House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-11-19 Daily Xml

Contents

Question Time

Port Adelaide

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:07): My question is to the Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation. Considering that since the Port Adelaide by-election there have been no government departments move to the area, the Newport Quays development has stalled, the promised $7.2 million Lighthouse Square redevelopment has been shelved, and the Port Adelaide court is due to be closed, does the minister concede that the government's by-election commitment to reinvigorate the Port has been abandoned?

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister Assisting the Minister for Planning, Minister Assisting the Minister for Housing and Urban Development) (14:08): As I started saying yesterday when this issue was raised by the leader, the commitment that the government has to move public servants down to the Port is yet another way that the government is supporting the rejuvenation of Port Adelaide.

It commenced back in 2002 or 2003 with the significant steps and the significant investments which the government has made to secure economic activity on the Le Fevre Peninsula—the deepening of the Outer Harbor channel to make sure that this would be our pre-eminent export facility in South Australia, the construction of the Port River Expressway, the construction of the Inner Harbour opening road and rail bridges, the construction of the $300 million investment in the Techport Australia facility to build air warfare destroyers, and, of course, should federal governments maintain their commitments at the election, our next generation of submarines which, of course, there is remarkable silence on that side of the chamber about.

In addition, we have also made sure that we are committing to a very significant number of investments to make sure that there is greater social and community activity around the Inner Harbour as well. Also there is the recently finished redevelopment of the Hart's Mill precinct, the refurbishing of the heritage buildings, both Customs House and the council-owned Visitor Information Centre, the refurbishing of shops along Commercial Road and making them available to new commercial tenants at reduced rents—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader is called to order.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: —to get commercial activity.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader is warned.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Making it easier to both park and shop at businesses along St Vincent Street, efforts which will be replicated along Commercial Road. There are new activities like the laneway, first of all—

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey is called to order.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: The construction of the loop path for walking and cycling around—

Mr Pengilly interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Finniss is called to order.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: —the Inner West Harbour. These are all things, along with the recently released Port Master Plan, which will guide the rejuvenation and the regrowth of Port Adelaide. I note with great interest that we have heard a groan from the deputy leader, of course, because there was an article written about this very close to the March 2014 election which sought comment from both government and the opposition about their view of the master plan—and what did the deputy leader say, 'I haven't even read it.' That is what she said, 'I haven't even read it.' Such is their care for what happens down at Port Adelaide that the person responsible for planning policy on that side of the chamber couldn't even be bothered reading it.

Mr PENGILLY: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: Point of order, very gallant.

Mr PENGILLY: I would question and ask your advice on whether, indeed, the minister is debating the matter, sir.

The SPEAKER: I uphold the point of order. He was debating it rather well, I thought.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Thank you, sir.