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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2019-10-30 Daily Xml
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Lot Fourteen

Mr ELLIS (Narungga) (14:24): My question is to the Minister for Innovation and Skills. Can the minister update the house on how the state government is delivering new infrastructure projects to support economic growth and innovation?

The Hon. D.G. PISONI (Unley—Minister for Innovation and Skills) (14:24): I thank the member for Narungga for the question. I know how excited he and our other regional members in South Australia are about how finally there's a government in South Australia that is supporting regions in South Australia and getting into the 21st century.

The Marshall Liberal government has an ambition for Adelaide to be the start-up capital of Australia and has a strong program to support business enterprise, new employment opportunities, innovation and growth in our regions. We are investing in infrastructure at Lot Fourteen as well as refurbishing and repurposing heritage buildings on the site to create an inspirational—

Mr Hughes interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Giles is warned.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —and transformative economic community. What did we start with? An abandoned site—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —that those opposite walked away from when they couldn't sell it to real estate agents as a development site.

Mr Duluk interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Waite!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: That was their vision. Century 21 over there, that was their vision for Lot Fourteen and the old Royal Adelaide Hospital site.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: Today, of course, 400 people are already working at Lot Fourteen in some of the most innovative industries in South Australia, with up to 700 of them within the next few months. In addition, 400 construction workers have been working on the site to deliver the project's infrastructure. GigCity Adelaide provides affordable ultrafast one gigabit per second internet connectivity to entrepreneurs and small businesses in innovation precincts across Adelaide. This represents an investment of $7.8 million over five years for GigCity Adelaide. Importantly, this budget includes $5.7 million committed to the connection of up to 29 innovation precincts in metropolitan Adelaide.

We all know that Adelaide has had the reputation as a city of churches. St Peter's Cathedral is the centre of the churches here in Adelaide. Now we have Lot Fourteen, the centre of innovation, and all of these innovation centres are the parishes of innovation throughout Adelaide and the regions. This is a new era for South Australia. Of course, eligible businesses in Mount Gambier and Whyalla will also receive access to GigCity with the Marshall Liberal government's rollout of high-speed internet—

Mr Hughes interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Giles!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —to the regions, and #RegionsMatter. The GigCity network is being extended to eligible precincts in Mount Gambier and Whyalla at prices compatible to metropolitan Adelaide.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: No longer are those who live in the regions treated as second-class citizens; they have access to what those who are living in Adelaide have access to. The process to connect eligible businesses in Whyalla and Mount Gambier is underway through MIMP Connecting Solutions, an Adelaide based telecommunications company.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Primary Industries and the member for West Torrens, could you please cease.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: Businesses within GigCity innovation precincts can purchase gigabit speed plans from local internet service provider, EscapeNet, for between $49.90 and $179.90 per month. These prices are considerably more affordable—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —and less restrictive than any other comparable commercially available plans elsewhere in South Australia. As of 30 September, an estimated 328 businesses in 22 innovation precincts will have access to GigCity services. That is on top of the Minister for Education's program to have every single school here in South Australia connected with fibre by the end of this financial year. This is revolutionary here in South Australia. In addition, two more innovation precincts are expected be connected soon to the GigCity network: the Lion Arts centre and the Lionsgate business park which, of course, is the former GMH site at Elizabeth.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens and the Minister for Primary Industries, are they finished?

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: It is. The member for West Torrens has the call.

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