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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-05-04 Daily Xml
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Bills

Supply Bill 2023

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading (resumed on motion).

Ms THOMPSON (Davenport) (15:36): Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to continue my remarks on the Supply Bill. As I was speaking about earlier, the Supply Bill gives us an opportunity for projects from the previous budgets to keep ticking along, and I enjoy providing the house an update on some of the projects that have been rolled out in my community.

One that I did not get an opportunity to mention and that I would like to speak about now is the Majors Road upgrade. Located in the electorate of Davenport but set to bring benefit to many, particularly those down the hill in the electorate of Gibson, is the joint state and federal commitment to build an on/off ramp on the Southern Expressway at Majors Road. This project aims to reduce drive times and make the south more accessible, as well as reduce traffic flow to Brighton Road. It is fantastic that the Albanese Labor government and the Malinauskas state government are partnering on this important project and getting to work so quickly.

Local environment groups like the Friends of Glenthorne, which I am proud to be a member of, have been actively engaging with the department project team and tell me that they are very happy with how the project is progressing. I am pleased to see that the Department for Infrastructure and Transport has pursued a design that has minimal impact on the national park and no impact on significant vegetation.

I can confirm that, contrary to the rubbish that has been shared via shiny materials in the letterboxes of the Black electorate, there will be no impact to the O'Halloran Hill Recreation Park mountain bike trails, no impact to the Sam Willoughby International BMX Facility, no impact to the Southern Soccer Facility, no impact to Glenthorne Farm and very minimal impact to the national park.

This is yet another demonstration of the Albanese and Malinauskas governments working together to get on with the job of delivering the infrastructure South Australians need and deserve. This project will deliver lasting road infrastructure improvements while providing a critical jobs boom for the area, with approximately 245 full-time equivalent jobs to be supported each year over the construction period. We anticipate that major works will start later this year and that project completion will be by the end of 2025.

The Supply Bill ensures that vital commitments under our previous budgets can continue to be delivered, and so I am extremely pleased that this government is continuing to fulfil a promise that we made to the MND community to commit $2.4 million to MND SA: $600,000 a year for four years is helping MND SA to keep doing the fantastic work they are doing to support all South Australians living with motor neurone disease. Already, MND SA have used this funding to secure a new speech pathologist and a new volunteer coordinator.

As everyone in the house is well aware by now, MND is close to my heart. This year, I have committed to make a personal contribution to raising funds for MND SA so that they can provide support to more families diagnosed with this incurable and horrible disease. I will be trekking for six days on one of the world's premier desert tracks, the Larapinta Trail. I have already been raising funds at good old Bunnings sausage sizzles and will be hunting down my colleagues here in the house to hit them up for some fundraising to support the MND team's efforts.

I am excited about what this Supply Bill and the upcoming state budget will deliver for my community and our state. We are a government that wants to deliver for South Australia and we are delivering. I commend the bill to the house.

Ms STINSON (Badcoe) (15:40): It is a delight, an annual delight, to be able to rise and speak on the Supply Bill. Of course, it is a much greater delight to do it from this side of the chamber. The reason for that is things are happening. There are things happening right across our state and there are things happening in Badcoe, which I am very pleased to be able to report progress on today.

The last Supply Bill provided quite a lot of improvements to my local area, and I want to take the opportunity to explain to the house and also, through the magic of the website, to my community some of the things that have been achieved just in the last 12 months due to government funding in the seat of Badcoe. These are in no particular order.

The Kurralta Park Community Kindergarten pedestrian crossing is something that I and our local community have been working on for six years in my case, and for others longer than that. The local parent organisation approached me back when I was just a candidate and raised the fact that quite a number of large trucks in particular were hurtling down the street straight past the front of the Kurralta Park kindy, which is actually in Marleston. Although there is a zebra crossing there, a painted crossing on the ground, just from standing on the side of the road for a few minutes it was plain to see that not a lot of heed was being paid to that. Of course, little lives and big lives were placed at risk by that behaviour on our roads.

Barwell Avenue is a beautiful street with a lot of shady trees, but that makes it difficult sometimes for people to see further down the street and be able to see that there is a pedestrian crossing there. Obviously, it is most commonly used between about 8.30am and 9am and then around 3pm and again around 5pm when parents are picking up their children, but it is also an important resource for local residents in the street. They approached me and asked, 'What can we do about this?'

As it is a council road, we went to council. We did a petition. We gave a presentation and spoke to them about the need for flashing lights, greater signage and also traffic calming measures in that area. Unfortunately, we were not successful because, as many members in this place would know, certain thresholds need to be met regarding the amount of traffic going down roads, and that is how many councils, at least those in my area, make their decisions about road safety measures. However, there is of course this disconnect between the volume of traffic and the high speed of the traffic that was going through, and even the volume of traffic was very close to the thresholds that were required.

So we began lobbying the then opposition, having failed to get any result out of the sitting government of the time, to make this an election commitment in the interests of the safety of little children and making sure that our public education facilities could be safely arrived at by families each morning and afternoon. I was pleased to announce $1 million as an election commitment for that pedestrian crossing, and that included a package of road safety works.

I can tell you that only a few weeks ago I went down there and pressed the button and turned the flashing lights on for the first time with parents. They are of course delighted that they can now traverse the area with much greater ease and safety and have confidence that their children can cross the road safely as well. That is one fantastic thing that was supplied by the last Supply Bill and has now been achieved.

The Millswood Croquet Club is also a great recipient of the benefit of last year's Supply Bill. They secured $200,000—yet again, an election commitment. I will thank the council and also the former federal government, who also put in $200,000 apiece to see a $600,000 upgrade. In fact, not just an upgrade: a brand-new croquet club. The previous facility has been at that site for nigh on 100 years; in fact, the club just celebrated its 100th anniversary late last year.

They now have a brand spanking new croquet club that is very well utilised and better positioned on the site to be able to observe the rinks. If you have not had a chance to play croquet, I can highly recommend it to you, Mr Deputy Speaker. It is a game of skill—skills that I have not yet fully acquired—but it is also a very social game in which one gets to have a good chat with members of their community. It is a very fun game, I have to say. Please do: an open invitation to all those in here to come down to the Millswood Croquet Club.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I will take your word for it that it's a wonderful game.

Ms STINSON: Well, you can join me some time. It will be fun. They are very pleased to have their new facility there. It was opened around the time of their 100th. We all got to dress up in period costume from 100 years ago, and it was even more fun to play croquet in the traditional garb.

The new big screen at Edwardstown Oval is now operational as well. This is another project that the Edwardstown Football Club had long campaigned for, for a new electronic scoreboard. When I looked at it, I thought, 'You know, we can do better than that. Rather than just an electronic scoreboard, let's see if we can make this a real community resource.' We had a hunt around to see if we could get a high-quality screen where we would be able to show community movies and be able to have community movie nights on Edwardstown Oval, and also that this would bring in some advertising revenue for not just the Edwardstown Football Club but the five resident clubs at Edwardstown Oval.

We want to make sure that our sporting clubs—and I am sure the minister would agree with me—are sustainable and that they have avenues of income that they can manage and generate themselves so that they are not wholly reliant on government funding. Advertising does provide an opportunity for that. The clubs at that oval have taken advantage of static signage for some years, but now they have the added advantage of big-screen video advertising, which they can use before and after games and also during them. They will be taking advantage of that, and in fact are right now, now that the football season has kicked off. We say: go Townies!

We are looking forward to holding a community movie night there later in the year to really engage people who live in the beautiful area of Edwardstown, South Plympton and Plympton to be able to come along and share that experience and provide some entertainment for the younger members of our community as well. I am really looking forward to that. That will be in about October or November. I got to go down and switch that on as well a few weeks ago, just ahead of the footy season starting.

The restoration of the city high school zone has been a really big one. That will span, obviously, last year's budget and the budget that is about to be announced. As part of that, not only have we seen the changing of the boundaries, which have now been gazetted and will take effect in the 2023 school year, but also investment allocated to upgrade Adelaide Botanic High School, which will see a significant increase in the number of students who can be accommodated at that school. So many of those students are residents in my area of Badcoe and also in the member for West Torrens' electorate.

This was a really long and hard-fought campaign. Our community was completely outraged, stunned and shocked that the previous government went to the 2018 election apparently supporting the changing of the school zone, but then as soon as they got in—12 months on the dot—they said, 'Oh, no, we didn't really mean that. Sorry, didn't we tell you? We're actually taking your school zone off you. Oops-a-daisy, that's what's happening.' The impact was immediate and it was really tough for a lot of people in our community, in nine suburbs, who were suddenly ripped out of the school zone that they thought their children would be going to high school in.

The anger about this was palpable across my community. It was the parents themselves who got organised; it was the teachers and the students. They had one of the biggest rallies we have seen for a long time; thousands of people came along to march from the Thebarton Theatre to Adelaide High School, to demonstrate just how short a walk it was and how many of these people can actually see Adelaide High from their backyard and yet they were excluded from that school zone.

They kept making their point, and they did not give up. For a whole three years they kept doing whatever they could to raise this issue, to raise it with members of the then government (it fell on deaf ears, clearly) and also with a Labor government who, of course, made the commitment at the 2022 election that we would restore the school zone. And why? Because that is the fair thing to do. People were promised something and it was taken away from them. They had made major life decisions, including purchasing homes—the biggest asset most people will ever have in their lives—but also decisions about what was right for the education of their children and that could not be reversed.

Given that, it was only fair—it was the fair and right thing to do—to ensure that the promise that was made to them by consecutive governments was adhered to. We committed to restoring the school zone, and we did just that. So the school zone itself has now been reinstated and declared in the Gazette, and students will be able to enrol, in just another month or so, for the 2024 school year.

Coupled with that, of course, is the investment in Adelaide Botanic High School. We have now seen construction start on the massive expansion of Adelaide Botanic. I look forward to seeing students from my area again being able to attend the schools, Adelaide High or Adelaide Botanic High School, that they were always entitled to attend.

Another one, which is a statewide policy but benefits my area greatly, is the $4 million investment in ethnic schools. That money is allocated across the four years, and I am very fortunate to have, in particular, Bangladeshi but also Indian cultural schools based at Richmond Primary School and also at Goodwood Primary School, just outside my electorate in the electorate of Unley. They do a fantastic job to connect young people with their culture.

We are very fortunate in the inner south-west to have a large and growing population of people from Bangladesh, from India, from Nepal, from Bhutan, from Sri Lanka and also from Pakistan. It is wonderful when you get to go along and see these schools in action. Not only are they teaching language but also things like traditional dance, art, song and music. It is very fulfilling, I think, to the families and the young people in particular, but also their wider community, that they are retaining that connection with their traditions and the traditions of their parents and grandparents.

That is something to be encouraged, especially in this day and age when we really need our young people, heading out into the workforce, to be bilingual. These are amazing opportunities that these young people have, speaking sometimes not just two but often three or four languages or dialects, which will stand them in good stead as they head out into the workforce in the future.

The Peake Gardens Riverside Tennis Club is also one of the beneficiaries of the last Supply Bill. They secured new lighting and surface upgrades as part of an election commitment. That is in the new part of my electorate at Marleston. There is also a greater upgrade that is happening there, and I got to go to unveil the plans just a few months ago, along with the City of West Torrens. That is a very exciting project that is ongoing. Certainly, the LED lighting, which is a lot more environmentally efficient, has been delivered by this government.

Another statewide policy that is of particular note to my community and that people got very passionate about, and that we have now delivered on, is in relation to the EV tax. There are quite a few people in my area who drive hybrid or electric vehicles, and many more still who would like to drive electric vehicles. I have an electorate that is very conscious of the impact that we have on our environment and the need to address climate change. That is something that was frequently raised with me. It is maybe not a top-line policy or a top-line issue for everyone, but it is certainly something that is incredibly important to my electorate. I am glad that we ditched the EV tax and came good on our promise.

There are a few other successes that have seen the expenditure of government funds in recent times. I have just been advised that 16 Herbert Road at Plympton will be turned into a local park. I have been pushing very hard for greening initiatives in my area, and, as members would probably know, I am heading up an inquiry into our urban forest at the moment, such is the importance of this issue, I think, not just for suburban areas but right across our state. I am pleased about that particular plot of land, and only yesterday council was advised that it will be able to turn that into a park adjoining the Elizabeth Ryan Reserve, which is currently there at the moment.

People may be familiar with the Plympton Glenelg RSL. This is the little park straight across the road from the RSL. That is an area that is growing significantly in population, and it will be a welcome addition to our community, particularly for families in the area who have been looking for those recreational opportunities for little kids. I am looking forward to that expanded park being built at that location in the near future. It is also quite close to the intersection of Marion and Cross roads where we are about to see some major investment, namely, $400 million in the removal of the level crossing and additional green space built into that area as well, which is very exciting.

Another thing that I would count as a major achievement of this government in the last 12 months—and that will obviously be taking up probably the largest amount of the infrastructure funding in the budget not only for this financial year but also in coming years—are the changes that we have made to the South Road project, the Torrens to Darlington.

There was much discontent in my community when the original reference design went out, and I did my best to consult deeply and widely with my community about the changes they wanted to see. There were two things that really stood out as changes that our community wanted from that design, and I am glad that the Labor government reconsidered those plans and has now come good and delivered on those changes.

The first was removing the flyover, which was to be elevated over the top of the Gallipoli Underpass. It would come up from South Road, over the top of the Gallipoli intersection and then down into the middle of Anzac Highway. It meant that some 200 trees were going to be removed and also the memorials for our ANZACs that are along that stretch of Anzac Highway.

It would be an understatement to say that that proposal was not so popular in my local community, not only because of the perceived traffic hazard of that in terms of having a single lane rising some 20 or so metres into the air but also because of the visual amenity. Everyone around the area would have been able to see this out of their front or backyard, and obviously this would have been quite an eyesore.

These major roads are not necessarily always pretty. We are doing our best to make this one as attractive as possible, but I can understand that people would be concerned about suddenly having a major structure they can see from their front yard.

That is something we have come good on, but also, for some bizarre reason, the original design meant that there were no right turns anymore from the Bay turning on to South Road, nor from the city turning on to South Road. That would have caused massive local connectivity issues.

People trying to get from the shops, to the school, from their homes to their work would have had a really hard time, and essentially some people would have had to drive all the way to the city to turn around and then come all the way back again, which is plainly ridiculous. Why that was part of the design I will never know, but I am glad that this government has stepped in, had a proper look at these designs and redone them for the benefit of my local community.

This Supply Bill will supply some incredible improvements to my local electorate. Firstly, when it comes to ambulance stations we will have a new headquarters right on Richmond Road at the top of my electorate. Also, two weekends ago I got to join the health minister and my colleague, the member for Elder, to announce that a second ambulance station will be built for our community at the Repat. The 16 more ambos are already on deck based out of the Marion station, and they will relocate to that Repat ambulance base.

We will, of course, see the South Road T2D upgrade, and, as I mentioned, the removal of the Marion and Cross road level crossing. I am heading off to the community consultation about that this evening. We will also see a traffic study into the Morphett Road intersection, which is actually the member for Morphett's seat but which has great bearing on the people of Plympton Park, which is, of course, in the seat of Badcoe.

We are also in consultation right at the moment over reducing the height—or standardising the height—of buildings on Anzac Highway at Glandore, which backs onto the character zone. The long-promised Black Forest Primary School upgrade construction is now underway, and we are about to release the plans for the Richmond Primary School new playground. I have been working hard with Plympton International College on their traffic solution for their kiss and drop and also some new classrooms.

We are also seeing upgrades at Clarence Park, Woodlands Park, Goodwood train stations, and even our other little train station, SASMEE Park model railway, will get a new shed with $151,000 in the upcoming budget. There is so much more I could tell you, but I will leave it at that.

Ms HUTCHESSON (Waite) (16:00): I rise in support of the Supply Bill so that we can continue supporting the people of South Australia and especially my own community. I am incredibly fortunate to be the representative of the people of Waite, a highly engaged and supportive community who are active in helping each other and willing to be involved in community initiatives and activities.

Since being elected, I have spent many hours listening to my community about what is important to them and doing what I can to support their ideas and concerns. Many ideas and long-term issues have been raised with me whilst I have been their member and also while I was campaigning to become their representative. It is clear through these interactions that the good people of Waite care very deeply about their community and their environment and have many good ideas about how things can be improved, and I am doing all I can to listen and assist.

I am very pleased that I took the commitments to the election, and they have all been delivered. There is only one that is still being rolled out through the Mitcham council, and I thank them for their ongoing support. I was very pleased, along with members of the Upper Sturt CFS brigade, to see warning lights installed on the approaches to the station very soon after I was elected. This simple measure I committed to took so many years to complete, as the previous government did not see the need nor importance of keeping our volunteers and motorists safe.

Now when the trucks pull out of the station on what is a sweeping bend—and, in the case of the eastern approach, quite a blind corner—with a new layer of protection they are safe. The new warning lights are able to be activated by the crew, and immediately the lights flash, warning motorists to slow down. It actually works: the cars slow down and the truck has the opportunity to leave the station safely. My commitment was for the light on the western approach, but it became apparent that the eastern light will also need replacing so that the two can talk to each other and the station.

The community of Upper Sturt and all the motorists who use the road are now safe, no matter which direction they approach the station, and so are the volunteers who are already putting their lives on the line to protect the community and deserve to be safe on the way to the emergency as well. I am glad to have been able to make and deliver on this commitment for my community and our volunteers, and I take this opportunity to acknowledge them today, of all days, as it is International Firefighters’ Day. Today we remember those who have lost their lives in the line of duty or have been injured, and I acknowledge all who answer the call.

Further to helping our firefighters be safe, we have recently seen the beginning of the rollout of new helmets for our breathing apparatus operators across the CFS family. This is an important investment. These helmets are much lighter than the current model, and that will be a welcome relief to firefighters. The equipment they carry on their backs can weigh up to 26 kilos. Having a way to lighten the load while staying safe is a great outcome. We have also continued to roll out new trucks and upgrade others. A very big thank you goes to all of the work our firefighters to. We will keep working on ways to keep firefighters safe and make the job easier.

Back to road safety concerns, residents of Eden Hills will soon have the ability to enter Shepherds Hill Road with ease and safety with the soon to be introduced Keep Clear sign that will be painted on the road at the Parham Road intersection. It is another simple measure that will provide safe access to an area that continues to be a busy section of road.

The Blackwood Recreation Centre also received an important contribution to allow them to start planning for the future through my election commitments. The rec centre is an important community hub in my electorate, and they see thousands of people use the centre weekly. There is so much opportunity, and I am glad that when the opportunity arises the centre will be ready.

Manson Oval in Bellevue Heights is a very busy community asset, with many sports played there during the week and on the weekend. The community also use the oval for dog walking and other recreational activities as well as the Bellevue Heights Primary School. The oval, however, becomes a swampy, soggy mess in winter, as the drainage is non-existent. Parking is also a problem around the oval, as Sargent Parade is a bus route. Many users of the oval park on the side of the road, making the area prone to congestion. I am happy to see council is beginning the work to address these issues, and I am proud to be part of a government that honours its commitments. I look forward to seeing the work reach completion.

The Supply Bill allows us to support our local primary schools. They need to be allowed to continue to grow and prosper and, as such, we need to be flexible to support them. Belair Primary School, my old school, received funding from when we were in government last to renovate a very tired and old building, so old and tired that it was new when I went there.

Due to budget blowouts, however, attributed to the current material shortages and increased costs, the school was worried that it would not be able to complete the project. I am so happy that the education minister understood the need for the project to be completed to a high standard and committed the necessary extra funds to allow the project to finish. Now the children of today can look back in 40 years, like I am now, and the building will be there supporting a new generation.

I was glad to be able to support the grant application that Hawthorndene Primary School submitted for their Indigenous garden. The school community is working on a brilliant plan that will provide a wonderful learning experience for its students, and I am very excited to see how the development progresses. Coromandel Valley Primary School were proud recipients of a grant that will help them install new footpaths and other infrastructure to allow the school to be fully accessible. As a wonderfully warm and inclusive school, it is great to see them be able to make these improvements.

Coromandel Valley Kindergarten is proudly positioned on a hill in Coromandel Valley. With this, though, come the challenges of erosion and unstable soil. Much of the garden had been slipping down the hillside for some time, and the kindy was desperate to rectify this situation. I was glad to be able to support them in their discussions with the Department for Education, and now the retaining walls will be fixed and the garden and play area can be re-established.

Finally, Jean Bonython Kindergarten is again another old stomping ground of mine, albeit my feet were much smaller at the time. With the joys of being located on a hillside as well, with the hard work of the kindy director they have been successful in accessing the necessary funding they need to stop their garden from slipping under the fence.

I am committed to supporting all schools in my community and will continue to work hard to help them get the things they need to continue to be able to support the young people who will grow up to be our tradies, our doctors, our nurses, our teachers and any other profession they dream to achieve.

One of our election commitments that has been delivered was an augmented train carriage for the Belair line capable of taking 40 bikes up the hill on holidays and weekends. My electorate has several downhill mountain biking trails that many young people from all over Adelaide ride. I recently organised a community barbecue for the riders who end their journey at the Mitcham train station. With the help of Blackwood Lions and the Mitcham Rotary Club, we fed the kids and provided them with water and snacks.

We were also joined by some very clever bike technicians from the Blackwood Bike Shed, an incredible group of volunteers who collect bikes, fix them and then either sell them locally for as much as you can afford or send them elsewhere to communities that need them. The Blackwood Bike Shed volunteers, led by Peter Jones, provided advice to riders about their bikes, pumped up their tyres and were there to help the riders with a tune-up.

It was a wonderful event that was very well received by the young people. They were engaging with the older volunteers, and it was lovely to see. It is something that we will be repeating in an effort to build relationships with the riders and let them know that their community is there and there are people looking out for their safety. I am very proud to have been able to start this initiative, and I look forward to seeing how it can continue to help.

There are quite a number of properties in my electorate that are very large and often covered in natural vegetation. I am glad that our government commitment to helping residents such as these with our heritage agreement grants will be able to continue to help these residents. The $6 million to assist residents to look after their properties and undertake weed mitigation and planting will help a long way. Having spoken with many of these landholders, I know that many are considering applying for these grants as they need help. I am glad we are here to deliver on that.

Finally for today, our community is very fortunate to have incredible volunteers, including those who set aside many hours of work in our parks. Our 'friends of' groups work so hard to clear vast areas of pest weeds, such as olives, broom, blackberry and other noxious weeds, from our parks and waterways. Friends of Belair National Park, Sturt Gorge, Brownhill Creek and Waite Conservation Reserve as well as Shepherds Hill reserve all deserve our thanks, and I am glad that we have committed $3 million to help them with the work that they do.

The Supply Bill will continue to allow our communities to thrive. It will allow us to support all South Australians and to support our health system and our first responders. On Sunday, we announced a new ambulance station at the Repat. This, along with the Mitcham and Marion stations, will protect my community. With more ambos and more emergency support service ambulance officers so close, response times will be quicker and, with a huge investment in the Flinders Medical Centre, they will get the care they need.

I look forward to continuing to deliver for my community—to listen, understand and act on the things we need the most to make life better, easier and safer. I commend the bill to the house.

Ms SAVVAS (Newland) (16:09): It is a great privilege to speak to the Supply Bill today and to talk about the enormity of projects that are underway in and around my home, the electorate of Newland. There are, of course, a number of election commitments that are underway in the electorate but also a number of other projects impacting residents in my community. Some of those, I will note, are in fact projects funded by the former former government—the Weatherill Labor government—and I would like to commence today by speaking about one of those, the second park-and-ride at Tea Tree Plaza.

I would like to take you back to an Advertiser article in June 2017 confirming the Weatherill government's commitment to expand parking spaces for the O-Bahn at TTP. This related to the 2017 budget, and there was funding provided alongside an upgrade to park-and-ride facilities at Klemzig. I was a university student at the time and also worked at the plaza, spending most days either in the centre itself or trying to find a spot to park my car before getting the bus into town. I will quote the article now:

Highbury student Olivia Savvas… who regularly uses the O-Bahn to get to Adelaide University and often struggles to find a park at the Plaza, welcomed the news.

'It's commonly accepted that after 9am there are no spots left,' she said.

'It can be a long walk after dark at the end of the day to find your car.

'I've probably parked no more than a five-minute walk away but being a young woman at night-time in the dark, it's not something I'd like to do on a regular basis.

The backstreets are not well lit.

As you can see, this is a project I have been advocating for for years, firstly as a student and TTP employee, later as a local councillor and now as the local member of parliament.

This project was kicked down the road by the Liberal Party. They made a decision not to prioritise parking in our community, but, returning into government, we put it back on the agenda. In the almost 14 months since our election the project is underway, and the design has been modified to allow for not only greater access into the park-and-ride itself but also a greater number of parking spots. I was lucky to visit the site in its current state to see major works underway a few weeks ago, alongside the members for King and Wright, and am very much looking forward to the expected completion, which is the middle of next year.

I am incredibly proud not just of what it means for commuters or for local residents—noting I do live just a few streets behind the plaza, too, myself—but of the way that it highlights the strength of community advocacy. I am so proud to have fought alongside other community members, other uni students, other commuters, other people who worked at the plaza, other residents who live nearby. We fought together for this park-and-ride and know what good it will bring for commuters and residents alike.

On the O-Bahn, our beloved busway, we have also been trialling tap and pay for the last few months. After a successful trial the system is now being rolled out onto Adelaide Metro buses, which is a really important step towards accessibility and connectivity across our state.

I would also like to speak about the number of health commitments that are benefiting our community. In the lead-up to the 2022 election, the provision of services at our hospital—my local hospital, Modbury—was under attack. We on our side know that a key component to fixing the ramping crisis is better triage and treatment of patients presenting with mental health concerns. The previous government, however, made an incredibly unfounded decision to remove mental health services from Modbury Hospital, committing to demolish Woodleigh House at Modbury under the guise of what they referred to as an expansion of a completely different service at the Lyell McEwin.

Many of us who are familiar with the north-east would know how residents near Modbury feel about going to the Lyell Mac for their services when we have a wonderful hospital in our backyard. In fact, Modbury Hospital is another example of something the former former government—two governments ago—committed to upgrade. The Premier tells a great story of how, as health minister, he sat with the Modbury Hospital advocacy group in the basement of the hospital and asked what they wanted in terms of expansion. That expansion was later ribbon-cut by the Liberal government, which was very careful about the way they worded the expansion funding and about whose project it was.

We listened to the advocacy of our community with respect to Woodleigh House and committed not only to keeping the mental health services but to rebuilding them, and to expanding mental health services at Modbury Hospital by 24 beds. We celebrated the 50th birthday of Modbury Hospital earlier this year and took a first look at the mental health services that will be provided there. We also heard from someone with lived experience in mental health about the way there will be a codesigned project for those services, noting that it is really important to have people with lived experience assist in that design process.

We committed to an extra 48 subacute beds at Modbury Hospital to relieve pressure on the emergency department and will build a cancer centre with 12 treatment spaces at Modbury, providing cancer treatment services in the north-eastern suburbs for the very first time. In addition we have committed to an extra ambulance station at Golden Grove to relieve pressure on the Redwood Park station, which currently services the entire Tea Tree Gully area—that is one ambulance station currently for 100,000 residents in a council.

It was another proud moment to stand with local members and the Minister for Health at the location of the new Golden Grove ambulance station right near the village—some people call it the grove, but I am sticking with the village—next to the Golden Grove park-and-ride in the heart of Golden Grove. An extra 20 paramedics have already been dispatched to service our community, and they will be based at Parafield before transitioning to Golden Grove in 2025.

We are also supporting grassroots mental health. We have committed $100,000 to Talk Out Loud suicide prevention, and they have recently also received another grant to assist them with their mental health first aid training. This was provided in conjunction with the Premier's Advocate for Suicide Prevention.

We have also made a commitment to early learning and development by increasing funding at the Tea Tree Gully toy library, a toy library based at our council but not connected to the council. That services about 3,000 members across the community and beyond. I know both groups incredibly well, and I could not attest more to the role they play in the lives of community members, keeping people active, keeping people together, and also providing a really important service for new mums, getting to meet other mums and being able to access the toys and other services they provide there so they can learn through play but also connect with local parents in the community.

We have also made a number investments in our sports clubs. On our side we know that the best way to invest in the future of our health in South Australia is by raising strong and healthy kids. When the Premier is out and about you often hear him say that the cheapest public health patient is one that never arrives. That is why it is so important to be investing in sports clubs, particularly those with big junior programs, so that we can develop strong, healthy kids through local clubs to become healthy adults. Across the state we have committed to local sports clubs, and this supports fitness and mental health as well as community.

I would like to acknowledge, as the Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing did in question time yesterday, three recipients of rec and sport grants who are local to my community. A total of 44 sporting infrastructure projects across SA will be funded by the Malinauskas government through this year's Community Recreation and Sports Facility Program, and I have been very pleased in the last week to have chats with the communities that will be receiving those grants.

The state government is investing more than $5.5 million in projects for successful applicants, who have collectively secured nearly $15.5 million in co-funding. That is a total project value of about $20 million, and will support 86 full-time jobs during construction.

We have some amazing clubs in and around our community. A number of them applied for those grants and were successful, and I would like to name the three closest to home today. The Tea Tree Gully BMX Club located in St Agnes will receive $24,000 to install an eight-rider electronic barrel start gate at their BMX club. That is an incredibly important project for the club. It brings them into line with other clubs across the state. I have been really proud to advocate for that club in the past. We worked really hard when I was a councillor to secure lighting so that they could train in the evenings, and I know that this as well will have a really big impact on that club.

The Hope Valley Tennis and Netball Club will be receiving $47,500 to resurface multiuse courts at Hope Valley and again that is another really important project. Their tennis and netball club is based at the Hope Valley Sports Area, and there will be a number of other things that are going on there in the next few years as part of election commitments that have been made to that site.

There was also a $282,000 grant given to the City of Tea Tree Gully relating to Burragah Reserve in Modbury North, which is technically in the seat of Wright, but only just. There are a number of clubs that use Burragah Reserve, but I know that the Modbury Jets Amateur Football Club—not to be confused with Modbury Jets football club—was really supportive and worked very hard to seek that grant as well.

That grant is to install 12 light towers with LED lights, which provide 200 lights for their two main pitches, as well as 100 lights for additional pitches at Burragah Reserve, which is incredibly important. I would like to acknowledge and commend those clubs that put in applications. It is not always an easy process, but obviously they had very good applications and they were considered favourably when the grants were allocated.

We have had a number of election commitments as well around Newland that I would like to speak to. In the Newland electorate, we have not one but three competitive football and cricket clubs. Life is getting a little more difficult for the local MP as two of those senior clubs are now playing in the same league. A big shout-out to both the Hope Valley Demons and Modbury Hawks footy clubs. They play against many clubs throughout the year and I am happy to support, but I will be shouting out to neither of them when they play against each other later this season. I am yet to decide whether I will be wearing two scarves or zero.

An honourable member interjecting:

Ms SAVVAS: That's true, I'll be an independent bystander. We have committed $150,000 for a master plan of the Banksia Park Sports Area, including the Tea Tree Gully football and cricket clubs, for an eventual upgrade of their clubrooms as well as better car parking and wayfinding across that area.

In the Banksia Park Sports Area, there are a number of clubs. There is the Tea Tree Gully Gymsports, a huge gymnastics service. There are the Tea Tree Gully football and cricket clubs, there is the Tea Tree Gully athletics, there is the Tea Tree Gully Tennis Club, there is the Strikers Netball Club and there is the Tea Tree Gully Netball Club. There was the Banksia Park Netball Club. It is an enormous area that will really benefit from a master plan that better suits their needs and also connects the clubs and allows for a community element.

Currently, the site can be quite separate at times and so it is a really important step towards fostering that sense of community in Banksia Park. We committed to a $3.5 million rebuild and upgrade of gymsports. We committed $2.7 million to a brand-new clubroom and pro shop for the tennis club, which is also home to two of the netball clubs, and I am really excited to see the changing face of that sports area and await the long-term benefits for our junior athletes.

We have also committed, as I mentioned before, $1.2 million to the Hope Valley football and cricket clubs for a facility upgrade, which will hopefully be nicely complemented by the new grant that has been provided for the tennis and netball. We have committed to $2.5 million to the mighty Modbury Hawks for a full new clubroom facility, which will include four unisex change rooms, umpire rooms and a function space.

I am actually having a function at the old function space on the weekend, which is a wonderful space, but I am very much looking forward to the rebuild. It is due to commence very soon. I think it will be one of the first election commitments that gets started and hopefully one of the first that is finished. I would like to acknowledge the role that the Hawks have played in raising money for that upgrade. They have been absolutely phenomenal in what they have done as a club in order to raise their own money and put forward a really strong case as to why they should receive that election commitment.

We also committed $167,000 to the vital work at Pathway Community Centre and Clovercrest Baptist Church. I mentioned Pathway and Clovercrest in my grieve earlier today, so I will not go on too much, but I do want to acknowledge the really important work that they do and how important that funding will be for them.

Finally, after 40 long years, as many of you would know and I will never get sick of talking about, we are transitioning 4,700 homes from the outdated Tea Tree Gully community wastewater scheme to SA Water mains. In our council area alone, there were about 4,700 tanks—there are a lot less now—affecting over 8,000 residents in the suburbs of Modbury, Hope Valley, St Agnes, Fairview Park, Banksia Park, Yatala Vale, Ridgehaven, Surrey Downs, Redwood Park, Vista and Highbury.

Of those 4,700 tanks, 4,000 or so are in the seat of Newland, so I understand it very well. I have knocked on the doors of almost every person with a tank. I have seen tanks in backyards, tanks in bedrooms, tanks under swimming pools. I know the tank system a little too well but really understand the complexity that is involved in this process.

I would like to acknowledge the role of SA Water and what they have been doing in this project. We have just said goodbye to our community engagement person for the project, Paul Smitheram. He has received another job in federal government. I want to thank him for the tireless work that he has done in what is a very difficult project. We have just welcomed a new community engagement person, and I am sure she will do an incredible job as well. She has already been hitting the ground in the last few weeks.

It is important to remember, however, that this project has not happened by accident. On 3 June 2020, before the Labor Party even had a candidate for the seat of Newland, we announced a $92 million program to scrap the CWMS. It was the Labor Party who committed to bring the residents of the north-eastern suburbs into the 20th century and no, that is not a mistake. It is not the 21st century I am referring to; it is the 20th century. Most of those residents have been on what could only be described as a rural-style system of septic for many years right in the midst of the suburbs.

On 10 June, exactly a week later, the Liberal Party did come out and commit some money, but not the same amount—less money—leaving the residents and Tea Tree Gully council, where I was a councillor, with uncertainty about how the third stage would be costed and who would be paying for it. In January 2022, after we had a candidate for the seat of Newland, we announced that not only would we convert residents to SA Water mains but we would scrap the $745 CWMS levy to the council from 1 July that year, and we did that.

It is coming up to a year since we scrapped that levy and still to this day residents come to me and thank us, thank our government, for taking that levy away from them. There was so much uncertainty about who would pay for the remaining funding of the project should the Liberals be re-elected, and I was literally, pre election, having people coming over to me in the street saying, 'I have never voted Labor in my life, but because you are scrapping the levy and you are the only one listening to us we will give it a go this time.'

I think that really shows how out of touch the former government were with the residents of Newland, with the community, noting that a number of those tanks are also in the seats of Morialta and Wright, so it is not just the residents of Newland they were out of touch with. It also shows the strength of that taking away of the extreme pressure on residents, and how important it was for residents who had been on this system for upwards of 40 years to be converted onto the new system.

A lot of work has been underway. BTR are the contractors at the moment and they have been doing a wonderful job as well. There are of course always bumps along the road. This is an enormous project, but I am happy to announce we have actually completed a suburb, which is incredibly exciting for those of us—me and probably one or two others on this earth—who are obsessed with the CWMS. It was a really big milestone for us, for the community. I can see firsthand. I have neighbours, friends, colleagues, lots of people I know on the CWMS, and I have been watching those transitions closely and been really impressed by the work that has been going on.

We made all those residents SA Water customers for their sewerage services no matter the stage of the transition plan they are in, which means that some residents who, under the former government's plan, would have had to wait until they were physically transitioned to have that cost saving, which might be five or six years, to have been able to save it up-front even before the physical transition occurs.

They are also not paying any remediation costs under our plan, which has been amazing. There is a lot of work that needs to be done to driveways, backyards and the like. We also have a dedicated customer service line for the CWMS, which is fantastic. It provides clear information and time frames to residents. We held a CWMS forum right before the transition in July last year. The Premier and the Minister for Water came out, and the member for Wright was there as well. About 150 people came along with questions, but mostly they were there to say thank you, 'Thank you for listening to us.'

There were years of advocacy from, particularly, the CWMS action group, and it would be remiss of me not to mention the work of Rose Morton and Adla Mattiske leading that group and the other hundreds of members of the group. People came out to say thank you for the project that has been affecting their lives for a very long time. I am really happy that that is going on, and I am very proud of the commitments and looking forward to continued developments and works in Newland for my 25,000 or so neighbours.

S.E. ANDREWS (Gibson) (16:30): I rise to indicate my support for the Supply Bill presently before the house, this bill to allow the continued provision of our public services in South Australia, including the salaries of public servants, while the state budget process is underway. I would like to start by acknowledging what a historic few months it has been for our state so far this year—most importantly, our first Aboriginal Voice to any Australian parliament occurring here in South Australia on a Sunday in front of thousands of South Australians. I must say in my time in parliament to date that I have never felt prouder than to vote in support of that piece of legislation. I acknowledge we stand here on stolen Kaurna land and sovereignty was never ceded.

In addition, we have seen the hugely successful AFL Gather Round, with the mighty Power winning. I must say the impact of that event has not receded. You did not need to go to one of those many football matches in order to feel the impact on our state. People right across Gibson are still talking about it. They feel proud about South Australia, and it is a feeling that has swept over our state. People are really feeling good about this government. I must say all kinds of people are still talking about it. I was lucky enough to have the Premier attend a street-corner meeting in Brighton last Saturday. People came along just to say thank you. I think that says a lot—because it was raining heavily.

Of note also, we had the always wonderful WOMADelaide. It was fabulous to have it back in its full capacity with international acts returning to Adelaide. The venue was absolutely pumping. Florence and the Machine drew the most extraordinary crowds. I could not even walk 10 metres to get closer with my nephew. It was fabulous to have Youssou N'Dour, who is a regular at WOMAD, back to close the event.

We also had record crowds at the Fringe and Adelaide Festival. As a lover of the arts, it was just an amazing opportunity to have our eyes opened, think about the world in another way, have our ideas challenged and just have a great sense of fun. Of course, when we attended those events we took the opportunity to meet with friends at bars, go out for dinner, spend in our local community and feel good about what South Australia can offer.

This is back on the return last year of the Adelaide 500, an event this government fought really hard to return to our state. We did in record time and, gosh, we pulled it off in a really professional manner. I must say I am really proud to have that back on the calendar as well. It has been a great time to be in South Australia. Our city has been pumping and the Malinauskas Labor government is delivering for all South Australians.

Last year, I stood here and spoke about our election commitments to the people of South Australia. They were bold and ambitious and could only be delivered by the members on this side of the house. Have we broken our promises, as the opposition claim as they debate fringe issues, embrace the far right and as the member for Black continues to be ignored by his party? Absolutely not. We have delivered more than half of our commitments already and, like a Kyle Chalmers 50-metre freestyle, we are delivering in record time.

In health, we are supporting our nurses and doctors at Flinders Medical Centre and the Repat General Hospital by delivering long-overdue salary increases, discounted hospital car parking, free access to public transport and doubling the nurse graduate recruitment, from 600 to 1,200, plus much more. Our healthcare professionals are valued and not subject to cruel cuts like those made by those opposite.

Twenty-six new beds have already been delivered at Flinders Medical Centre and have provided much-needed capacity to the hospital system. This is not the end, with more new beds coming to Flinders and also to Noarlunga Hospital, which will take further pressure off Flinders. Thirty-two new paramedics have hit the streets of the inner south, including 16 at Marion and another 16 in neighbouring Edwardstown. These are just some of the more than 120 extra paramedics delivered so far, a commitment that will get an ambulance to you when you really need it.

We are also allowing pharmacies to deliver 10 more vaccines in South Australia, which makes South Australia's pharmacist-administered vaccination scheme the most extensive in the nation and will help alleviate pressure on our GPs. We know how tough it is to access a GP appointment, as the former federal government damaged our Medicare system.

As a state government, we are delivering road upgrades all around our southern suburbs in partnership with the Albanese Labor government. We have the Majors Road on/off ramps, the resurfacing of a significant section of South Road before the Torrens to Darlington works commence and the removal of the Marion Road and Cross Road tram level crossing. The Majors Road on/off ramps will have a significant impact on my community, one that has been called for for many years now. It will reduce the congestion on Brighton Road as traffic will instead choose to travel along the north-south corridor.

The member for Black, who loved or hated the Majors Road upgrade—I do not know—was quick in opposition to scaremonger about the environmental impact on Glenthorne National Park. In fact, the Labor plan will see no impact on this national park. On South Road, we now have a workable plan for the north-south corridor in consultation with the community, unlike the Liberals who tried to keep their plan secret.

I would like to acknowledge the member for Badcoe, who has been advocating for the removal of the Marion Road and Cross Road tram level crossing since 2017. She is a hard worker. It is a project that the Liberals did not value and another example of them not listening to their community. This new tram overpass will lift the tram above the roads and allow smooth passage for all, finally eliminating the extraordinary amount of time you can sit in a car, waiting to cross that intersection.

Locally, in partnership with my community, I have been able to deliver two Keep Clear areas at the Seacombe Road-Diagonal Road and Diagonal Road-Pemberton Street intersections, with new line markings at the intersection of Sturt Road and Diagonal Road and at Brighton Road and Addison Road. These are all commitments that have been delivered by me through consultation with the community. They are ideas that come to me when I am out doorknocking and having street-corner meetings, ideas that we can deliver on for the people of Gibson.

I have also advocated for road safety improvements that will be delivered by the City of Holdfast Bay and the City of Marion. All these projects are delivered because I am listening to my community. Speaking of the City of Marion, I am pleased to report that the new self-cleaning toilet block at Ballara Park Reserve has arrived. The toilet, which was one of my election commitments, will be very welcomed by the high number of young families who use the park, particularly because it is adjacent to a kindergarten. Those of you who have cared for young children know that it is always convenient to have a toilet close by, particularly a clean and safe toilet. This is a good win for the community, particularly for the people of Warradale.

More good news for Warradale is that, after total inaction by the previous government and the member for Morialta, I was delighted earlier this year to announce that, following my advocacy for Warradale Primary School, the Minister for Education agreed to allocate additional funding to allow the Warradale Primary School capital works project to finally be completed.

Brighton Secondary School also recently benefited from my advocacy when their volleyball teams were having administrative issues in attending the Volleyball Schools Cup on the Gold Coast. After speaking with multiple parents, I was more than happy to speak on their behalf to the minister to resolve the situation and have them fly up to the Gold Coast for the competition.

I know that parents and also many grandparents across Gibson are really excited by the Malinauskas Labor government's mobile phone ban in high schools—a long-overdue decision that will have an impact on reducing school violence and bullying and, importantly, improve student interaction and the quality of learning.

Already we can see, particularly in school breaks at recess and lunch, children not being on their phones and actually interacting face to face. They are actually benefiting themselves and enjoying each other's company and interacting again. I was really proud to stand with the minister, the Hon. Blair Boyer, when he made the announcement at Seaview High School, and I have received so much positive feedback from the community and teachers.

Housing and rental affordability are at an all-time low with the number of families experiencing mortgage stress and unable to find a property to rent at very high levels. I mentioned in detail earlier this week in relation to the residential tenancies bill that the Labor government is making changes to assist renters. I know from the constituents contacting my office that the housing situation is critical in our state with the number of people seeking assistance due to the financial pressures increasing—people who are working but who cannot find a suitable rental property, people whose children are having to sleep on the floor, and the increasing number of people living rough.

I know, as do my colleagues, that this cannot continue, which is why we have provided practical assistance to South Australians, having refunded services that assist those who are homeless, or victims of domestic and family violence, which were cruelly cut by those opposite, such as at Catherine House and the Hutt St Centre. Additionally, our government, rather than selling public housing to investors, is investing in new public housing and releasing land to increase the supply of residential properties to put downward pressure on home prices and rents.

The Malinauskas Labor government has released the A Better Housing Future plan, which included stopping the sale of 580 public housing properties. Stopping the sell-off proposed by the Liberal Party is essential and the right thing to do. Only the member for Black and his colleagues would want to sell off public housing in a housing crisis. The retention of these properties alongside construction of 564 new homes will mean 1,144 additional public homes in South Australia than would otherwise be the case.

The South Australian Housing Authority is also undertaking major renovations to 350 homes to make them livable again and updating 3,000 more as part of a maintenance blitz, further delivering on key election commitments—Labor delivering for South Australia. I would like to note particularly the new affordable homes that are coming in Seacombe Gardens and more public housing coming in Brighton.

We know that South Australians are struggling due to not only housing at the moment but also due to the ever-increasing cost of living. To assist those in need, we have doubled the Cost of Living Concession. To assist seniors, we have delivered free public transport all day every day of the year and, to assist families, we have reduced the school materials fee for all public school students by $100.

My constituents and I are waiting with anticipation for the release of the planning review by Minister Champion. My community is concerned about the increase and loss of our urban canopy as infill development sees the loss of trees across my electorate. We know that this has led to temperature increases and habitat loss, of course contributing to climate change. You can feel it when you are doorknocking. Where there are high levels of urban infill, you can literally feel the temperature change in the streets.

This Labor government has already made commitments to ensure that future developments provide a minimum of one off-street car park for every dwelling and two car parks for dwellings with two or more bedrooms. The pressure of urban infill impacts our streets and our neighbourhoods, making urban infill synonymous with congestion and inconvenience. We need urban infill to meet the demands of our growing populations, but development must not compete with community: it must serve our community.

We also need to make sure that developments are appropriate. Not every site is the right place for intensive residential development—a petrol station, a big box retail development or a motor vehicle showroom—particularly if such developments may see the loss of significant trees, damage our biodiversity or harm our natural water supply.

Another review that my community is following and interested in is the changes to the Local Nuisance and Litter Control Act, particularly in relation to shopping trolleys and dumping. This is particularly of note given Marion shopping centre sits firmly in the middle of my electorate, and multiple shops there have trolleys available for customers. On an average day, I can locate up to 40 dumped trolleys within 50 metres of my office. It is an absolute eyesore and something that needs to be removed from our parks, rivers and pathways.

The state government has stopped paid parking at Tea Tree Plaza after a fabulous campaign and made parking free at Westfield West Lakes. Sadly, Westfield did not get the message and are now trying once again to impose paid parking at Marion shopping centre. This is something that has absolutely lit up my community. The communication I am receiving against the introduction of paid parking has just been remarkable. My community are angry about this, with hundreds signing petitions, joining me in campaigning against the proposed change and writing and calling my office.

This will be bad for retail workers, bad for shoppers and bad for the small and large businesses that occupy the Marion shopping centre. Shoppers will vote with their feet and their wallets. Whilst other local centres may benefit, the retail and hospitality workers from my electorate will lose their jobs as shops close. I call on Westfield to put workers, shoppers and businesses first and drop this proposal.

In addition, our government has repealed the electric vehicle tax introduced by the environmental vandals opposite, including the member for Black, who capitulated to the Eastern States with regard to our environmental water allocation in the River Murray—water that has still not been delivered.

There are many in my community who are really happy with the reversal of the tax for electric vehicles. It was something that was discussed with me at length during the campaign whilst I was doorknocking. Furthermore, our government is currently consulting the community on appropriate legislation for e-scooters and other personal mobility devices, which is of great interest to a number of others in my community. If community members are interested, please go to the YourSAy website.

Another exciting development in relation to transport in my electorate is in relation to our trains and trams. Soon, as promised, the trains stopping at Brighton, Hove, Warradale, Oaklands and Marion will come back into public hands, where they belong. I remember campaigning against this privatisation because, like most South Australians, I knew that this was a bad decision, an expensive decision and one that reduced the quality of services to our community.

During that campaign, I stood on the steps of Parliament House when the member for Croydon, now our Premier, declared that this government would return them to public hands. That is once again another election commitment that we are delivering on and one that is still raised with me in my community that they are very pleased to see progressing.

I congratulate the Minister for Transport, the member for West Torrens, who has been making this a priority for delivery and, importantly, with no financial cost to the taxpayer, despite dire predictions from those opposite. It is another example where the Malinauskas Labor government is delivering for South Australians, while the Liberal Party battle internally over, and I quote from one of their potential candidates, 'niche cultural wars'.

Before I finish, I would like to take the opportunity to thank our surf lifesavers for their work this past summer. It is always great to visit my local clubs at Brighton and Somerton Park and just say hello when I am along the beach. They sacrifice their weekends with their families to protect our community, and we are all grateful for that. Whether it is patrolling the beaches, performing rescues or administering first aid, they are always there between the flags. The Malinauskas Labor government granted every lifesaving club $5,000 to assist with this work. Whilst I am speaking about the sea, I must mention the Malinauskas Labor government is reviewing the speed limits on beaches, which I know is a concern for many in southern Adelaide.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the workers at our Service SA centres. With my office just above the one at Marion, I can see how constantly busy they are. In order to relieve some of that pressure and provide a better service to our community, I am really happy to say that from this Saturday 6 May our Service SA centre at Marion will be open nine to five every Saturday. It is really difficult for some people to get to a Service SA office Monday to Friday with work and family commitments, so this is another opportunity to provide a service to our community and one I am very happy this government is delivering on.

Additionally, I would like to thank all the residents I have met at my mobile offices, my community forums, my community catch-ups with ministers and out doorknocking. They have provided me with the ideas and the suggestions to improve our community, and I am proud to work alongside them to deliver for Gibson.

Mr FULBROOK (Playford) (16:50): I rise to speak in support of the Supply Bill and with it reflect on a recent situation that affected me and my family. While I know this is my story, it could just as easily be the story of someone within my electorate or perhaps someone within the state. I know this will be emotional, so I have taken the steps to write this speech down in full to ensure I do not stray and will hopefully get to the point.

12 March this year will unfortunately stick in my mind for the rest of my life, for it was the day I lost my best friend, my dad, who was also called John Fulbrook. Having the opportunity to pay tribute to a good man is a privilege that is not afforded to many, and while I could talk about why I loved him for hours, such an indulgence does not seem right when it is not afforded to others who also have to suffer similar fates. Instead, I raise this matter as an opportunity to pay tribute to the wonderful public servants who were there to assist my family on this sad occasion. I do this because this bill, amongst a number of things, aims to keep our great state functioning by funding the services that we all value most.

Dad was 85, had a great life and put in a good innings. If there is such thing as an afterlife, he would be happy with the way he left the world. There was no pain, it was quick and he was surrounded by those he loved. I am sure the judges would have given him a perfect 10. Back in the reality of those around him, recent times have been exceptionally tough. In saying what I have to say next, I want it on record that I do so with the full blessing of my mum, Elizabeth.

Setting the scene, Dad's last few hours were at my house in Parafield Gardens. We had just had a barbecue for tea, and we had also been joined by my sister and her family. Dad needed some help going to the toilet, which, not to sugar-coat, is pretty ordinary for 85 year olds. I had stepped outside when I heard my mum frantically calling for me and my brother-in-law, Stuart. The two of us ran to my bathroom to find my dad slumped in my mum's arms and a clear request to call an ambulance.

I did this, while Stuart, who is a nurse, took instruction over the phone from the operator. In all the commotion, I can remember succinct details being passed on from a highly trained operator, who also did what was needed to get the ambulance crews to my house promptly. She assumed nothing, knew exactly what to do and in those short minutes was of extreme value. I am very fortunate that the Parafield ambulance station is close to my house, but I do not exaggerate when I say that the three ambulances that attended my house were there in less than two minutes.

It has taken me a while to get to this main point, but what happened next is the key reason why I speak on this matter today. I hope I can be forgiven for at times being a little bit sketchy, but I would say the three ambulances led to at least six ambulance officers swiftly entering my house and giving my dad their very best. These were all young women who seemed no older than 30. Clearly, I am no expert in the medical field, but those around me will attest they did everything they could and their efforts were absolutely flawless.

While I wish I knew the names of all who were there, I can only do this for Hannah, who was the senior officer who spoke to us to keep us informed on what was happening. Never did we feel out in the cold. Hannah kept us informed every step of the way and did so in a manner that was gentle, professional and clearly empathetic of the terrible circumstances that were unfolding around us.

I have pondered a lot following that evening, but one of the things I could not help notice was how young these officers were. Working in environments where human emotion is at extreme levels, these officers displayed not only resilience but a beautiful side of humanity we are not often privileged enough to see. In my eyes, the world around me was falling apart, yet they maintained their composure, never panicking and serving as a guiding path as our own senses began to waver.

It is hard to describe how brilliant they were. I do not wish to upset anyone, but the closest way I could describe their abilities would be to suggest that these amazing people were older than their years. Gradually, the dawn of a new reality set in as it became very clear that, despite giving my dad every chance to survive, this was the moment we knew he was no longer with us. For reasons I cannot fully explain, three ambulance crews rightfully became one while Hannah and some of her colleagues remained at the front of my driveway.

Obviously, we all took our moments to cry, but at some point I found it within me to go and chat to her. I explained what I did for a living and how grateful we were as a family to have her help and that of her outstanding colleagues. She explained she had just come on shift, and it later dawned on me the random nature of what they must endure as officers working for the South Australian Ambulance Service.

As a family, I know we did everything we could to make the task of that evening easy for Hannah and her team, but in my eyes it must be up there with the hardest of jobs to deal with a family that had just lost a loved one. Sometime that evening I said to mum that there must be some strange kind of relief for these wonderful people when they have been assigned to attend something you could describe as recoverable, like a broken leg. I hope that, when you factor in that even a broken limb is distressing, I am painting a picture for you all on how strong these people must be.

To Hannah and your colleagues, not everyone gets the same privilege I do to publicly say thanks, but knowing how well you worked that night I am certain the majority of those you serve would all like to. I therefore feel that it is incumbent on me to also pass on thanks from all the other people who have seen similar events unfold around them. I am sorry I cannot remember the names of your colleagues but, given how professional you were that evening, I feel you would understand. You all did so well, which makes me feel that if your friends and family could have seen you in action I am confident they would all be very proud of you.

Unfortunately, when a family member dies the Ambulance Service cannot be a one-stop shop. While I would have loved nothing more than not to have seen the father I loved on my kitchen floor for a number of hours with a pipe stuck in his mouth, the distress of the circumstances was made all the more easier by two SAPOL officers who attended my house soon after. I know this is not a pretty picture, but it is life, and I am doing my best to recount this in such a way that it is useful for us as servants of the public to know.

What I have failed to mention up until this point is that throughout this period two little boys were present, one my seven-year-old son, Julian, and the other his nine-year-old cousin, Toby. Their eyes were spared some of the unpleasantness, but there was no denying they were present when their grandfather died. I am not exactly sure what these SAPOL officers said to these two, but it was special, carefully thought out and made a huge difference to them in coping with events. I must have been busy on something else at the time, but my mum made it very clear that these officers knew exactly how to speak the language two grief-stricken little boys needed to understand.

We do not ever really talk about what training our police are subjected to, but for them to handle the situation in the manner they did it is clear it must be outstanding. Again, I would love to know their names so I could thank them personally and, as with our ambulance officers, I would also like to extend my thanks to those working behind the scenes who help make these public servants exceptional people.

Comforting children was only part of how we were helped that night. Unfortunately, dad's body could not be moved without clearance, which at around 10pm on a Sunday evening of a long weekend they moved heaven and earth to sort. This involved making numerous calls to my parents' GP as well as the undertaker and countless other efforts that we clearly did not see. We did not have to do any of the heavy lifting; they just helped to comfort us and allowed us to focus on each other.

It was their persistence, quick thinking and diligence that ensured the body could be moved within a few hours of their arrival. This was deeply appreciated, particularly by my mum, and helped ensure the experience was not prolonged any longer than it needed to be. While I did not get the names of the two officers, I was fortunate to recently speak to Superintendent Guy Buckley, the officer in charge of operations in the north.

This gave me the opportunity to express not only my appreciation for the professionalism we encountered that sad evening but also how grateful we were for the comfort and care they gave to all involved. It seemed that Superintendent Buckley was very proud of his officers. To repeat the point I made about the Ambulance Service, if their friends and family were present to see how these officers performed that evening, I have no doubt they would also be so deeply proud of them.

I can appreciate that this is a story not everyone wants to hear, but I have done this deliberately to reinforce the importance of why the Supply Bill must be passed. As South Australians, we place high standards on both ourselves and the services we receive; it seems to be ingrained. There is always room for improvement, but when sad moments like these happen it is time to take stock and realise just how lucky we are.

As I fought back tears that night, through my eyes I saw the best of what our Public Service has to offer. None of us accept complacency, but we should also realise and accept that we are privileged to have amazing people working to serve the public. They do this against all odds, yet they continue to shine. They do not just excel as exemplary workers: they also shine as outstanding human beings.

While noting that the ambulance and SAPOL officers form part of two exceptional teams, it is not just those on the frontline who are doing amazing things. I reflect on the amazing training on display that evening as well from those at call and dispatch centres, bringing these fantastic people to where they were needed. While everyone who helped us that evening shone, this could never have happened had officers at the Police Academy or the ambulance training centre at Parafield not also been exemplary before the event.

It has been many years since I visited the Police Academy, but I did visit the ambulance training facilities in Parafield last year with the Hon. Justin Hanson from the other place. We were able to lobby the Minister for Health on making a few improvements to the centre as a result of the visit, so maybe on that occasion we paid it forward. While emotionally I am shattered by the events I describe, the opportunity to comment on the Supply Bill has given me a chance to express thanks.

This bill is used to keep vital public services afloat and so, in showing my appreciation, I make the key argument—hopefully, a compelling one—that we are getting exceptional value for our money. In times of need, we have the best working for us, and as both a parliament and a community we should be nothing short of grateful. I know my family is and, given what we saw, we all no doubt consider ourselves to be the lucky ones.

I do have a bit more time to speak but, truth be known, they have not made up a word yet to fully sum up my appreciation for them all. Needless to say, we have exceptional people working for us. They are worth every cent and, with this in mind, I am very happy to commend this bill to the house.

The Hon. A. MICHAELS (Enfield—Minister for Small and Family Business, Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs, Minister for Arts) (17:03): I rise today to speak in support of the Supply Bill 2023. As you are aware, Mr Acting Speaker, the Malinauskas government was elected on the basis of a strong vision for South Australia. This bill will enable the government to keep moving forward to deliver on that vision. Every one of our ministers has been working to fulfil our election commitments as we work towards achieving our goals for a better South Australia, and across my three portfolios I have achieved the majority of my election commitments and commenced a number of additional initiatives.

One of my key election commitments was to roll out the Women in Business program. We committed $4 million over four years to this initiative, and I am pleased to advise that I launched the Women in Business program to a packed audience of more than 300 people in November last year. This program is tailored to the specific challenges women face in starting, running and growing their businesses. The program is going to work to increase access to greater amounts of capital, promote growth and secure more jobs for current and future generations of South Australian workers.

For the Foundations Program, we have partnered with the Adelaide Business Hub, where more than 400 women have already registered for this program, which has exceeded our expectations and reinforced the need for programs like this. These female business owners are being provided with four hours of one-on-one mentoring from experts, participating in online workshops and attending in-person networking events, as well as being provided with access to a range of toolkits and effective business tips to help them.

We are also working with Behind Closed Doors to deliver the advisory program helping established businesses take the next step in growing their businesses. We have 38 women already participating in workshops and receiving tailored mentoring through that program. These female business leaders hail from a wide range of industries, including mining, finance, health, real estate, food and wine, manufacturing, and professional services. The advisory program is designed to provide these women with skills to manage their growth, seek out capital and access new markets.

On top of that, the Port Adelaide Football Club has joined with us to deliver the HERstory: Business Collective. This connects women in business who are passionate about their professional and personal growth and who are generous in spirit and in sharing their knowledge to empower each other. The Port Adelaide Football Club is delivering the Collective Conversations on the Couch, which is a business networking event that is going to present inspiring women across leadership, small business and the corporate environment.

We also have the Female Founder Connect Lunch and Learn series, and we hosted the first one last week. These are going to be hosted and facilitated by experienced female business owners, who will enable participating business owners to ask questions and seek input from those more experienced to help them grow and build their businesses. As I said, the first one last week had a legal focus, which was quite useful. These are just the beginning. This is our first financial year of rolling it out, and we are working closely with the Office for Small and Family Business to deliver on the partnerships that will roll out through to 2026 as well.

One of the first steps I took when I was sworn in was to work on establishing the Office for Small and Family Business. I did that because, as a former business owner and a business adviser, I knew how hard it was to access information from state government. Small business owners are time poor. They do not have time to waste trawling through endless websites looking for information, so I established the Office for Small and Family Business to be that central port of call for small businesses. It is a destination enabling businesses to easily access resources, programs and tailored assistance in one place, as well as being that conduit to other departments in other areas of government small businesses need to access.

The OSFB collaborates with service providers to curate an ever-evolving suite of resources and programs for small businesses across all industries and across all regions in South Australia. Program services and resources are available for when business owners are looking to start a new business, grow an existing business, perhaps improve their resilience and sustainability, look at their corporate governance or when times are getting tough. I established this because we on this side of the chamber believe in small business and know that it is essential to the economic security of our state. We are a small business state. If anyone is listening to this right now and wants any information, it is business.sa.gov.au.

When I set up the Office for Small and Family Business, I instructed the office to undertake an engagement program. It has been the most comprehensive and intensive engagement program with small business that, as far as anyone has been able to tell me, the state government has ever undertaken. There was an online survey, where we got over 1,000 responses. We also had 22 round tables with small businesses across industry sectors and across CBD, metro and regional South Australia. We had in-depth interviews with 20 industry associations and various experts and other key stakeholders, and I want to thank all those people who were involved in that consultation.

There is a report out on what we found from that consultation, and we are using those responses to build our small business strategy, which I am looking forward to releasing in the next couple of months. We are designing the strategy for the benefit of the small business community to help drive job creation, build our economy and, really importantly, futureproof our small businesses so they can keep being the foundation of our community.

As the arts minister, I am proud of what we have achieved in the arts, cultural and creative industry sector. You will have seen, Mr Acting Speaker, the fanfare when Adelaide Fringe achieved its record number of ticket sales, hitting over one million tickets sold for the 2023 Adelaide Fringe. That was the first festival around Australia to ever sell over a million tickets, which was fantastic.

We know March is traditionally known as Mad March, with the Adelaide Festival and the Adelaide Fringe taking over the city and spreading into our suburbs and our regional centres as well. Our festivals were really hard hit by COVID and we committed to supporting the South Australian arts ecosystem going into the election. We committed to increasing funding to the Adelaide Fringe by $8 million over four years to ensure it could rebound successfully from COVID, and it has indeed done that.

This year's Fringe was an unforgettable event, with over 1,200 shows being programmed at over 500 venues across the state. There was something for everyone and it was so pleasing to see the success reflected in the overall ticket sales. It sold 1,000,916 tickets to be precise, smashing the previous record set in 2020. A portion of the additional funding enabled the Fringe to increase its marketing of the festival interstate, and that of course brought more visitors to South Australia and more spending into South Australia, which was fantastic for hospitality, retail and our tourism operators as well. It was a win for all in South Australia and a fantastic success story.

More broadly than the Adelaide Fringe in South Australia, we value the arts and recognise their important contribution to our broader society. That is why we increased funding in the arts and creative sector, including an additional $2 million per year to boost arts grants. The Arts Organisation Program grants were increased by $1 million per year to ensure that our arts organisations were able to receive greater levels of support to put on new creative work.

Another $1 million a year was allocated to the Arts and Culture Grants Program, increasing funding to the sector. Of that, $200,000 went to Country Arts to boost grants available to our South Australian regions and support our arts and creatives who live outside the Adelaide metropolitan area. There was $50,000 provided to Carclew to boost arts grants for young and emerging artists as well. The first of those funds were made available in October 2022 and the projects are commencing and have commenced this year.

Of course, Adelaide comes alive over the entire 12 months with festivals and events and we want to make sure we are continuing to attract people to South Australia. One of the things that will help with that is the Adelaide Film Festival that has now been annualised. We had the last biennial Film Festival in October last year. We would not normally have expected one until October 2024, but we have our next Adelaide Film Festival only five months away. Planning is well underway and it will be an exciting year to have our first annualised event. That is just one of the ways that we are supporting South Australian filmmakers in this state.

We also have the See It LIVE program, which we have been rolling out quite successfully. It was a $10 million election commitment focused on getting musicians back on stage doing what they do best with a range of support programs for live music and hospitality venues, promoters and more. There was an allocation of $1.25 million to the Event Grants, supporting small music events, mid-tier venues and larger music festivals. That helped contribute to Vintage Vibes at Tomich Wines recently, July's Beer and BBQ Festival is a recipient, and Myponga Music Festival will celebrate their historic event that goes back to 1971.

The $5,000 Venue Improvement Grants helped South Australian venues such as Enigma Bar to upgrade existing venues to better cater for live music performances. That $1 million program was fully subscribed very quickly. We are also continuing to roll out our See It LIVE e-voucher program, which has been well utilised, providing venues like Rhino Room on Pirie Street and non-traditional live music venues such as Mount Gambier Bowls Club with funding to pay for artists to perform live music.

We saw the result of COVID impacting on people's mental health, and that is why we also provided $250,000 to the not-for-profit association Support Act that provides mental health to people in the arts sector. Live music also came back to the Royal Show. For the first time in 20 years, we had a $500,000 grant going to the show that helped 496 individual artists perform in front of packed audiences when the Royal Show came back after an unprecedented break of three years.

The See it LIVE package has been a huge boost for the South Australian live music industry across the state. Now is not the time to stop supporting live music, which is why we have set up the Premier's Live Music Advisory Council. The Premier and I will make good use of that council, being provided with information and advice on how we can ensure music provides a viable career path for our young South Australians.

The council will meet for the first time shortly, and I look forward to working with its members to make sure we solidify South Australia's position as Australia's only UNESCO City of Music. Arts and culture in South Australia is in a strong position, and it is contributing to making South Australia a destination of choice for young people and professionals as we look to deal with skills shortages.

As Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs, I have implemented a review into the Residential Tenancies Act. As a result, we have the Residential Tenancies (Protection of Prospective Tenants) Amendment Bill before this parliament. Also as part of the review we have made changes to bond thresholds, saving renters up to $1,600 up-front in their bonds. That started on 1 April, and we know that at least $1.3 million has potentially been saved for renters in that first month.

We know that broader reform is required of the Residential Tenancies Act. We have looked at and will come back to this parliament with recommendations on improvements in dealing with renting with pets, no-cause eviction, housing standards, safety modifications that tenants need to make, or minor changes to property. Rooming houses and sharing accommodation are being looked at. Support for renters experiencing domestic violence is an important area that we are looking at, as are water bills and payment requirements for tenants. There are a few areas that we will be coming out and consulting on more broadly in the next little while.

I also want to talk about the Enfield electorate and take this opportunity to tell this place how this government is working with and for my local community. Since the state election we have been getting on with the task of delivering a range of local projects that were developed in consultation with my local community. When I was first elected, the most common issue that was raised to me by my constituents was the lack of public transport in Lightsview.

I have been fighting for four years to get better bus services to residents of Lightsview and Northgate. In December 2021, I started a petition calling on the former Liberal government to improve public transport. That was signed by more than 700 residents. As a result of that petition, I was able to secure a commitment to improve public transport going into the election. I am pleased to say that the 206 bus service will become a Go Zone from 23 July this year.

We have three new electric hybrid buses being commissioned, resulting in 15-minute services on weekdays from 7.30am to 7pm, and then half-hourly services from 7pm until midnight. On weekends, services will operate every 30 minutes from 7am until midnight on Saturdays and 8.30am until midnight on Sundays. That, together with the free public transport for seniors at all times, is a great initiative that I am really proud of to support our seniors.

In terms of supporting women in sport, in my local area we have committed $750,000. That has been provided for the construction of female change rooms at the Duncan Fraser Reserve and another $750,000 at the Blair Athol Reserve. The upgrade to the Duncan Fraser Reserve is going to provide a much-needed boost to the Gepps Cross Football Club and the Gepps Cross Cricket Club. Both these clubs have seen a huge increase in interest and participation from women looking to be involved in football and cricket in recent years.

The upgrade to the Blair Athol Reserve will be a huge benefit for the Kilburn Football and Cricket Club. In addition to providing the female change rooms, it will help develop strong teams for the Kilburn Football and Cricket Club as well.

One of the main problem intersections in my electorate is the Main North Road-Regency Road intersection. More than 70,000 vehicles use that intersection every day, with travellers going through from the CBD to the north. What we have done is undertake a traffic management study, which is going through the process at the moment. We received a significant amount of feedback at several engagement sessions, including one I hosted at Northpark Shopping Centre as part of the election commitment.

What people want to see is improved traffic flow, reduced waiting times for motorists, a significant improvement in pedestrian safety and better access to local businesses that sit either side of that Main North Road intersection. I look forward to being able to review the findings in due course and seeing those implemented to ensure better outcomes for our community at that intersection.

We have also honoured the commitment to fund the expansion of Roma Mitchell Secondary College in my electorate. The state government will invest $21 million to increase capacity for an extra 300 students at that school. This will ensure that the increasingly popular school can continue to accept students, under the guidance of Toni Carellas, the college's excellent principal.

We also have a local men's shed, the Regency Community Men's Shed, and that has received $10,000 that was part of the election commitment to upgrade their facilities. This is part of an election commitment to support men's health, which had a grant pool of $1 million across 85 men's sheds in South Australia.

One of the newer parts of my electorate is Walkley Heights. As we were going out and consulting with those members of the electorate before the election, there was significant concern about the condition of open spaces, particularly the RM Williams Drive Reserve. I was able to secure a $125,000 commitment to help the City of Salisbury upgrade that reserve. These funds are going to contribute to upgrading play equipment and improved access to the space. I am advised that the council has commenced construction work and that it is due to be completed by June this year.

I am very grateful to be able to represent my community in this place and to advocate strongly for measures that improve my local electorate, and also to roll out our election commitments in my particular portfolio areas of the arts, small and family business, and consumer and business affairs. With that, I commend the Supply Bill to the house.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON (Ramsay—Minister for Tourism, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (17:22): I rise today to speak in support of the Supply Bill 2023. This provides a fantastic opportunity to reflect on what an incredible 12 months it has been, as the state has reopened and begun to recover, both economically and socially, from the pandemic. I am proud to serve as the Minister for Tourism and Multicultural Affairs as part of the progressive and energised Malinauskas Labor government. It is a government that has hit the ground running with an exciting agenda and a dedication to fulfilling our election commitments and supporting South Australian businesses and communities to recover as we emerge.

There is undoubtedly a feeling of positivity and renewed energy in South Australia right now as we proudly showcase our great state on the world stage via an expanded and upgraded events program. Events not only stimulate local economic activity but serve a broader purpose of marketing and promoting our state as a premier destination for study, work, travel and investment. Of course, we are participating in a highly competitive global market, so we need to stand out.

It is the role of a strong, forward-thinking government to strategically invest in opportunities that will promote our great state to a global audience, whether it be the return of the VALO Adelaide 500 to our city streets; the sold-out coup of Gather Round that brought first-time visitors to South Australia from around the country; music festivals, such as the brand-new Harvest Rock; or the well-established WOMADelaide.

The Adelaide Equestrian Festival, back for the first time in three years, had Olympic medallists competing in our beautiful Parklands. We have often talked about the new addition of LIV Golf, so our state is enjoying the benefits that flow from our government's focus to make South Australia a destination of choice.

COVID-19 had a devastating impact on our tourism and our hospitality sectors. For context, pre-COVID expenditure in the visitor economy reached a record high of $8.1 billion for the year end December 2019. By the year end of March 2021 this had fallen to a low of $4.4 billion. The impact to local businesses both in our cities and our regions was devastating, but more devastating was the uncertainty of what lay ahead, and that road to recovery was very unclear, but recover we have despite the challenges of once in 100-year floods in our river regions and what remains an unsteady global economy.

Latest detailed results from Tourism Research Australia for the year ending December 2022 show that expenditure in the visitor economy reached a record high of $8.3 billion, up 3 per cent from the pre-COVID high, so we surpassed our pre-COVID levels. Our visitor economy has seen a strong resurgence from March 2022 with nine of the next 10 months to January 2023 exceeding pre-COVID levels. This growth has been driven by the voucher program, the festival season, the opening of interstate and international borders, our strong events calendar and the start of the convention season.

Our Adelaide accommodation data reflects a similar recovery, with occupancy well above 2020 and 2021. The highlight, which I got to announce just this week, of course, has been March 2023, the best month on record for hotel occupancy. Mad March saw more hotel rooms booked than in any other month before it, creating an all-time high of more than $60 million in revenue for the month. Regional hotel occupancy has also been strong. Since the start of the pandemic 23 of the 36 months have registered results above pre-COVID levels driven by the strong intrastate visitation and the recovery of the interstate market. Latest results for regional hotels saw occupancy of 69 per cent in March 2023.

Our work for the river recovery has also been taking place over this period. On 27 February this year, the state government announced details of the $4.6 million river recovery plan, including the Rise Up for our River marketing campaign and the River Revival Voucher program. More than 25,000 vouchers will be released over three rounds this year, with round 1 launched on 13 March. With values of $50, $100 and $200, the vouchers can be used for experiences and accommodation in the Riverland and Murray River, Lakes and Coorong regions.

In rounds 2 and 3, a $750 houseboat voucher will be introduced allowing South Australians to plan an iconic houseboat holiday in the winter and spring periods when most of the houseboats are expected to be fully operational again. The booking period for round 1 has now closed, and we know it has already driven $1.8 million in bookings from that voucher. That is an incredible impact on just two tourism regions here. They need our support, they need our focus, but the voucher system has delivered incredibly well.

This number alone tells us there is an immediate and significant boost to business. The program is working to get more visitors and expenditure into the regions. This support package was formulated after direct input from operators within the region at a forum hosted by me, the South Australian Tourism commission, and also the Tourism Industry Council of South Australia was heavily involved.

We also announced an additional $500,000 to provide for a further round targeted towards business that are still to reopen, such as affected areas of the Mid Murray Council region. The marketing campaign showcases iconic river locations, highlights tourism operators along the river and calls on South Australians to throw their support and dollars to impacted new river communities. On-the-ground feedback from local operators are telling us the vouchers have been very helpful, with hundreds of accommodation bookings at Blanchetown, Berri and Waikerie reported.

Prior to the flooding event in late December 2022, tourism in the two regions was worth a combined $436 million, directly employing 2,800 people across those two regions. There is still more work to do. Whilst recovery in our tourism and hospitality sector is positive, we are not resting and will leverage every opportunity to market our state and welcome new visitors, be they students, holiday-makers or investors.

While the vouchers are incredibly important, I encourage South Australians to support and rise up for our river—have a day trip to Mannum, book some time away. The river communities still need our help, they still need our focus and I encourage people to do so. I seek leave to continue my remarks.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.

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