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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-09-28 Daily Xml
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Ministerial Statement

Global Gig City Network

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:03): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: This week, South Australia's status as an international destination for innovation has again been confirmed with the announcement that Adelaide will join the Global Gig City Network. Yesterday, the Minister for Science and Information Economy, the Hon. Kyam Maher, visited the National Press Club in Washington DC to oversee the signing of a memorandum of understanding between South Australia and a representative of the US National Science Foundation's US Ignite initiative.

The US Ignite Gig City Network is a not-for-profit organisation that encourages and promotes the development of applications and services for ultrafast broadband internet. This is a significant next step in our $4.65 million investment in establishing Adelaide as Australia's first Gig City. The MOU signed yesterday provides us with international recognition and will drive new opportunities–

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —well, it was important enough for the ambassador to be there–for South Australian innovators, businesses and researchers to collaborate with 15 other US Ignite communities. The first Global Gig City network was rolled out in the city of Chattanooga in the US and has generated more than $1 billion in economic and social benefits and created more than 3,000 new jobs.

During the coming months, an affordable gigabit network will be rolled out to Adelaide's innovation hubs at Tonsley, St Paul's Creative Centre, Technology Park, Techport, the Majoran co-working space, Hub Adelaide, the Stretton Centre and the Thebarton BioScience precinct. Adelaide's Gig City network will deliver ultrafast internet speeds of up to 100 times the national average broadband speeds to business and research facilities based within the city's innovation precincts. This is a game-changer for South Australia, and it highlights our status as an emerging high-tech innovative economy.

The MOU with the US Ignite Gig City network complements the significant investment of almost $80 million of new money delivered in the recent state budget to accelerate South Australia's transformation to a modern, innovative economy that supports jobs for the future. As well as the Gig City project, the significant investment will deliver a $50 million South Australian venture capital fund and a $10 million early commercialisation fund, along with the recently announced $7.5 million for the University of South Australia's Future Industries Institute to maximise and commercialise the benefits of collaboration between researchers and industry.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Premier offered no provocation in the ministerial statement, so interjections are just out of order, leave having been granted. I call to order the members for Chaffey and Hartley and the deputy leader, and I warn the member for Chaffey.

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