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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-06-14 Daily Xml
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Tumby Bay Jetty

Mr TELFER (Flinders) (14:53): My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Will the government commit funding to the Tumby Bay Jetty in the state budget? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr TELFER: The Department for Infrastructure has been developing business cases for some select jetty upgrades across the state, and my community at Tumby Bay are desperate for their jetty to be reopened.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:54): If only they had a mayor who cared, previously. This is a good one for the students in the room: imagine being Mayor of Tumby Bay and then complaining about infrastructure that you oversaw that needed an upgrade and then complaining about it in the house and demanding that Labor fix it.

I have to say, I am stunned that the Liberal Party is going anywhere near this—anywhere near this. The previous Weatherill government had an amazing record on jetties. The previous Marshall government got zero on jetties—zero, zero out of 10 on jetties—and now that there is a new Labor government again they know our track record on jetties, so what are they doing? They have their hand out: 'Please, sir, can I have some more?'

I have to say, these regional communities that have been let down by their local members of parliament, who have let them down so long on regional infrastructure, are now waiting on a Labor government to go out and fund regional infrastructure. I remind the member for Flinders about the arrangement in place on that regional jetty. I remind the member of an arrangement in place and who is responsible for its maintenance and upkeep.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for West Torrens, there is a—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Taylor! The member for Morialta on a point of order under 134.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Standing order 98: the question was non-provocative. It was straightforward and the minister—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: The minister is debating, against standing orders.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Chaffey is called to order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Hartley, order! There is going to be a committee into that very shortly, I understand.

Mr Brown interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Yes, member for Florey. I have the point of order, standing order 98. I bring the minister to the substance of the question.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Thank you very much, sir. The previous government commissioned a report into jetties, which is held in cabinet-in-confidence and can't be released to the government.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Badcoe! Member for Newland!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: While the shadow minister for energy yells out, 'Hellas Soccer Club', attacking the Greek community of South Australia—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Are you going to yell out yasou, are you?

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens, there is a point of order from the member for Morphett, which I will hear once interjections subside, under 134.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Morphett.

Mr PATTERSON: I ask the member to withdraw and apologise. I did not say anything of the kind. It's disgraceful.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for West Torrens, the member for Morphett has taken offence.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I apologise. The member for Morphett did not say those remarks. I apologise. It was the member for Chaffey. So I apologise to the member for Morphett.

The SPEAKER: Very well.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Once again, the member for Chaffey back to form on the Greek community again, sir—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Florey!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —on the Greek community again. Jetties, quite frankly, are our passion—our passion—and the Liberal Party only has one more sleep to wait to see what it is we are going to do for our regional communities and their jetties, because we know the importance of jetties, unlike members opposite. We know how key these are to regional communities. We know how key jetties are to the heart and soul of a regional community. I wonder what the member for Flinders and all his colleagues would say to those regional communities that had their jetties closed.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Hartley, your colleague the member for Morialta raises a point of order with me under 134.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Thank you, sir: standing order 98.

The SPEAKER: Very well.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister, I have the question. I understand that there has been a degree of rhetorical flourish. It might be described as context. In any event—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! In any event, we must come to the substance of the question. Minister.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Sir, rhetorical flourish is part of any good response to the opposition.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: No, I think it works well with standing orders myself. I think it works exceptionally well with standing orders. We are committed to South Australia's jetties. I do remind the house that there are a number of jetties that are under the care and maintenance of our local councils. Those local councils have a requirement as part of our lease arrangements with the South Australian government to maintain these jetties in a proficient and stable manner.

I accept that through potentially some previously poor management, there may have been some issues about care and maintenance of some jetties, but if the state government is required to help we are here to help.

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Newland!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I know how important regional communities are to members opposite, so it would be nice if perhaps when they are not in opposition and they are actually in government they do something for those regional communities, rather than simply complain when they are in opposition about what is not being done in their regional communities. The question I ask is this: why does this jetty need upgrading now if it didn't over the last four years?

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Order! I understand the point of order has been withdrawn because the minister has concluded his answer.

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