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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
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PLANNING STRATEGY

Mr SIBBONS (Mitchell) (14:34): A supplementary, sir.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: A supplementary.

Mr SIBBONS: This is for the Minister for Planning: I am just wondering if the minister can inform the house and expand on community and industry responses received to government planning policies, if he is possibly able to do that.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. I.F. Evans: It's the same question!

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Planning, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (14:34): I think technically he is asking me to expand on it a little, which is a different question.

The Hon. I.F. EVANS: Point of order: the member for Mitchell just reread exactly the same question.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, I think the question was rephrased; the minister is in order. Minister.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Yes, thank you. I am happy to expand on it. Thank you for that question without notice, Member for Mitchell; I am happy to expand on it. The interesting thing about planning which is coming back so strongly to me from community groups and industry groups is that the community groups are saying, 'We like the fact the government consults with us; we like the fact'—

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Okay; they titter so, but the fact is that community groups are being consulted with. In fact, the most bizarre thing I get asked several times—it is often possibly the member for Bragg doing this—is, 'Why isn't there any consultation?' and you discover that, on that same day, there is a meeting in the electorate of Bragg specifically for the purpose of consulting on the thing that apparently no consulting is occurring on, and this happens over and over again.

Whether the consultation should be done on a door-to-door consultation basis, which appears to be the view that some people have, I don't know, but what I do know is that there is extensive consultation going on about these things and there is broad community acceptance of what is going on. In fact, the community is starting to warm up to change.

Ms Chapman: Warm up!

The Hon. J.R. RAU: No, they are—they are. Can I say: even Burnside council—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: —even Burnside council—

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Hammond!

The Hon. J.R. RAU: —even Burnside council wrote a very nice letter to me a while ago where they said, 'Look, after consultation'—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: How did it start?

The Hon. J.R. RAU: It started 'Dear Minister', and it said, 'After consultation, we would be happy to have six storeys along our area there in Greenhill Road; we think that's fine.' I thought, gee, that's really good, and ultimately that is what we have done. But then, unfortunately, a few weeks later they wrote back to me again and said, 'Oh, look, by the way, we did say six, but we have talked to a couple of the people who live in the area and they would rather it be four, so can you just ignore what we said before and drop it down a bit?' The problem with consultation is not lying with the government; in that instance, it is more in terms of the council communicating with their own people. But anyway, I digress. There is strong support for what the government is doing and, as for industry—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition will stop interjecting.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: As for industry—

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.R. RAU: As for industry, industry has been to a number of meetings convened by the Premier—

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The Speaker asked the Leader of the Opposition and the minister to stop interjecting, please.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: The Premier has convened a number of meetings with industry groups. At those meetings, those industry groups have said things to us like: can we do something about stamp duty relief? Done. Can we do something about improving the incentives for first home buyers? Done. Can we do something about improving the residential code? Done. Can we do something about private certification? Done. Can we do something about the building codes of practice? Done. We are getting on with it, and the industry groups are happy with what we are doing because they get responses, they have certainty, and they know we are supporting them doing what they need to do to employ South Australians.

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