but there is more work to do.

Mr Gardner: The mid-1990s!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: We will also engage with older South Australians looking for easy-to-maintain homes in inner city locations as their larger homes empty out. Mr Speaker, I am excited about the opportunities ahead for our city. There are currently 63 projects, with an approximate value of $6.1 billion, either under construction, approved, or being considered.

Soon, we will watch cricket and AFL at our newly-developed Adelaide Oval; new small bars and venues are opening their doors; we are setting up new places where entrepreneurs can collaborate; and the Riverbank precinct is set to become a hub for entertainment, sport, culture and excitement. This next step—to open up more inner city housing options—will give even more South Australians a chance to live, work and play in and around the city, helping us to build a stronger South Australia.

The SPEAKER: I warn the member for Morialta for the second and final time.

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