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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
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Parliamentary Committees

Public Works Committee: State Drill Core Reference Library Facility

Ms DIGANCE (Elder) (11:43): I move:

That the 504th report of the committee be noted.

The current State Drill Core Reference Library was established at Glenside in 1978 for the retention of signature drill cores. It was established as part of a vision for South Australia's new mineral precinct, which included the construction of the Australian Mineral Foundation. This facility, managed by DMITRE, is recognised by the minerals and petroleum industry as one of the best purpose-built drill core reference libraries in the world, and is an integral part of the world-leading online geological web application the South Australian Resources Information Geoserver (SARIG).

It is a requirement under several pieces of state government legislation to store drill samples such as the Mining Act 1971 refers to. The current holdings of the State Drill Core Reference Library consist of over 7.5 million metres of core samples notionally valued in excess of $1 billion, in 2013 terms, including drill samples that date back to the 1800s. The samples are held across four sites—Glenside, Thebarton, Moonta and Whyalla—and the library acquires around 30,000 to 40,000 metres of samples annually.

The critical issue facing the current State Drill Core Reference Library is that full storage capacity will be reached in late 2014. It is proposed to establish a new consolidated facility at the Tonsley redevelopment site, at a total project cost of $32.2 million (GST exclusive), which includes a contingency of $3 million. The proposed new facility will comprise not only a new purpose-built library space for the storage of existing core and future core samples but also new data collection and logging areas within the facility, and a new general administration, conference, education and office amenities to support the services within the facility.

It is envisaged that the new facility at the Tonsley precinct will support the expanded use of the facility by students, both secondary and tertiary, with the potential for partnerships to be developed with tertiary institutions that are or will be located in close proximity to the new State Drill Core Reference Library. The proposed facility has the ability to work closely with both TAFE SA and Flinders University, which opens next year, by providing hands-on experience to students.

Establishing this new facility allows for a purpose-built library with a more effective management system for samples, including taking advantage of technology advances in storage that will allow for a more efficient storage system. It will cater for the large quantities of samples that the state holds and the projected expansion, as well as the increased use of the facility by students and industry, and allow the government to further promote the educational aspects of this facility. It will ensure access to all core samples in an efficient and timely manner, given that samples will be located in one location.

This reference library is key to achieving and sustaining growth in an important industry sector in South Australia. The public provision of geoscientific information reduces private exploration costs and risks to the mining and resources industry, and enables explorers to select an area for more detailed exploration using all publicly available information from historical exploration activity.

The Australian government reported in 2011 that there was a significant correlation between resource development and Geoscience Australia's pre-competitive work. This was most directly demonstrated in terms of exploration expenditure and, indirectly, through eventual resources production. Based on this, it could be argued that the public provision of geoscientific information through the State Drill Core Reference Library operations directly contributes to state royalty revenue collections.

The committee was informed that a net capital investment of approximately $15 million is required for this 20-plus year facility, yet over the same period resource royalties to be received by the state are estimated to be a minimum of $6.5 billion. The project is expected to be complete by November 2015 and will provide a consolidated facility with a lifespan of at least 20 years. Given this and, pursuant to section 12C of the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991, the Public Works Committee reports to the parliament that it recommends the proposed public works.

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (11:48): The opposition was very comfortable in supporting this project. It was a most interesting project to observe and to hear about at the hearing. I found it fascinating. I really did not know the extent to which we had these records set in stone, so to speak, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was very useful information that came across. What really impressed me was the educational capacity that will be advanced by this new facility and the fact that a couple of other small regional libraries—with no staff I might add—will be absorbed. It will be something I look forward to seeing in the future, and both the member for Chaffey and I look forward to going to the opening when that takes place in due course, provided we do not get a couple of days' notice, like footbridges and things like that.

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (11:49): I am a very proud representative for the people of Bragg, and for a long time the core library's current premises were in my electorate. The reason I would like to make a small contribution to this debate is that the government's intention to build a new core library, or drill library—I think it is going to be called something like that now—at a new location was announced some time ago and I think has been advanced through the processes of approval fairly quickly. I had wondered why.

It is always great to have a new project. I think that the harbouring or securing and protection of all our dead bits of dirt that are kept in this core library is important for the geological prospects for the future of the state. All of that is important; I have no issue with that. I would have thought that there might be other priorities as a state, but it was the government's decision to close down the original core library in Glenside, just behind the Glenside Hospital. I think that it was opened by Hugh Hudson, under the Dunstan government.

In any event, the reason I raise it is that it is now clear to me why the government has pushed this through and done the preliminary work to get the core library down to Tonsley. It was originally proposed to be out somewhere near the airport. In any event, it was settled that it go out to Tonsley; this is the report that is now being considered.

This week, we noted that the property on which the current core library is sitting is to be sold—expressions of interest have gone out with it—together with a parcel of land also owned by the Department of Mines I think it is described as presently, with the Z ward of the Glenside Hospital. The Z ward, for those who do not know, was part of the institution of the original Glenside Hospital, which is under state heritage listing. It used to have a moat around it; it was a premises for the secure holding and treatment of patients in times gone by. It has been derelict all the time I have been in parliament (12 years). It has a big fence around it, the mote has gone. It has big signs on it saying that it is under security. That security company does not exist anymore, I might say.

The only people, I think, who have ever shown any interest in it in the last 12 years are people from the Glenside Historical Society and me, because I have never ever seen anyone there. This piece of property adjacent to the core library, together with a strip of open land, has all gone on the market, and the opportunity for expressions of interest closes on 3 July—10 days time or thereabouts.

The Hon. S.W. Key: Put in a bid!

Ms CHAPMAN: The member for Ashford suggests that I put in a bid. I have often thought about that and even buying up the whole of the historical centre of the Glenside Hospital, which went for only a couple of million. The Premier picked that up—he grabbed that pretty quickly—and he put his precious little Film Corporation in there and the Norwood Arts Centre, of course, which I learnt today have stripped the inside of the old P&O building. They have not left one original cell of what is supposed to be a heritage listed property. They have stripped it down for the facility uses of the Norwood Arts Centre.

Anyway, the member for Ashford has put me off my original contribution, and that is that it is now clear why the government has pushed through this proposal. It has on the market the old core library, with a buyback tenancy lease-back arrangement to 2016, but the prospective purchaser has to buy Z ward—goodness knows what is going to happen to that—and the open space and an L-shaped piece of land. I bring this to the attention of the house. It raises concerns with me.

There has been not a squeak from the government about the announcement to sell off this piece of land and Z ward, the state heritage asset, and I think that we need some answers. So, whoever is out there now responsible with the government for heritage and the future preservation and protection of this asset, I would like to hear from them. I am not sure that we even have a minister for heritage anymore in the current government—

Mr Pederick: Probably Hunter.

Ms CHAPMAN: —but it is possibly Mr Hunter, I am advised. I would like to hear from him as to what is going to be happening because it seems to me that it is very important. The drill core library as it currently stands could, of course, once you have moved out all the bits of dirt (there are little tubes of dirt in there)—it is like a morgue, really—

An honourable member interjecting:

Ms CHAPMAN: Yes. It's like a morgue. You slide out the core and you check out what minerals are in there. It is available for inspection for people in the industry. It is a very important resource. It does not need to be in Glenside, I agree with that.

I was a little bit puzzled by the government's decision to put it down at Tonsley because it seemed that the industry was keen to have it close to the airport or out north so that the people who were involved in the industry, such as the geologists, would be able to get off the plane and come in and access this library, etc., and it would be in a sensible location. However, the government's decision to create the hub at Tonsley to include training facilities to support this area of industry may account for why they have decided to put all of the dirt down there and build a new premises.

If it were cleaned out, it would make a warehouse facility from the current facility, but I am more interested in who is going to buy that land, why it has gone on the market so quickly, and what the conditions are to protect the Z Ward, which is a beautiful three-storey building sitting derelict on that site.

Motion carried.

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