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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-06-14 Daily Xml
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Bills

South Australian Motor Sport (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading (resumed on motion).

Mr FULBROOK (Playford) (15:37): I speak in support of this bill, and I know that many residents living in the electorate of Playford will be happy to welcome the return of the Adelaide 500. By and large, this bill does not reinstate the Adelaide 500, but it does bring back the South Australian Motorsport Board to manage the race and to work alongside other worthy events, including the World Solar Challenge and the Adelaide Motorsport Festival.

When Labor listened to voters, we did not just learn that the Adelaide 500 needed to return: we also heard that it needed to be run by the board. Racegoers seemed to pinpoint that the quality of the event had been in decline once responsibility of the event was taken away from the Motorsport Board. I think it is a positive measure of a party when they admit they made a mistake in dissolving the board, and this bill seems to rewrite a wrong.

In my younger years, I was very much a fan of motorsport. I think that as I got older it stopped being a passion to the point where I would say now that it is a moderate interest. Beyond the final Grand Prix in Adelaide, my love took me to two in Melbourne, and in 2002 I was very fortunate to visit the Le Mans 24 Hours in France.

I feel this is important, as I have a taste of what makes motorsport so exciting and understand how people can get so enthusiastic. The fact that I went to France was born out of a love I developed from endurance racing, which was ignited by our very own Asia Pacific Le Mans series event held in Adelaide on New Year's Eve in the year 2000. Dubbed the Race of a Thousand Years, it was a massive lesson in history that was both costly and embarrassing to us on a world scale.

By the end of this, you will be wondering whether anything ever changes when it comes to Liberal governments and the poor treatment they have given to event promoters willing to set up shop at our world-famous street circuit. Like many South Australians living in the late 1990s, I felt the hurt of the loss of the Grand Prix. We had done something so well and it seemed such an injustice for it to leave town. While I was happy that the street circuit was going to be used for the Adelaide 500, my pride was reignited as a 20 year old at the thought of an international series coming to Adelaide.

The American Le Mans series, ran by the late Don Panoz, seemed like the perfect recipe to cure our ills. Even more exciting was his willingness to establish a series based in the region known as the Asia Pacific Le Mans series. Mr Panoz seemed to love Adelaide. He not only controlled a racing series but he also manufactured cars, one of which he was willing to name after our beautiful city. The relationship seemed to have it all. There were talks of driver academies and even mumblings of car factories being set up locally. For a first event, 80,000 spectators on race day compared well to the Adelaide 500.

Despite a contract in place for future events, a few months later then Premier Olsen pulled the pin on the event. The announcement was so sudden that it seemed to catch tourism minister Joan Hall off guard. I am not sure if members of the Olsen government read any international motorsport magazines like Autosport, but the announcement was nothing short of a global embarrassment.

Amplifying this was a radio interview from Minister Hall on 23 February 2001, stating she believed that the only Le Mans race to have been cancelled was a 2001 race and that she was continuing negotiations with the Panoz group for future events in Adelaide. Well, we all know what did not happen next. It sent a very clear message to any prospective event organiser that the government of the day could not be trusted to live up to their contractual obligations.

It was nothing short of an insult to Mr Panoz, who had been in Adelaide 10 days prior to the announcement, and the numerous sponsors linked to the event. This included global brands like Audi and our national carrier, Qantas, but it reverberated locally, with sponsors like Coopers. After the fiasco, it was worth asking: would anyone want to partner with a government unwilling to keep their side of the bargain?

Fortunately, within two years the Brown/Olsen/Kerin government was consigned to history, but sadly it left the new government with a very difficult clean-up job. An $18 million lawsuit over the axing of the race was eventually settled, with the Labor government agreeing to pay its legal costs of $1.7 million. While it could have cost us a lot more, in many ways this hit to our reputation was already done. It may be debatable whether the race was a good fit or Victoria Park could sustain two major events in the same year, but what goes beyond question is that an international promoter should never have been lured to Adelaide in the first place if this was the end result.

If anyone is asking why this is relevant, the answer is that in the case of Liberal governments they have learned nothing, with history repeating itself. Fast-forward to 2020 and the lessons learned have been completely forgotten. In the last few decades, global recognition of the Supercars series has soared. We have seen races in New Zealand, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, China and the USA. Copycat street circuit events have mushroomed up all over the country and a plethora of international racing drivers has raced in the field.

Despite COVID, the series that initially revolved only around Bathurst had evolved into something truly global. You only have to look at the coverage received through the Autosport website to know its significance to the motor racing world. This did not seem to stop the Marshall government pulling the pin on our beloved Adelaide 500. It would be understandable if the event were placed on hiatus due to the pandemic, but full cancellation was reckless.

Love it or hate it, the economic impact cannot be ignored. The last event attracted over 200,000 people and supported over $45.9 million in economic activity. Business leaders cite the need for certainty as a key ingredient to their success. This is heightened for our own hospitality sector and city traders, who need the certainty of some big-scale events to bring the crowds in and help to make up for the losses sustained over two very difficult years. Unfortunately, they got the opposite from the previous government.

If an unceremonious ditching is what falls in your lap, then why would any event with an international flavour want to set up shop in Adelaide? A bad message had been sent across the world and it is no wonder that after ditching the Adelaide 500 the best offering the previous government could do was to come up with Bloom.

In many ways, this bill does not just determine who will be managing a car race: it begins the act of restoring our international reputation. We should also count ourselves lucky that to date this has not ended up in the courts. If we still want nice things, we must first look after the things we have. I commend this bill to the house and wish the incoming motorsport all the very best.

Ms THOMPSON (Davenport) (15:44): I rise to offer my support, too, for the motorsport bill presently before the house. The best motorsport event in Australia: that is how the Adelaide 500 has been recognised since its induction into the Supercars Hall of Fame back in 2005. Our state has a long history with motorsport and we are proud to host this event here in Adelaide, so it was no surprise that the community so passionately rose up to fight for its return when it was scrapped by the former government.

This is a no-brainer for our state. In 2019, just before the former government axed the event, the Adelaide 500 injected $45 million into South Australia's economy and supported 46,000 direct and indirect jobs. The Adelaide 500 was a beloved city-wide celebration taking place in the heart of Adelaide, promoting our city and our state to a global audience. It was a major drawcard for our tourism and hospitality sectors, attracting more than 15,000 interstate and international visitors. Along with many in my community, I am still shaking my head at the decision to axe this incredible event that brought so much benefit to our city, but I am extremely proud to be a part of the team that is committed to bringing it back.

This bill will re-establish a dedicated motorsport board to focus on realising the full potential of motorsport events here in our state. The board will ensure an exceptional Adelaide 500 experience when it is brought back in December this year and will ensure the realisation of our government's vision to lift the economic and social benefits of motorsport in SA and reaffirm our leadership to an $8 billion industry.

The board will also be responsible for identifying new motorsport events and promoting and managing other motor-racing events, including the World Solar Challenge. For my community, I know it is extremely important that we consider the environmental impact of these events, and there is real excitement to see events like EV racing added to the agenda.

Motorsport more generally employs more than 1,500 people and contributes almost $300 million to our economy. Nationally, it is almost 17,000 jobs and a $3.1 billion economic contribution, so there is scope for South Australia to get a much larger slice of that market. The return of the Adelaide 500 will deliver a much-needed boost to CBD hotels, cafes, restaurants, bars and the city economy more broadly. We have committed to prioritising SA businesses as suppliers and creating more opportunities for local vendors and entrepreneurs.

On most Sundays in my electorate you will find a coffee and chrome event taking place in a supermarket car park. People come from all over to proudly display their pride and joy and chat to other like-minded people about their beauties. It is a big deal in this state. We have a huge car club membership and people invest a lot of time and money into their vehicles, not to mention the social benefits.

As part of this government's commitment to motorsport and car clubs, I am proud that we will be backing our car clubs to grow their membership and host more events and activities. We will expand the conditional registration scheme for classic and historic vehicles and individually constructed vehicles, and will establish a new grants program to support South Australian car clubs. This is about recognising our state's proud history of car manufacturing, car racing and car culture, attracting more visitors to South Australia, creating more jobs and growing our state's economy.

Whether it is racing, tinkering in the shed or just watching from the sidelines, people in my electorate love cars. I would like to thank all the car enthusiasts, and their supportive partners, from my community who raised this as a priority and who, along with many others across our state, have fought hard to see the return of this great race.

I would especially like to acknowledge and thank the Percat family, who are part of my community. Nick Percat has raced the classic street course in the main game of Supercars since 2014 and became the first South Australian driver to win the local event in 2016. Nick grew up in Flagstaff Hill and his family still live there. They have all campaigned hard to see the return of this great event. We are proud to have a Flagstaff local competing on the world stage and we could not be prouder to see him return to race on the streets of Adelaide as we reclaim Adelaide's title as the motorsport capital of Australia. I commend this bill to the house.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Newland.

Ms SAVVAS (Newland) (15:48): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, and thank you for the opportunity to speak on the motorsport bill today. I would also like to thank South Australians, including many in my electorate of Newland in the north-eastern suburbs, for giving us not only the chance to govern but the chance to bring back the much-loved Adelaide 500. For so many people in the suburbs, the Adelaide 500 acts as an opportunity for a long weekend, a time for a staycation with their friends or family.

It is a weekend that residents in the north-eastern suburbs wait for all year and often save up for instead of a family trip to Queensland and the theme parks, as many remarked to me on the doors. The Adelaide 500 is a beloved event across the state and a drawcard for some of the biggest names in entertainment. I remember all too well dropping off and picking up friends who went to the race just to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers and my personal favourite, Robbie Williams, before the race was axed in an untimely and confusing decision by the former Liberal government.

The member for Hartley, in fact, commented earlier on a previous Labor government's change of heart. There is no greater change of heart, however, than that that has come from the Liberal Party, who are supporting the bill less than three months after continually affirming their decision to axe it. The Adelaide 500 is much loved and also brings significant economic benefits to our state. In 2019, the 500 generated over $45 million in economic activity across the state.

In South Australia alone, motorsport employs more than 1,500 people and contributes almost $300 million to our economy. That is small change, however, compared with the $3.1 billion it brings in across the country. Now, thanks to the motorsport bill, we have the opportunity here in SA to expand motorsport and take on a greater share of the market. The bill expands the powers of the minister to declare areas in Adelaide and the regions to allow a greater range of motorsport events and grow our industry.

I am here to wholeheartedly endorse the motorsport bill. It is our government, of course, that is bringing back the 500 to the streets of Adelaide after a long campaign to save the Adelaide 500 in opposition. We had thousands of people sign our petition to save the 500, and many of those were residents from the north-eastern suburbs. I would particularly like to thank my dear friend the member for King for her advocacy and for her tireless campaign at local markets, car catch-ups and on the doors to bring back the iconic race. I know that people in the north-eastern suburbs, particularly in the seats of Newland and Wright, are grateful for her advocacy and our campaign to bring back the race.

Supporters came out in full force at our Adelaide 500 event in February this year, where hundreds of people gathered at Civic Park in Modbury to hear from the now Premier as well as race car legends Todd Hazelwood (who did remark to me more than once that he was proudly born at Modbury Hospital), Nick Percat, as already mentioned by the member for Davenport, and Scott Pye as we announced that an elected Labor government would bring back the Adelaide 500 in December this year.

The benefits for South Australian tourism speak for themselves. In 2019, the Adelaide 500 attracted over 250,000 people to the CBD. It promotes our city and our state to the globe, something that was already impacted by the loss of the Grand Prix to Melbourne in 1993 and further challenged with the outbreak of COVID-19. The impacts on the tourism and hospitality sector are significant. It exists as a major opportunity for our state, particularly in the hospitality sector, attracting over 15,000 interstate and international visitors and supporting over 90,000 visitors in overnight accommodation across the race weekend.

Moving the race to December further expands the opportunity for tourism in our state. Not only will the event become the decider, the final event of the national season, but it will double the opportunity for economic activity by moving the race away from Mad March. We are committed to bringing back a race for South Australians not only as attendees but as suppliers, prioritising SA businesses and creating opportunities for local vendors to showcase their products at these events. I commend the bill and hope to see you all at the race in a few months' time.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON (Ramsay—Minister for Tourism, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (15:53): I rise today to support this bill, and I am very much looking forward to 1 to 4 December as our streets come alive again with the Adelaide 500. We know that people in hospitality, accommodation and tourism cannot wait to see this event back in Adelaide, particularly at the time of the year that it will be. The last race of the season is an opportunity. We will have already had the Christmas Pageant, and then we will have this race that will fill our hotel rooms and make Adelaide alive.

We know that this event has had hundreds of thousands of South Australians attend and also interstate and overseas visitors. It has been held annually in and around the city's East End since 1999, and in 2019 it injected $45 million into the South Australian economy, creating 435 full-time jobs and attracting 250,000 people to the CBD.

We certainly know that our CBD has had a very uncertain time and continues to do so, although we are bouncing back bit by bit. We have some fantastic new hotels to add to our support areas, but we know that the tourism and visitor economy is still $2 billion down from what it was prior to COVID. It is actually 24 per cent. I have an ambition to not just get it back to $8 billion but get it to an aspirational target of $12 billion and I think we will get there.

We know it is a major draw. We have more than 15,000 people from interstate supporting 90,000 bed nights and that is incredibly important because it is one of the most important events that we have in South Australia that fills our hotels. You do not just have to take our word for it. Former Liberal tourism minister David Ridgway said, 'It is one of the few times that Adelaide is chock-a-block full.' He knows how good it was. I am talking to him tomorrow as Agent General. I will remind him of how much he loved it and see if he is coming back. He is probably going to come back for it.

Of course, we did have some challenges in 2020, but even though it was a little bit lower, at 206,000, it still made Adelaide the largest Supercar crowd in Australia. This event is popular and that is why South Australians voted to bring it back.

We know that in 2020, which seems like a long time ago now, we had some catastrophic bushfires that devastated KI and the Adelaide Hills. We had just had the start of COVID-19. Little did we know that it was going to impact us for the next few years. One of the key drawcards, of course, has always been the concerts that we have. People absolutely love the concerts: KISS, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Living End and Robbie Williams. I remember Carlos Santana; he was pretty cool. So it is not just about people who love motorsports: it is about people who love music and love having a great time.

As I said, we are going to stage it as the final event of the national season. This will make it a must-attend event for fans and thus a major tourism opportunity for our state. When we have it in the heart of Adelaide, one of the world's most fabulous livable cities, it promotes our city and our state to a global audience.

We know that we get an enormous amount of international media coverage for this event and, to be honest, even though we are 42 per cent back with international flights compared with prior to COVID, it is going to be slow to get to that next level. Any time that we show a global audience what we have—this time with Supercars and in January it will be with the Tour Down Under—it is an opportunity for us to market ourselves to the world, with our beautiful state on televisions all over the world. We want people to come back to Australia to visit us.

We have a long and proud history of motorsport. We also have a proud history of vehicle manufacturing. Many people in my electorate worked for Holdens, some for their whole working life, and we are incredibly proud of the work they did. It offered secure employment and wages for generations in the north and of course in the past in the south with Mitsubishi.

There was so much anger when this race was cancelled by the previous government. It was such a misjudgement for them not to see that, even though we had had a quieter race in 2020, our love of motorsport and our love of vehicle manufacturing are ingrained parts of our culture, which of course the federal Liberals just chucked away and were happy to put down the drain. They misjudged this decision. I am sure they have already regretted it because we have already heard from the Leader of the Opposition that it was a reckless decision and that it was a mistake.

Motorsport is an $8 billion national industry and employs more than 1,500 people and contributes $300 million to our economy. That is in South Australia. Nationally, it is about 17,000 jobs and a $3.1 billion economic contribution, so there is scope on the back of this race to get a larger slice of that market.

One of the key things we have said in the budget is that we are committed to prioritising South Australia's businesses as suppliers, to create opportunities for local members to showcase their products at these events and support local businesses and entrepreneurs. We want to grow businesses here in South Australia. When we run these world-class events, they can then use those credentials to sell interstate and overseas. We know that we have built some really good skills and experience here, and we know that bringing back the race enables people to get great skills in event management and to take that further.

This bill re-establishes a dedicated motorsport board with up to nine members to be appointed by the Governor. Wayne Hunter has been assigned to the role of CE, and he is tasked to bring back the iconic Adelaide 500 this December. It is an exciting time for the people of South Australia. We cannot wait for the Adelaide 500 to start. It is the jewel in South Australia's tourism crown this December.

This bill brings into operation the Motorsport Board and it will look at other events, including the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. We know it is going to look at the Motorsport Festival. We know there is a great love of motorsport in South Australia and more widely throughout Australia and the world. I commend the bill to the house and give my voice to it to go ahead.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light) (16:01): I would like to speak briefly in support of the bill to re-create the Motorsport Board. While this bill is dedicated to creating the Motorsport Board, which will oversee the Adelaide 500 plus other motorsport events, the focus—in terms of community focus—is on the Adelaide 500. When the previous government announced that it was cancelling the event, I must confess I was quite surprised at the reaction of the community. It was quick, it was strong and it was quite negative towards the government of the day.

People in this state like their motorsports. Right across my electorate, I had people write to me, email me and phone my office saying that they would be prepared to support and work on my campaign and do what we had to do to bring the Adelaide 500 back. Not only that, they said they would tell their friends in other electorates to do the same to make sure a Labor government was elected. For a lot of people, this was a defining issue.

I am not a person who is huge on motorsport; it is not my thing. Importantly, as an MP I am there to make sure that we represent the views and the aspirations of our community, and I was prepared to support them. In fact, they had a rally in my town to support the return of the Adelaide 500, and there were car enthusiasts—not just people who like to race cars but people who have an interest in cars and the history of cars; there were people involved in various car clubs, historical car clubs—for whom cancelling the 500 was like killing off the car industry, which the federal Liberals did in this country. It was like redoing that again—

An honourable member: Shame!

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: —that's correct, 'Shame!'—to this country. When you see the sums about what the Adelaide 500 and other motorsport industries bring to this state, people just did not understand why the Liberal government of the day would actually cancel the event.

Our leader, Peter Malinauskas, at the time made the bold decision, the correct decision, the right decision—that if elected we would bring the event back. I am glad to hear that it is coming back on 1 to 4 December this year, if my memory serves me correctly. In addition to that event, though, are a whole range of other things. I think it is important to put some facts on the record because there is a lot of economic and cultural justification for bringing back a board that will oversee all these events.

For example, in 2019 the Adelaide 500 generated over $45 million in economic activity in this state. While a lot of the activity was in the city area, it also spilled out into the suburbs and country areas. People came here for that event and then went to the wine regions as well, so they made a trip of it. People enjoyed the whole state because of that event. That brings me to the next point, that events like that lift the profile of Adelaide as a city and the profile of the state of South Australia not only in Australia but also right across the world, and it helps our tourism industry.

Given what we have been through in the last couple of years because of COVID, we need all the support we can get. We need to make sure that people understand that Adelaide is open for business, that Adelaide is open for tourism and that Adelaide is a place to come to see a whole range of things. In fact, the 2019 Adelaide 500 event attracted 250,000 people to the CBD. It would have to be one of the biggest events, if not the biggest event, in South Australia. I think the pageant might be just a little bit bigger. It has been a few years since I went to the pageant (my boys, who are now 34 and 32, are a little bit old for the pageant), but I certainly remember the hundreds of thousands of people who lined the streets of Adelaide.

Again, it brings a sense of vitality, a sense of excitement to our town. It is an event with quite a wide appeal. Young men, older men, young women, older women, all sorts of people actually like this event. When it was announced that the Liberal government would axe the event, it surprised me that concerns came from a cross-section of the community, and I was surprised to get a lot of emails from women saying, 'This is a bad thing.' This is an event that is worthy of our support. The reintroduction of the Motorsport Board will make sure that the government provides some leadership in conjunction with the board to the motorsport industry. For these reasons, I fully support the bill.

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD (Reynell—Minister for Child Protection, Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (16:07): As Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing and as a motor racing fan, it gives me great pleasure to speak today in support of this bill. As is the case for many people in this place, including those who have spoken, the Adelaide 500 is something all South Australian's can be rightly proud of. It has certainly held a very special place in the social and economic heart of our state. I am so pleased that, through this legislation and our government's commitment, we will be establishing a board and the systems needed to bring it back and to bring it back to the heart of our state.

As the Premier stated, the Adelaide 500 was more than a car race. It was one of the biggest events on our tourism calendar and delivered millions of dollars in economic benefit. More than that, it reflected our long, proud history of motorsport in South Australia and the importance of the race, the togetherness it represented and the passion that people have for the sport.

Many of us have great memories of attending the Adelaide 500 and, before that, the Formula One Grand Prix. Sitting on the oval at high school, I can remember the excitement we felt the first time we heard Formula One cars come to town. It was a time when I coveted a Holden jacket that was sadly always just out of my reach, a few years before I drove my beloved Holden HG. I can remember the excitement of seeing the cars roar into action for the first time.

I can remember how happy I was a few years ago, when more women drivers began to drive in the race, drivers like Simona de Silvestro, Emma Clarke, Laia Sanz, Charlotte Poynting, Madison Dunstan and Renee Gracie. I remember just how brilliant it was to join the crowds to hear artists, from Lee Kernaghan to Cold Chisel. When the cars roar into town, there is a special feeling that comes with them. This is a feeling that many in my community of Reynell in the south viscerally share. I am very proud of the fact that the people in the south worked so incredibly hard on galvanising support for the reinstatement of the Adelaide 500.

One particular family took petitions out to the community, to local pubs and to other gathering places and really made sure their voices were heard in the debate about their beloved race returning to the streets of Adelaide. People flocked to sign the petition at the Christies Beach Hotel and beyond, and people called relentlessly for stickers and other campaign materials. It is for these people and all who campaigned, particularly Sam and all at the rally at Parliament House for the return of the race, that I am so glad that we are bringing back this iconic race.

The feeling of excitement and determination was also alive at both the Port Noarlunga and Glenelg car shows that I attended after we made the announcement, before the election, that a Malinauskas Labor government would bring back the race. People at those shows were so excited and happy with the news that they actually let me and the member for Kaurna get into their classic cars to check them out. I know that this year's race and all the races into the future will bring enjoyment, connection and entertainment to many.

We know that there are many people across South Australia from all backgrounds for whom cars and motorsport are a huge part of their lives. Our government is committed to supporting them to pursue their interests and passion, and that is why we are investing through the budget $500,000 per annum in an initiative to support local car clubs across South Australia so they can better meet growing operating costs, including managing the conditional registration scheme requirements.

The facts on the economic benefits to the state of the race are indisputable. In 2019, just before the former government shamefully axed the Adelaide 500, it attracted over 200,000 people, supported 46,000 direct and indirect jobs and generated over $45.9 million in economic activity, not to mention the tens of thousands of visitors it attracted who filled hotel beds and spent money at local businesses.

The reinstated and reinvigorated Motorsport Board will help to drive a true festival of motorsport in our state as they work to identify potential new motorsport events and promote and deliver future growth. I know our community will absolutely be getting behind the Adelaide 500 and, along with thousands of others, I cannot wait to see Adelaide take its rightful place again as the centre of motorsport in this country.

Mr ODENWALDER (Elizabeth) (16:12): I rise to make a very brief contribution to this bill. I of course support this bill. I think I reflect what you said, sir. I am not the world's greatest motorsport fan, but I must say that when the previous Liberal government made their decision to axe the Adelaide 500 I was completely taken aback by the community response. It was overwhelming from all sections of my community and other members of the community I spoke to around the place, including the emergency services community, which was outraged by the axing of this event.

I think there is a view, or there was a view certainly, on the other side of this house that the Adelaide 500 served a few bogans from the north who came down and ruined their parking and their access to the city once a year. That certainly was not the case. The case is that this is enjoyed by a huge wide cross-section of the community. It is absolutely essential that we keep it, and I am very pleased that the Malinauskas government, the leader, I will not say pressure but under certainly some instruction from many of his members particularly in the north-east decided very early on to reverse this decision and put the Adelaide 500 back where it belongs.

Other members have mentioned this, but I will mention it too. There is also a story of a young man named Sam Henderson. Others have told this story, and the Premier has told this story several times in this place, so I will not go over it. Sam and his family are residents of my constituency. They are residents of Elizabeth Park. It has been my enormous pleasure to get to know the Henderson family over the last couple of years or so and to see the passion that young Sam has for motorsport. It is that passion that I think underpinned the whole effort of the then opposition and the now government to reinstate the race.

As I said before, I am not the world's greatest motorsport fan, but I do of course recognise its importance in the community. As others have observed, growing up there was always the divide in the school between the Ford people and the Holden people.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: There was no divide: it was just Holden.

Mr ODENWALDER: Certainly, when I arrived in Elizabeth in 1981 at Elizabeth Downs Primary School—and I came from a school where, even though it was a state school, they were pretty strict on uniforms and ties and things like that—there were two uniforms: one was the blue Ford jacket and one was the Holden jacket, and I owned neither. For my entire school career I owned neither. I never could figure out entirely which tribe I was in, until I was 16 and I bought my first LJ Torana, which was amazing and I should have hung onto it. Of course, I borrowed my parent's HD Premier too, so I found myself very firmly in the Holden camp.

As I said, I have never been an enormous fan of motorsport, but the community made their views known loud and clear. What became apparent also was the economic benefit to the state, and I am surprised that members opposite could not see that from the outset. It is all very well having Mad March. I am a big fan of Mad March. I think it was an excellent initiative of previous governments. However, the Adelaide 500 does not detract from those events around the Fringe, Writers' Week and all those things that we all enjoy, it adds to them and it brings other people into the city to mix with those people who enjoy their arts events.

There is an enormous economic benefit and there is a social benefit, in that people who appreciate motorsport come into the city at the same time as there are people who are interested in the arts and writers' week, as the member for West Torrens is interested in all the things that the Fringe has to offer.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: I support the arts.

Mr ODENWALDER: As the member for West Torrens points out, it is good that he is back on the treasury bench because he is one of the house's great supporters of the arts and indeed motorsport. However, it really is down to the leadership of the Premier, the Treasurer and representations from those from the north and north-east. The member for King, in particular, was very outspoken on this issue.

I doorknocked King and Newland on many occasions and this issue came up time and time again on the doors. It came up from people who, for whatever reason at the time, had voted for the Liberal Party in 2018. They were surprised and shocked that the people they had voted in, for whatever reason—in their minds, for probably good economic reasons, they decided that there should be a change of government in 2018—they felt betrayed by the actions of the then Premier.

They saw it very much as a snub to the north and the north-eastern suburbs by people living in the eastern suburbs. I have nothing against people who live in the eastern suburbs, of course, but the people I spoke to on the doors in King and in Newland were betrayed and saw it very much as a snub, and they saw the Premier's actions and the actions of the government as an attack on them on behalf of people who may well be inconvenienced at a particular time of the year by a motor race.

I grant that it would be inconvenient if you lived in Kensington Gardens or in Norwood and it takes you a while longer to get in to work. I accept that. However, the economic benefit to the state, as I said, and the social benefit of having a major car race in the heart of the city surely outweighs that, just as the slight inconvenience, perhaps, of the Fringe or the occasional football game at Adelaide Oval inconveniences people coming from the north into the city.

I commend this bill to the house. I look forward to going to the motorsport in December. I do note that it coincides with the World Cup games. I am not sure of the exact dates, but I do note—

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: It’s the 1st to the 4th.

Mr ODENWALDER: I don't know the dates of all the World Cup games, that is what I am saying. I do note that it does coincide with some other sporting events, which I am sure the opposition spokesman on this bill will be assiduously watching.

Mr Tarzia interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: No Italians in the World Cup.

Mr ODENWALDER: Without any further ado, I commend this bill, and I do want to reiterate what a pleasure it has been to get to know the Henderson family. It is a pity they cannot be here to see this bill pass. It is a pretty dry piece of legislation, I guess, but the result of it will be that young Sam gets to go to the Adelaide 500 again in December this year, and if for no other reason this bill should be commended to the house.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (16:21): I cannot believe we even have to do this. This event should never have been cancelled, and I see—

Mr Tarzia interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Not the race.

Mr Tarzia interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: But not the race. The race went on.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I remind members that they should direct their comments through me if they want to stay in the chamber.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: This was probably one of the cruellest things I have seen done by a government. This looked to me to be self-interest. It was entirely supported by members in cabinet who thought they would benefit from cancelling this race, which I think was pretty short-sighted. Ministers should think beyond their electorates and think of the broader benefits.

With those very few words, I commend the bill to the house and look forward to its speedy passage. I understand that Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition has some questions in committee. We will consider those questions then.

Bill read a second time.

Committee Stage

In committee.

The CHAIR: Could the opposition please indicate which areas you would like to ask some questions about?

Mr TARZIA: Mr Chairman, I will start at clause 5.

Clauses 1 to 4 passed.

Clause 5.

Mr TARZIA: In relation to membership of the board, what is the process of the board appointments? Will there be an expression of interest process? In the previous iteration of the SA  Motorsport Board I understand that it was actually specified that the board consist of not more than nine members appointed by the Governor of whom two will be persons nominated by the City of Adelaide, one will be a person nominated by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport, and the remainder will be persons nominated by the minister.

Why is there not a similar requirement for that board to include a person nominated by the Adelaide City Council or, say, Motorsport Australia as the national body?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: We do not want to confine this board's operations to the Adelaide 500. There could be other motorsporting events that would be required, and it would be inappropriate to have it just confined to Adelaide City Council members as nominees on the board. By keeping an open process, we let a broader range of people on the board who have expertise in the area of motorsport or expertise in the area of promoting South Australia or expertise in any area that the government believes is necessary for the appropriate delivery of motorsporting events. That might not just be in the City of Adelaide but it could be broader than that. I think the previous allocation of board membership would not apply in this case.

Mr TARZIA: Other than a reference to a maximum number of nine members and the need for some diversity, there is no mention made of any requisite skill set for board members. Why is that? Would the minister consider some sort of requisite skill set? For example, does someone need to be from a corporate governance background, do you need a financial management background, would you need a legal background? It is very broad at the moment, so has there been any consideration given to specific skill sets that should be on the board?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: There is already a prescribed skill standard in legislation for board members. I know the member is probably well aware of this so, without labouring the point, government boards and committees will follow best practice and guidelines, as per the Guidelines for Agencies and Board Members.

I know that the member has already had a response which said—and I will read it for the benefit of the committee—that, in relation to the suggestion of some prescriptive elements in relation to skills being added to the selection on appointments of board members, the government understands the intent of this suggestion and has existing guidelines in place to ensure that a balance of skills is established on a board.

Under the 'Government boards and committees, guidelines for agencies and board members', published by the Cabinet Office, extensive guidance is provided to ensure balance and effective boards are appointed by government agencies. This is a keystone election commitment of the Malinauskas Labor government. We will be appointing a dynamic, effective and well-balanced board that will set up this event for success in 2022 and into the future. In terms of the balanced skills of board members, I am advised that the Cabinet Office requisite requirements are:

Representation of a full range of skills and experience on boards is a prerequisite for ensuring the board can discharge its overall obligations to improve performance and protect the long-term viability of the organisation and the Crown's financial interest in the organisation.

Furthermore, under the heading of Composition and Structure of the Board, the same guidelines state:

If the Government is to rely on the decisions made by boards, it is critical that people with 'appropriate' skills are appointed. In general terms, this means a mix of skills, with the balance probably favouring executives with highly developed skills in the relevant industry. Perhaps the most significant decisions to be made by the Government affecting the success of boards will be in appointing members to them. Accordingly, the primary objective should be to get the best people on these boards.

Gender balance is also something that the government is aiming towards, namely, a fifty-fifty representation on our boards. The selection process should be, and I quote, 'merit based and begin with a board member specification'. The board member specification states, and I quote, 'The board member specification is to be provided to potential candidates.'

As the former minister may be well aware, there is a central holding station within government where people express interest to be on boards. Their CVs are provided to the government. There are qualifications there. Obviously, cabinet and the department would do an extensive search for people with the appropriate skills, or speak to people who are involved in motorsports, who are involved in governance, who are involved in holding these types of events. South Australia is the festival state. We know how to run festivals and we know how to run them well. There is a lot of experience in South Australia.

Sometimes, being too prescriptive could actually be counterproductive. This bill gives the government maximum scope to ensure the broadest range of representation on our boards. I would caution the opposition, who one day hope to be Her Majesty's government, that limiting yourself by prescription to make a cheap political point might come back one day to bite you. We saw that in the previous term of the Marshall government, where traditions and norms and conventions of this place were trashed, which was very unfortunate. I would like to see them returned. Did you like that?

Mr TARZIA: I did. I am happy to move on.

Clause passed.

Clause 6.

Mr TARZIA: What is the proposed term of board members, and would the minister agree that there should be some sort of limit in terms of reappointment of board members? For example, would there be a maximum number of terms, in keeping with good governance, to ensure there is adequate succession? Every organisation needs good succession planning. Is there a maximum amount of tenure that will be included here, and what is the proposed term?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I am not aware of any boards that have prescribed term limits. I stand to be corrected. There might be. There are?

The Hon. J.A.W. Gardner interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Carclew, okay. Presidency?

Mr Tarzia: Of the USA.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Yes, we are not part of that republic. We are part of the commonwealth, and Her Majesty's appointments are appointed at a term that she sets on recommendation by her Executive Council. That is prescribed in legislation in this parliament. No, I am not sure we are planning to have term limits or term turnover in the board.

To be quite frank, there are places for term limits, but I also think that if you have set up a good board with good scope and they are doing well why would you just spill them because we felt that we needed to turn them over for the sake of turning them over? If they are doing a good job, you leave them there; if they are doing a bad job, you turn them over.

That is what the public do every four years. You put yourself up for election. If you have done well, they re-elect you; if you have done poorly, they turf you out. I am lucky enough to have been here now for seven elections and seven terms. It is always nice to be re-endorsed by your community. I have only felt the sting of one election loss, in 2018, and it was very, very hurtful. But I am not sure that it applies in this case. In part 2, new section 6(1) provides that the composition of a board is:

(1) A member of the Board will be appointed for a term, and on such conditions, determined by the Governor.

Mr TARZIA: In the Government Gazette published on 14 April, the Hon. Zoe Bettison, Minister for Tourism, delegated all the functions and powers under the SATC Act 1994 with respect to the Adelaide 500 motor racing event to the Premier. Who is the minister responsible for the bill, to become the act? Will it be the Hon. Ms Bettison or the Premier?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The Premier.

Clause passed.

Clause 7.

Mr TARZIA: Previously, the SA Motorsport Board members received remuneration of up to $30,000. Is there any thought as to the remuneration entitlement of board members and the presiding member?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: As you have been informed in writing already, yes, we are planning on paying members up to $30,000 per annum.

Clause passed.

Clause 8.

Mr TARZIA: In relation to clause 8, functions of the board, obviously the former board was abolished by the Weatherill Labor government many years ago. There were several arguments used, such as reducing red tape, saving unnecessary work for the Public Service and reducing duplication, unnecessary complexity and inefficiency in government. Why is it now the government's position to backflip on this issue?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: That question is better directed to the Weatherill government. Last time I checked, they are no longer here.

Mr Tarzia: You were there.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I was there, but it is like me holding the opposition member to account for every decision of the Marshall government, even when he was Speaker. That would be unfair and cruel and unkind, and I am none of those things. I am all honey, sugar and spice. You are laughing a bit loudly there, Mr Chair of Committees.

The CHAIR: I have a cold.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Rear-vision mirrors in policymaking are really useful to guide us, but the idea that we must replicate exactly what was done previously in order to succeed moving forward does not work. We have a new Premier with a new government with a new vision, and his vision is for this board to do more than the previous board did or to operate the Adelaide 500 differently from the way it was run previously. This is now a new race run by a new government with a new board with a new vision. It is different. The member knows that.

I have to say that I do not really believe, in my heart of hearts, that the member for Hartley was a big fan and supporter of cancelling this race. He saw it happening and he saw the slow car crash occurring. He was not—'brave' is not the right word, because he is brave; 'politically astute' is not right, because he is politically astute. I am just not sure he was listened to. I am not sure of a polite way of saying that. Someone who was unkind might say he was ignored. I am not unkind, so I will not say he was ignored. Some say he might have been completely—

The Hon. J.A.W. Gardner: It's like a Jeremy Clarkson impersonation.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: One of my heroes, Jeremy Clarkson. Trying to find a negative out of returning the race back to Adelaide is a pretty long bow, and the member knows better. If I were to give him any advice, as someone who cares deeply about his career and his prospects into the future, my advice to him would be this: fight the fights you can win, and the ones you cannot win get them over with as quickly as possible.

Mr Tarzia interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Exactly. This sort of nitpicking on the side really does no-one any favours.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Yes. We will be ignoring what the opposition has said and going on with our new vision.

Clause passed.

Clauses 9 to 15 passed.

Clause 16.

Mr TARZIA: My question to the minister is: on 16 May, the Premier announced Mr Warren as chief executive of the board. Was there an expression of interest process for that appointment?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: No. The Premier appoints chief executives. It is done through a cabinet process. It was done that way. The Premier found the best person for the job and appointed him. It is called leadership.

Clause passed.

Clause 17.

Mr TARZIA: Would the minister be able to please explain who is actually the employing authority? Can you confirm how many staff are expected to be employed to perform functions in connection with the operation and activities of the board and how much it will cost to establish those staffing arrangements for the board.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I understand the operating budget for the event is $18 million, which will operate the executive staff of the board. The operating cost for the board itself is about $300,000 per annum.

Clause passed.

Remaining clauses (18 to 25), schedule and title passed.

Bill reported without amendment.

Third Reading

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (16:41): I move:

That this bill be now read a third time.

Bill read a third time and passed.

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