HANSARD
SITTING CALENDAR
SEARCH
LIVE BROADCAST
Hansard Dynamic Subject Index
House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-06-04 Daily Xml
Contents
Pdf Xml

Regional Development Fund

Mr HUGHES (Giles) (14:51): Yes, two—a shower of riches today! My question is to the Minister for Regional Development. Can the minister outline how the government is creating new opportunities in regional South Australia through the Regional Development Fund?

The Hon. G.G. BROCK (Frome—Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Local Government) (14:51): As part of my agreement with the Premier, the government has committed to a range of initiatives, including increasing the Regional Development Fund from $1.6 million per annum to $15 million per annum—an investment of $60 million in regional projects over four years. This fund, which aims to boost economic growth and productivity in regional South Australia and create jobs, has made an excellent start.

So far, in its first year of operation, that's 2014-15, grants have been awarded to 41 projects. These projects represent around about $337 million in total investment in our state's economy, with a projected 665 new jobs being created in regional areas when these projects are completed. Bearing in mind also that some of these projects will take time to actually come to fruition, it's estimated that around about the same number of jobs are being created during the construction period of, in some cases, up to two years.

Expressions of interest for the second round closed recently, and I can inform the house that 88 applications have been received from across the whole of the state. These include seven from the Adelaide Hills region; 16 from the Barossa, Light and Lower North region; eight from the Eyre and Western region; 19 from the Limestone Coast; 11 from Murray Mallee; 12 from Yorke and Mid North; five from the Far North; four from the Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island; and six from the McLaren Vale Character Preservation District.

This strong and widespread response is similar to the first round, which clearly indicates several very positive things to me. Local businesses and industry in our regions are up to the challenge. They are keen to develop new ideas and products, keen to innovate and find new markets for those products and, above all, they are willing to put their own money in to back their judgement, with support from the government. It's been tremendously heartening to see the range of projects, large and small—the Treasurer has already indicated some of the projects that are in Port Augusta; Sundrop is one of those—taking shape, and I look forward to travelling around the state and announcing more projects later this year.

The response to the enhanced Regional Development Fund has been very positive from the regions, and I am sure that all of us here will see the best and most innovative of the 88 projects now up for consideration starting to come to fruition later in the year. I commend this fund to the house as a stimulator of regional activity and jobs growth.

PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS
MEMBERS
GET INVOLVED
ABOUT PARLIAMENT
VISIT
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
CONTACT