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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-09-20 Daily Xml
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State Budget

Ms COOK (Fisher) (15:36): I am going to use the time today to highlight a number of the revenue enhancements outlined in the budget this year, following on from this morning's debate. The first is amendments to the Authorised Betting Operations Act 2000 to introduce the consumption tax of 15 per cent on net wagering revenue. We have all seen the effects of gambling in our community, so I think this is extremely important. This will be effective from 1 July 2017 and apply to all net wagering revenue from persons located in South Australia by all Australian-based wagering operators. The tax will apply to bets on animal racing, sports such as AFL, cricket and soccer, as well as on events such as political elections or the Academy Awards.

The online betting industry is growing rapidly and by implementing a wagering tax we are ensuring that businesses are paying tax in the jurisdiction in which they are making their profits. South Australia will be the first Australian jurisdiction to introduce such a tax and I am sure that we will not be the last. From an expected $9.2 million of new revenue, based on data from 2014-15, $500,000 will be contributed annually to the Gamblers Rehabilitation Fund. This will ensure that the wagering industry contributes their fair share to help fund services to support and rehabilitate South Australians affected by problem gambling.

Contrary to the 'stop the punters tax' campaign, which I am sure members in here have been receiving emails about, the South Australian government is taxing the betting company based on its profits not the punter. It is not expected that the tax will be passed on to punters as the betting companies will still seek to maximise their profits. Currently, online gambling companies make their money in South Australia and the damage they cause is in South Australia but none of the profits made by companies remain in South Australia. This tax will go some way to changing this.

There have also been amendments to the Education Act 1972 which will enable the CEO of DECD to fix a charge for dependants of subclass 457 visa holders to attend South Australian government schools, as occurs in other jurisdictions. An increase from the current arrangements, where material and service charges only apply to this group, will see them contribute towards other costs incurred by schools. It is intended that the fees for dependants of these visa holders to attend government schools would be introduced in a graduated fashion from 1 January next year.

It is further intended that the fees would be subject to means testing arrangements and discounts where there is more than one child in the family attending a government school. It is intended to be reasonable. Full or partial waiver of fees may be available in exceptional cases of financial hardship. All the funding raised from these fees will then go to early childhood education, which is one of the most crucial areas of our education system and indeed a priority of this government.

The bill makes amendments also to the Zero Waste SA Act 2004 which will establish Green Industries SA as a new statutory authority. As part of the state government's 2014 state election commitments, a new agency to better capture the benefits of the green economy has been created with the formation of the Office of Green Industries SA now established as a statutory authority. The new authority will work with businesses, governments and the environmental sector to realise the full potential of the green economy and encourage innovation and economic growth through the green industry.

It will build on the already successful Zero Waste SA and continue to reduce waste to landfill, improve water and energy efficiencies, increase the state's capacity for recycling and help businesses find new markets for their waste management knowledge and skills. The newly named Green Industry Fund will have expanded uses to include climate change and disaster recovery measures.

I also mention the amendments to the Passenger Transport Act 1994 to allow for a $1 per trip levy on all metro point-to-point transport journeys, which is intended to on 1 October on all taxi and chauffeured services, including rideshare. The entry of new competitors into the market will have a significant impact on the existing industry and this levy will be used to partly fund an assistance package for the SA metro taxi industry. The government will provide a $30,000 payment per taxi licence and a $50 a week payment for a maximum of 11 months for licence lessees.

A maximum non-cash payment surcharge of 5 per cent on the payment of fares via card for a taxi will also be introduced. This will increase transparency and stop people being taken advantage of. Drivers and families bought into the old model and, as we open up the industry, it is only right that they be compensated to help them transition into the new industry. All these changes will help ensure that we can live in a fair and fiscally sound South Australia.

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