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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-07-01 Daily Xml
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Riverland Cabinet

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (15:44): Today, I rise to speak about the recent visit by the country cabinet up to the Riverland. After 12 years of neglect up in the Riverland, I cautiously welcomed the cabinet to the region, but it was with hesitation that I welcomed the Labor state cabinet to my electorate, and it was on the promise that the visit was not another talkfest. Labor ministers travelled across the Riverland, making re-announcements, officially opening facilities that locals have been using for months.

On Sunday, I attended a community forum and it raised a number of questions in a very short time frame, but most of those questions were not given answers. Most of those questions were given political spin. Locals did welcome the opportunity to ask questions directly to ministers on which they had rung officials and written letters, waiting months for replies, and many were still to be given answers. So, it was a good chance for locals to look those ministers in the eye and just reflect on the lack of commitment those ministers had given them.

A local media report read that winemaker Eric Semmler, Australia's Winemaker of the Year, from 919 Wines, asked the Treasurer and the Minister for Energy what could be done about power prices, which continue to rise and take significant margins out of irrigators' revenue. While the answer from the Treasurer was essentially a nothing answer, Mr Semmler was happy that he had the chance to ask the question. That basically summed up the entire meeting. After 12 long years, it was good to have recognition that Labor is aware that the Riverland is still on the map, albeit only three hours' drive from Adelaide.

In the overall wash-up of the visit, it was clear that we did not really get much out of it. In fact, the regional development minister said on radio that it would take 90 days to respond to issues and questions, which I find quite amazing. On the Berri Bowling Club land issue that has been going on for seven years—seven long years of uncertainty for those people—the Premier said that that would be addressed before the cabinet left town. That issue has not been addressed. These are the reasons I am sceptical.

Labor was very quick to distribute these happy media releases and continually blame the federal government for the state's economic situation. I had the education minister detailing that I had no concept of regional education. Minister, you are so wrong. I have 54 schools in my electorate, three that have closed in the last three years. You did not even address the issue of a school which partially burnt down in October of last year but which still has not been repaired. Would that have happened in Adelaide? I think not. So there are issues that the minister, with her flippant press releases, simply blames on the federal government budget cuts, without any understanding of what impact this government is having on regional education.

When the whirlwind trip was over, it was hard not to feel that it was nothing more than a PR exercise. Now it will be up to the government to prove that it was not and for the region to see tangible results, not token gestures, in an area that has one of country SA's highest rates of unemployment, but is still South Australia's foodbowl.

During the visit, the Premier called the Riverland 'tiger country' and said that Labor barely gets a vote in the Riverland. Well, Mr Premier, there is a reason for that: that is 12 years of neglect, 12 years of not stepping outside the boundaries of metropolitan Adelaide, and 12 years of defunding and budget cuts around supporting the foodbowl. It is about supporting regional South Australia that this region has not seen for an extended period of time. So, Premier, one visit does not make up for the fact that, year after year, this government continues to show that it does not care for regional South Australia.

We have seen the importation of a regional development affairs minister, and 'all things will be fine in the regions of South Australia now that we have a minister', but I can assure the house that that is not the case. This government continues to look a gift horse in the mouth. The economic driver for South Australia is in regional South Australia. This government must understand the importance and give the recognition that regional South Australia deserves.

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