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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-09-03 Daily Xml
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Question Time

North Adelaide Public Golf Course

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Leader of the Opposition) (14:15): My question is to the Premier. Will the Premier cap at $50 million the state government's financial commitment to the North Adelaide Golf Course redevelopment project and, if not, why not? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: In 2011, the then parliament put a $535 million cap on the government's financial commitment to the redevelopment of Adelaide Oval.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:15): The government has a budget for the project. The project is operating in accordance with that budget. We see it being an important economic opportunity for the state but also a very significant investment in public amenity for people who are using the Parklands. That's what makes this such a unique proposition, is that we have got an investment in public amenity in the Parklands for a publicly-owned asset the South Australian public will be able to use. It's a very different proposition from the $600-plus million—in fact, what would have almost certainly ended up being a billion-dollar basketball stadium the public wouldn't be able to play on. This is a golf course that the public will be able to play on. It is shaping up to be a—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is on his final warning.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: It is shaping up to be yet another example of how the Liberal Party are very at ease associating themselves with opposition to Adelaide Oval, opposition to the Adelaide 500—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Premier, if you can be seated. Member for Morialta, member for Hammond, you will listen to the Premier in silence after we hear this point of order from the deputy leader.

Mr TEAGUE: It's standing order 98(a). I'm conscious that it's only so far in. The question is very directly associated with the cap on the cost for this project. The Premier is embarking on wideranging debate, including reflecting on irrelevant matters associated with this site.

The SPEAKER: Thank you, deputy leader. I have been paying attention to the answer. The Premier did start off saying that there was a budget and he has, I think, gone into the territory of comparing and contrasting with some other capital works that have been proposed or carried out. I will keep listening, but I am sure the Premier will not stray too far from the subject matter.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: As I was saying, this is a project that is shaping up to be in the same category as other critical milestone projects for our state. The Libs opposed Adelaide Oval—we got it done. They shut down the Adelaide 500—we brought it back. They were opposed to Majors Road—we are delivering it; in fact, they were a bit all over the place on that one. The Adelaide Aquatic Centre, they made noise and sought to oppose that—we're delivering it, and for the golf course it is the same equation. They are going to fall into the trap of racing down the path to any sort of voice of dissent, any minority view that they think—

Mr TEAGUE: Point of order. He has continued to prove up the point that I raised a minute or so ago. There's no attempt to deal with anything remotely associated with a cap on the $50 million budget.

The SPEAKER: I will keep listening, but I think the Premier has not strayed too far from what the question was. It is an important question about the budget for something and the Premier is comparing it to other proposals that either got underway or did not. The Premier can continue.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: Whatever the minority view is they are racing towards, we are focusing on developing quality public amenity for the people of South Australia, which at the same time will deliver a major economic dividend. Here we are, having a golf course in the city that has been underinvested in forever, the council has had aspirations to invest in it and redevelop it but haven't had the capacity to be able to deal with their balance sheet. We do, and we are going to make it happen. Meanwhile, the Leader of the Opposition is hitching his wagon to Frank Pangallo and a myth that there are 5,400 trees going to be chopped down.

The Hon. V.A. Tarzia interjecting:

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: You stand next to Frank, and your 5,400-tree prediction, and let's see how that ends up for you. Let's see how that ends up for the Leader of the Opposition. Fast forward a few years and, all being well, we will cut that ribbon on the golf course. It will be just like when we cut the ribbon on the Adelaide Aquatic Centre and just like we cut the ribbon on Adelaide Oval. The opposition will start to reclaim a different version of history.

Mr TEAGUE: Point of order, sir. The Premier is now flagrantly disregarding your observation to give the Premier an opportunity to answer the substance of the question, and it's just further departing from anything remotely associated with the cap.

The SPEAKER: I understand you are frustrated, but it is much harder as these books in here allow. You have two former Speakers here. It is always much harder for those asking the questions and the limitations put on you. There is more licence given to those who are to answer the questions. I think the Premier is okay, but I will keep listening. The Premier.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: We have got a plan and a project for something that has been a resounding success for the state. We know that in the few short years that the LIV Golf tournament has been here, it has become the envy of other states around the country. It has been attended in numbers that no-one would have thought was predictable. The economic dividend has been real, the number of people who are getting employed in our state on the back of the huge numbers of visits that we have seen from these major events is something to be celebrated.

The Leader of the Opposition can't work out if he's for or against the LIV Golf. He got asked during the break. He says he is for it, and then he goes running around starting to argue against it. So Flip-Flop over there has got a different position every day of the week on this issue. We are going to remain focused and seek to get it done.

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