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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-05-31 Daily Xml
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Lot Fourteen

Mr PATTERSON (Morphett) (11:23): I move:

That this house—

(a) recognises that during its four-year term, the Marshall Liberal government completely transformed the old Royal Adelaide Hospital site into a hub of technology, innovation and culture;

(b) recognises that Lot Fourteen is creating thousands of jobs and showcasing South Australia to the world;

(c) recognises that Lot Fourteen is host to Australia’s national Space Agency, cementing South Australia as the national centre of Australia’s space industry;

(d) recognises that Lot Fourteen will showcase our rich and diverse Aboriginal culture to the world and attract more visitors to South Australia with the establishment of the Aboriginal Art and Cultures Centre; and

(e) acknowledges the Marshall Liberal government for establishing a vibrant, world-class innovation, start-up growth precinct at Lot Fourteen.

Mr Speaker, as you know, in just over four short years Lot Fourteen has become an engine room for growth in the South Australian economy. It is based on technology, space, innovation and entrepreneurship. It is home to over 150 organisations and, on a day-to-day basis, has over 1,500 people working there. In hindsight, it seems obvious that a site that is so close to the Adelaide CBD was always going to have a business and economic focus, but that was not always the case. The site itself at Lot Fourteen sits on North Terrace, on the site of the old Royal Adelaide Hospital. It is very strategically located, being on North Terrace, and is fronted by a number of very important heritage buildings.

Planning for this site had been undertaken for quite a long time under the former Weatherill government because the hospital was moving further down towards the west and something would need to be done on that site. Work started in 2013 to work out what that plan might entail. It took quite a long time before anything actually came to fruition; in fact, it was three years by 2016. The net sum of that was that the Weatherill government thought they would make a housing development out of this prime CBD location, consisting of 1,300 apartments.

Out of that plan resulted a deal: Commercial & General were looking to develop that site for apartment living. That bubbled along very slowly, and then in September 2017 the Weatherill government announced that that development was not going to go ahead anymore; instead, it was going to be replaced with a new plan that would preference short-term accommodation and student accommodation that was going to be released in stages. You can see, from both of these two iterations of a plan, that what was going to happen on that site was a far cry from the innovation and entrepreneurial district that Lot Fourteen is now becoming.

In fact, when the former Liberal government was elected back in March 2018, the deal with Commercial & General for that housing development was still in place. So the only plan there was for a housing development. Of course, to be able to progress with what Lot Fourteen would become, the Commercial & General deal had to be undone so that we could then start to go down the path of establishing this fantastic site as an innovation and entrepreneurial area.

We have heard, in debate on this very important facility in Adelaide, those opposite try to claim that, far from their uninspiring vision of apartment developments, in fact it was their plan for this prime CBD land to actually have Lot Fourteen set up as an innovation district, as envisaged by this side of the house. But, I think, to those rational observers who sit and watch these debates, it can be seen—it is immediately apparent—that this is more a case of rewriting history than being based on even just one scintilla of fact.

The changes that have occurred over the last four years certainly have been rapid. I myself have experienced that transformation in my role of Minister for Trade and Investment and, of course, now that I am the shadow minister for defence and space industries. The changes retain a high degree of interest for me, certainly in that role as well.

You could say that the transformation material kicked off in the work done by the former Liberal government to recognise the opportunities of having an innovation district on this site and that it would need key pillars to be in place that played to the state's strengths and would also allow for future economic opportunities—really focusing on those opportunities where South Australia could complete globally and attract investment into the state as well, to really boost it along.

One of those opportunities is in the space industry. At the time, back in 2018, Australia was looking at setting up a national space agency; it was one of the few OECD countries that did not have one. The temptation at the time, when it was being looked at where it would be located, certainly federal Labor were looking at putting it in Canberra, reinforcing their view that it was more of a bureaucratic institution and that it should be treated as such, being located in Canberra.

The space industry is changing rapidly. It is being driven by a lot of commercial and business investments, moving away from the traditional space industry that was driven and run traditionally by governments. Out of this, the former Liberal government was able to explain to the commonwealth government what was going on in the space industry and the fact that the ecosystem here in South Australia would lend itself well to actually having an industry-focused national space agency based here in Adelaide.

In December 2018, I was able to be present when the Prime Minister of the time, alongside the member for Dunstan, announced that the national Space Agency was going to be based at Lot Fourteen in Adelaide. This was a fantastic step forward for South Australia because having that site for the location of the national Space Agency really helped to position South Australia in terms of where we were as a key player in the nation's space industry and, as I emphasised before, based upon the fact that there was already a vibrant ecosystem of space industries here.

But of course it is not just the Space Agency that is at Lot Fourteen. Adjacent to this is Mission Control, a $6 million funded body that is co-located alongside it. It is geared around ensuring that Australian and South Australian companies can run their space missions from here in South Australia, as opposed to having to go offshore when they launch satellites. It is critical to their controlling their space missions—establishing and even being able to test the space launch beforehand—and a really important addition to Lot Fourteen.

Additionally, next door to that is the Space Discovery Centre. Again, that is about inspiring students to really see what the opportunities are in space. It has a high technology focus on science, engineering and maths, but that also spills out into other endeavours. Certainly, those skills are quite universal in a lot of industry going forward. They are some of the key pillars that are there in terms of space.

Alongside that are many companies in South Australia that are operating out of Lot Fourteen, and I will mention some of them: Myriota, Inovor, Neumann Space, Fleet Space Technologies, Space Machines Company and Southern Launch, which is a new addition to Lot Fourteen, moving in back in April. We also have the SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre based there. This is all working alongside a terrific program that was set up by the former Liberal government: the Defence and Space Landing Pad. When I was Minister for Trade and Investment, this was certainly an important way of trying to introduce companies that had a key focus on either space or defence to come and set up not only in Australia but in South Australia.

If we talk about some of the global companies that have come and set up in Lot Fourteen, we have Microsoft Azure Space, Nokia 5G, AWS and Google. Even the Bureau of Meteorology are looking at setting up their space-related weather team here in South Australia. So you can certainly see that that is building out a really solid ecosystem, which is actually feeding off itself, working together and really establishing South Australia as the nation's space capital.

The Australian Space Agency is looking to triple the size of the space industry in Australia, up to $12 billion, and looking to employ 30,000 Australia-wide. With South Australia being such an integral part of that, we would look to be really firmly a part of this growth and those opportunities. As I said, that is why such an effort was put in by the former Liberal government to try to build out that whole supply chain here in South Australia—whether it is the design, the manufacture of satellites, their launch or then moving on to Mission Control.

Sadly, that momentum has been lost under this government. We have the Deputy Premier, who is also the Minister for Space Industries, just sitting back content to let things unfold. This is happening at a time when the federal Labor government, as I said before, really does not seem to understand what the opportunities in space are, of having sovereign capability there, looking to just review what is going on in the space industry. That is the time when you would need a minister here in South Australia, really trying to push the benefits to Australia and South Australia of establishing and maintaining an active interest in the space industry itself.

Recently, I was at the Australian Space Forum held here in Adelaide, which I have attended previously. Usually, there is an air of excitement because this industry is so fast moving, but on this occasion there was not. There was a real apprehension around what was going on. They were not seeing the signals out of the federal Labor government. They did not find there was support here from the South Australian government either.

Of course, later that week their apprehension was realised when in the federal budget $80 million was slashed from the budget that was there to support space. There were really solid programs, one of which was the Moon to Mars supply chain facilitation grant. That gave an opportunity for space companies to participate in the supply chain of NASA's plans to go to the Moon and then eventually to Mars.

Another program that was cancelled was a $30 million program designed to support faster access to spaceflight by Australian companies. That is important for satellite companies to establish space heritage, to show that they can not only design these satellites in theory but actually have them go up in space as well. Having that then allows them, when they are bidding on larger projects, to show and give confidence to the tenders those companies can achieve and put satellites into space.

Another program cut was a $32.5 million program to support the development of Australian spaceports. In South Australia, we have Southern Launch. They have their test range up at Koonibba, which was the site of the first commercially space-capable launch in Australia's history. They also have their sister site at Whalers Way on Eyre Peninsula. That is really critical to give the ability for companies to launch satellites into polar orbits. From a defence perspective, it allows a satellite to be launched from there and be over the South China Sea within 60 minutes, so you can see why we need to really push for that.

Another program being called into question as well is the $1.2 million National Space Mission for Earth Observation. This is looking at launching satellites to detect bushfires, floods and maritime surveillance—all important areas in which companies here in South Australia would be able to participate.

These are really opportunities that are firmly there. Companies have gone out, hired staff and bought componentry to participate in these programs, and now they see this uncertainty. When every other government in the world is investing in their space industry, we have had our government here unbelievably defunding ours. We need the South Australian Minister for Space Industries to stand up for South Australia to ensure that we retain the mantle as the nation's space capital and also continue the fantastic momentum set up by the former Liberal government in Lot Fourteen. That is going to be the legacy—an engine room of growth for the South Australian economy in the years to come.

Mrs PEARCE (King) (11:38): I move the following amendments:

In (a) delete 'recognises that during its four year term, the Marshall Liberal government completely transformed' and replace with 'recognises the transformation of'

Delete (e) and insert new (e): acknowledges the work of the Malinauskas Labor government in maintaining a vibrant, world-class innovation, startup growth precinct at Lot Fourteen.

The former Royal Adelaide Hospital has been transformed into an innovation district with a collaborative research and business ecosystem, which is—mind the pun—shooting for the stars and absolutely dedicated to driving productivity and solving complex global challenges.

Lot Fourteen has been backed by both previous and current South Australian and Australian governments since planning first commenced in 2015 under the Weatherill government. It brings together the state's leading abilities in space, defence, high-tech and creative industries. Adequately put by Lot Fourteen, it has been described as existing because the world can only be changed by those who are brave enough to question it, and I adore the level of encouragement for creative thinking and to challenge the status quo for progressive growth.

It makes sense that South Australia is increasingly the place the space industry is gravitating towards, and it is helping to change how the greater community perceives space. When talking about space, we often refer to it as being out of reach, unable to be accessed by anyone other than an astronaut; however, we are all a lot closer to space than we may realise. Everyone in this chamber is using space-based applications whether they know it or not. You would have used data from space to get directions to an event using your GPS, to pay for your car parking ticket using the banking app on your phone, to watch the daily news this morning and to listen to your favourite radio station on the way in or, like me, more specifically, to listen to Bevan, Stacey and Nikolai.

Each year hundreds of technical innovations generated by space programs are making their way into our daily lives. We have space exploration to thank for dozens of modern products being invented, including the insulin pump, which was invented to monitor astronauts' vital signs in space; water filtration to ensure astronauts had access to safe, tasteless water; and CAT scans and MRI technology, which were created by NASA to recreate images of the Moon during Apollo missions. So when we are asked, 'Why space?' the question really should be: what would we do without space?

In our state, we are seeing the rocket launch capability, the design of satellites and also the incredibly complex programming that is involved in being able to interpret data that is coming from satellites to make it useful in managing our land, as well as for defence and telecommunication purposes. For example, satellite-based systems are enabling the reduction in vehicle carbon emissions, while remote sensing technology is making wind turbines more efficient. Earth observation satellites have also greatly enhanced our scientific understanding of water cycles and air quality and provide us with valuable information on the state of our ecosystems, which support positive environmental action.

The South Australian government recognises the seriousness of the current climate crisis and is taking action. Reaffirming the urgent need to decarbonise the South Australian economy across all sectors and shift to renewable sources of energy, this state government has passed a climate emergency motion. With Earth observation satellites at the forefront of monitoring deforestation, rising sea levels and greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere, sovereign satellite capability will be critical as we decarbonise and move towards a circular economy, and Lot Fourteen undoubtedly plays a crucial role in this. The district is also home to research and industry powerhouses such as the Australian Space Agency, SmartSat CRC, Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre, the Australian Institute for Machine Learning, and Stone and Chalk. I cannot stress enough that to have South Australia as the natural home of the space industry is tremendously important to the future of our economy.

I often acknowledge that we have so much to learn from the oldest living culture in the world, one that is so heavily ingrained and reflected in our land. To do so, we must work with Aboriginal people to build a better, fairer and more equitable future together. Understanding and learning about the culture of Aboriginal people is a vital piece to help achieve this, which is why I am pleased to see a proposal for a dynamic and immersive living cultural centre showcasing 60,000 years of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, located on Kaurna country, Lot Fourteen, Tarrkarri, Centre for First Nations Cultures. This government is reviewing how to best deliver Tarrkarri as a place of international significance to celebrate all forms of First Nations cultural life because, as the Premier has made clear, we want to ensure that we deliver a truly world-class centre for the First Nations cultures.

Finally, this government is committed to setting up the workforce of the future, which is why we back Lot Fourteen. It is currently home to a skilled workforce of more than 1,500 people from more than 150 businesses, attracting some of the world's most innovative organisations including Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Nokia 5G, where I was fortunate to have an interactive tour of their industrial incubation hub. I note that it was launched last year and is doing great things in the aviation space.

Within the mix of 59 startups, it gives future industry leaders the opportunity to contribute to the way our state is shaped and designed moving forward. Our time to make an impact and propel South Australia forward is now and, as such, I commend the Malinauskas Labor government for its contribution to the growth rate of the vibrant, world-class innovation startup growth precinct at Lot Fourteen.

Mr COWDREY (Colton) (11:44): I rise today to add my support to the original motion as moved by the member for Morphett.

That this house—

(a) recognises that during its four-year term, the Marshall Liberal government completely transformed the old Royal Adelaide Hospital site into a hub of technology, innovation and culture;

(b) recognises that Lot Fourteen is creating thousands of jobs and showcasing South Australia to the world;

(c) recognises that Lot Fourteen is host to Australia’s National Space Agency, cementing South Australia as the national centre of Australia’s space industry;

(d) recognises that Lot Fourteen will showcase our rich and diverse Aboriginal culture to the world and attract more visitors to South Australia with the establishment of the Aboriginal Art and Cultures Centre; and

(e) acknowledges the Marshall Liberal government for establishing a vibrant, world-class innovation, startup growth precinct at Lot Fourteen.

I do so having listened to the absolute nonsense from the member for King in wishing to amend this motion.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr COWDREY: I think it says a lot about this government and their unwillingness to recognise the mistakes of the past Weatherill government. I think we all remember the competition in regard to what was going to happen on the Lot Fourteen site. I cannot remember if it was the winning design, but one of the designs was the great mound that was going to be on Lot Fourteen; a behemoth accumulation of earth that was going to give South Australians a new perspective on their city. It went from that idea to 1,300 apartments.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr COWDREY: It is absolutely ludicrous for members on the benches opposite to come into the house today to claim any momentum, thought or decisions that have shaped Lot Fourteen into what it is today. It is a proud legacy of the former government to see now, on Lot Fourteen, new industries emerging and having been cemented to see new technology, New-Age jobs and people working in industries that simply were not in this state less than five years ago.

It is truly a different and unique offering that has been built on Lot Fourteen, where the entrepreneurial technology and innovation hub that it is has essentially provided a future engine room of jobs and prosperity for the South Australian economy and for the South Australian people through new high-tech sectors, none of which are less than defence and space industries, which are truly the underpinning industries of the whole precinct to have, as the member for Morphett has already articulated this morning, the national Space Agency headquartered here in Adelaide at Lot Fourteen.

To have the Space Discovery Centre here at Lot Fourteen allows our young schoolchildren to gain even greater understanding of the opportunities that the space sector presents, and those are not always what some would automatically assume to be the case. We are not necessarily talking about missions to Mars or becoming astronauts, but the technology that is being developed on that site in regard to the space industry—whether that be around satellite and use of satellite technology through a whole range of industries: farming, aquaculture, weather predictions and a whole range of others that are obviously significant and vast in terms of what the future applications of that technology could be.

To have a development that has used the heritage aspects of those buildings that were there—many of which had been part of the Royal Adelaide site from the establishment of that hospital, and some even potentially predating the establishment of the hospital—and to have seen such sensible, I think the term is 'adaptive re-use' of those buildings to incorporate that heritage into the new development was world leading and certainly a stark contrast to the approach the current government have taken with some of their more recent developments in regard to respect for heritage.

It is an incredibly important part of our state, and particularly of our capital city, to have put forward this proposition, and this collection of both private enterprise and research, for our institutions on what is our primary boulevard in Adelaide—the home of some of our biggest institutions and some of our biggest learning institutions. To have effectively brought all those things together is something that I think is an added benefit of the Lot Fourteen experience to this point.

I have talked about, and the member for Morphett has also listed, some of the many businesses that have set up shop in Lot Fourteen, whether they be in the space sector, like Nova Systems, Inovor technologies, Myriota and Southern Launch, or those in AI and more cyber-connected industries that have come here, such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon Web Services, Essentia and Nokia, just to name a few. One of the important things has been Stone and Chalk, the incubator and innovation hub that has allowed some of South Australia's best and brightest to work alongside these companies.

There is one company I want to quickly highlight for their work. I managed to doorknock a couple of employees of this company over my time, many of whom, or at least some, reside in the western suburbs. A company called MyVenue have produced a point-of-sale system that is now being used in stadiums and airports around the world. They have broken into the US market over the past couple of years. We have seen an Adelaide-based, Adelaide-developed product in place in some of the biggest stadiums in the world: at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix, Arizona, where one of the most recent Super Bowls was played, and at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.

This is a big deal. We have a South Australian-based company, a South Australian developed technology that is in place around the world because of what happened on Lot Fourteen. That is something that we, as a state, should all be very proud of. But what have we seen from this government so far?

I was interested to hear the member for King's comments in regard to the government's commitment to Tarrkarri. Certainly on this side of the house, as far as we can tell from public discourse, there is no firm commitment from this government about its future to this point. We believe it is still sitting for review, along with many other major projects that the government have sought to review and delay to balance their ever more dangerous budget position.

We have also seen near $80 million worth of support for the space industry ripped out by the federal government in the most recent budget handed down at the federal level. The minister's response at that point in time was, 'Well, I'll meet with the federal minister soon to discover what the impacts are for the industry here in South Australia.' I believe that meeting took place last week. Has the minister come in to provide an update to the house about what is happening there? No, nothing. We have heard nothing from her.

We have industries here—cyber, defence, space, artificial intelligence, machine learning, new technology and new industries set up on Lot Fourteen. It is the reason that many South Australians, some of our youngest and brightest, have been staying in South Australia. It would be one of the greatest shames for our state if momentum were lost around this precinct if, as the federal budget predicts, all of a sudden our net interstate migration returns to the pre-Marshall government levels, back to 3,500 to 4,000 people, mainly young people, who leaving our state if these opportunities are not here.

This is an important project. It is one we should continue to highlight, it is one that has immense opportunity for the future of both our state and our economy, and I certainly hope that from those opposite it comes with more than just words but actual support for this project.

Mr TEAGUE (Heysen) (11:55): I take the chance to commend the motion in its original form and to echo and amplify the observations just now of the member for Colton as well. This development at Lot Fourteen was the uniquely innovative driver in the decision-making of the Marshall Liberal government.

Nothing could be more central to the debate and it really is unbecoming for Malinauskas Labor to seek, as it were, to steer a reinvention of the history in this space. Better to concentrate on the task ahead, better to make sure that the momentum that the member for Morphett has addressed and the member for Colton has urged as so important for the future of our state be maintained. That challenge is great enough without the current government seeking to reinvent history.

There is so much, of course, that is tremendous in terms of the innovative development that we have already heard in the course of the debate. What I will take this moment to focus on, and perhaps in the context of what might be somewhat unfortunate conclusive remarks of the member for Newland just now in the previous debate, is the previous government's proud record of action in relation to Aboriginal affairs initiatives.

These included investing $9.1 million in infrastructure and upgrades in 15 regional and remote Aboriginal communities, road repairs, improvements in waste management, community infrastructure and so on, annual funding of over $4 million to grants and other supports for Aboriginal arts and crafts, and the appointment importantly—and I welcome the continuation of it—of the Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People to assist Aboriginal families and communities in keeping children safe in culturally appropriate ways, and of course the state's first standalone Aboriginal Housing Strategy backed by $83 million of state and commonwealth funding.

Apart from those measures, just to name a few, core to actions in the course of the Marshall Liberal government's period were the establishment at Lot Fourteen of The Circle, the First Nations Entrepreneur Hub, to support Aboriginal innovation, entrepreneurship and employment. You cannot do that out of the block of flats envisaged by the former Weatherill government. You cannot establish The Circle, you cannot establish an entrepreneurial hub, with a focus on promoting and enhancing opportunities for Aboriginal people without a vision of entrepreneurship for Lot Fourteen. It is one of the core activities there, one of those hub activities that benefits from having created that environment at Lot Fourteen.

Perhaps at this moment, and perhaps even more importantly when we have an occasion to reflect on what has been built so far, it is a moment to look to the future and to look literally to the future to Tarrkarri. Tarrkarri, the unique First Nations culture and art centre that was an early commitment of the Marshall Liberal government and part of the vision for Lot Fourteen, was to be funded by both state and federal governments with a view to ensuring that we in South Australia have the best and the most significant means of placing, celebrating and welcoming those who might come from elsewhere to better appreciate our First Nations arts and culture on Kaurna land.

Tarrkarri—commenced, named and on its way, with a view to completion in 2025. The future is the project that has been put on ice, the project whose future remains uncertain. As speakers have said in the course of this debate already so far, what could be more central to a statement of intent around momentum at Lot Fourteen than a commitment to ensure that Tarrkarri, the future, is seen through to its fruition?

So we on this side will not hear any reinvention of history when it comes to Lot Fourteen. Whether we talk about entrepreneurship or whether we talk about action towards improvement for Aboriginal people in this state, Lot Fourteen shines as a beacon to what the future of South Australia can be, for the reason that the Marshall Liberal government decided to chart that course—and to chart that course away from where it would have gone, as we all know, under Labor.

The uncertainty that we now see specifically in terms of Tarrkarri is yet another salutary reminder that Labor in power is a great risk to the momentum for all of those important, central and powerful possibilities at Lot Fourteen. I wholeheartedly commend the motion in its original form.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI (Unley) (12:01): I rise to support the motion in its original form. I find it extremely galling that we have an amendment from the member for King that attempts to not only rewrite history but also actually suggest that the government is doing more at Lot Fourteen. The facts are, the government is still riding the wave of the Marshall government creation of Lot Fourteen.

It is doing what it was designed to do, and that was to have a snowball effect, propelling South Australia into entrepreneurship. It was not done on its own. Do not forget, what also happened with the establishment of Lot Fourteen is we also saw year 7 move into high school, giving year 7 students—for the first time in South Australian history—the ability to study maths with a specialist maths teacher in year 7, to study science with a specialist science teacher in year 7, to study other important STEM subjects with specialist teachers in year 7.

What did we have in South Australia for so long after every other state had moved year 7 into high school? We had composite year 6/7 classes, with year 7s competing with year 6s for a general educationist's time, a key difference in policy that was opposed by those opposite but was necessary for South Australia to move into industry 4.0, for South Australia to be a participant in the space industry, for South Australia to be an entrepreneurial state.

Not only did we do that but we established entrepreneurial high schools. Yes, Lot Fourteen was the catalyst; it was the cathedral of innovation in this city of churches. Things like schools, the innovation centre at Mount Gambier and the innovation centre at Whyalla were all parishes of this church of innovation that is Lot Fourteen.

We also saw that there was an upsurge in private shared entrepreneurial spaces. We saw those growing in South Australia, where people would have desks for hire for entrepreneurs to be able to be in a communal environment, share ideas, bump into each other and work together on projects of interest. That was obviously expanded through the entrepreneurial centre we established at Lot Fourteen.

This amendment of Labor goes on to claim the work the Malinauskas government is doing, but where was the then Leader of the Opposition Peter Malinauskas back when this was being established? Nowhere to be seen—nowhere. I challenge anybody in this place to find anything positive that Peter Malinauskas said about Lot Fourteen in the four years it was being built by Steven Marshall.

There was one occasion, a week out from the election, when he was specifically asked to name one thing that the Marshall government did correctly, one thing, and he said, 'Lot Fourteen.'

Members interjecting:

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: That was the only positive thing he said about Lot Fourteen. He did not want to take a risk in backing it early, in backing it when nobody knew where it was going to go. He did not want to take a risk and support the government in doing it, but now he wants to take all the credit for what the previous government has done. I hear the member for Mawson interjecting, and what did he put up on his Facebook? 'Lot Fourteen, I call it bullshit,' he said on his Facebook site.

The Hon. L.W.K. Bignell interjecting:

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: That's what you said. That's the Labor Party's view. For the last four years that was Labor's view. They said that Lot Fourteen was bullshit, via the member for Mawson. That is what Labor's view is, and now they are trying to take credit for the four years of hard work that was established by the Marshall government. Well, it ain't gonna work. People know.

Ms STINSON: Sir, I may need your guidance on the exact point of order, but my ears are offended by the language that is being used by the member for Unley. It is very unparliamentary.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I would ask that the member for Mawson not interject and I would ask the member for Unley not to respond to interjections, because both are out of order.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: They are, sir, of course. I was simply repeating what was put up on the member for Mawson's Facebook site. Getting back to the substance of the motion, there were other things that happened because of Lot Fourteen in Adelaide. All of a sudden, through the work that was done through the Department for Innovation and Skills, we saw new pathways being developed for people who want to move into IT.

IT had always been one of those areas where usually people would have to go to university and get a degree in computer science that would take four years. As a fledgling industry, as it has been for the last 30 or 40 years, you really did need to know a lot about IT; you needed to know about everything. Of course, as it got bigger, there was the division of skill sets. We designed a specific skill set for cybersecurity, a Cert IV in Cyber Security, so this sector of the IT industry was available for people to learn through apprenticeships. Not only did we create those apprenticeships but we also employed apprentices in the Public Service for the first time in a very long time. For the first time in a very long time, the public sector was employing trainees and apprentices.

We also helped establish the 42 school, a French coding school that is another pathway, outside university, for people to work in IT. This is a massive increase in uplift in salary opportunities and wage opportunities. There are a number of kids I met, who just a month earlier were working part time at Coles or Woolworths, who were earning more money working in the IT sector as trainees through the 42 school than they were earning working at Coles and Woolworths, and they were so thankful for the opportunity. They did not see that university was for them, yet they had the skills that employers were after to work in that industry. That again was a catalyst driven by that great cathedral of entrepreneurship of IT and new industries at Lot Fourteen that was set up by the Marshall Liberal government.

I am very pleased to have been one of the ministers in the previous government who played a very strong role in developing Lot Fourteen, making it work and taking the risk, the risk that those opposite were not prepared to take. They wanted to stick with something they knew: real estate development—and the amount of money that real estate developers put into their tenders for that contract only to be told, when the government was so embarrassed by the public outcry, that the only plans they had for the old Royal Adelaide Hospital site was an apartment complex. Fancy doing that to the private sector and then just dumping it because it was too hot. Then, of course, they went into an election with no plans for Lot Fourteen at all, other than perhaps another go with another real estate developer.

This is a game changer for South Australia. It will be remembered 10, 20, 30 years down the track as a catalyst for the change in the economy we are experiencing in South Australia, just as Tom Playford turned South Australia from an agriculture-producing economy to one that had a mixed economy of agriculture and manufacturing. Identifying what South Australia's strongest points were and exporting them is exactly what the Marshall government did with its innovation and IT vision, and its vision for space and defence in South Australia.

Mr BATTY (Bragg) (12:11): I rise to speak in support of this motion in its original form. In doing so, I commend the shadow minister, the member for Morphett, for bringing this motion before the house because it gives us yet another opportunity as a house to acknowledge what stands as one of the Marshall Liberal government's greatest achievements and finest legacies in transforming the old Royal Adelaide Hospital site into what it has become today: a hub of technology, a hub of innovation and, we hope, a hub of culture. It is going to create thousands of jobs—it already is—and it is showcasing South Australia to the world.

I think it is important to note what Lot Fourteen is not. It certainly is not some legacy piece for the Weatherill government, as the member for King tried to indicate on another occasion in this place. We know the Weatherill government had grand plans for housing and hotel buildings on this important city site. It is certainly not a legacy piece for the Malinauskas Labor government, as the member for King is trying to amend this motion today.

We know the Malinauskas Labor government is intent on claiming the credit and riding on the coat-tails of what the Liberal government achieved when it comes to Lot Fourteen. It is also not the result of luck; instead, it is the result of strong leadership from the former Liberal government. State and federal governments have invested in this groundbreaking project, which has seen over 20,000 square metres of office space created in the heritage-listed buildings on North Terrace and Frome Street in a repurposed entrepreneurial ecosystem.

From an environmental and heritage perspective, it is a very pleasing development. From a heritage perspective, it is a fantastic example of adaptive re-use of heritage buildings. Instead of what the Malinauskas Labor government does when it comes to these issues—to put the bulldozer through heritage-listed buildings when they want to have developments—the Marshall Liberal government sought to repurpose those heritage buildings, enhance them and showcase them whilst still having that development there on North Terrace.

The best way to preserve a heritage building is to use a heritage building. Lot Fourteen serves as a terrific example of adaptive re-use of heritage buildings. Those opposite would do well to follow its example when they seek to develop other sites around the state. From an environmental perspective, the construction at Lot Fourteen was very happily and pleasingly done with an ethos of sustainability. Indeed, it is expected that in excess of 100,000 tonnes of materials will be recycled once works conclude at Lot Fourteen.

The transformation of Lot Fourteen is not just a physical one with those heritage buildings but of course a very important economic transformation for our city and our state as well. I have said it time and again in this place: we need to do everything we can to keep our best and brightest here in South Australia. The number one way we can do that is by ensuring that we have the jobs of the future right here in our state, so people of my generation and those who will come after me are not looking elsewhere—are not looking interstate, are not looking overseas—to pursue career opportunities, because those exciting opportunities are right here in South Australia.

The Marshall Liberal government in just a few short years managed to totally reverse the brain drain here in South Australia. I think initiatives like Lot Fourteen deserve a lot of the credit for that, because what we see at Lot Fourteen is a hub for those jobs of the future. Whether it be in industries like digital technology or creative industries, whether it be international education or tourism or whether it be industries like medical and space and defence as well, Lot Fourteen and the work that is going on there is going to help South Australia be at the leading edge of all those fields and, in turn, that is going to ensure that young South Australians who are looking for a future in these industries have a place to work and progress their career. It is enormously important.

Indeed, Adelaide, through Lot Fourteen, is now fortunate to house several national industry centres of excellence, including the Australian Institute for Machine Learning, the Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre and of course the Australian Space Agency.

I must say I am very concerned about the future of the space industry in South Australia, following the federal Labor budget. It was very disappointing to see the Albanese Labor government slash up to $77 million in programs aimed to support Australia's space industry. These vicious cuts risk bringing our emerging space industry here in South Australia to its knees, which is a great shame because the space industry was an exciting and ambitious industry that we were going to set about growing. Indeed, there were plans for the Australian Space Agency to triple Australia's space industry to $12 billion and 30,000 jobs by 2030, but these vicious cuts from the Albanese Labor government are going to make that ambitious goal very difficult for us to achieve, and it is going to cause a great deal of pain for the space industry here in South Australia.

In contrast to these Labor cuts, the former Liberal government supported the space industry. It invested in the space industry here, creating huge momentum and excitement, with capability being established right along the space supply chain. I am calling on the Malinauskas government to step up, talk to their federal colleagues and reverse these vicious cuts to the space budget to ensure that South Australia can remain Australia's centre of space going forward, because growing industries like the space industry is the only way we are going to ensure that those jobs of the future remain here in South Australia and the only way we are going to continue the reverse of the brain drain.

Perhaps it comes as no surprise that in the very same federal Labor budget that cuts the space budget by nearly $80 million we also see, sadly, a projection of the return of the brain drain. That same budget shows that over 12,000 South Australians are projected to leave our state over the next four years. Well, of course they are, if we are shutting down industries like the space industry and not supporting those jobs of the future. So we need to do everything we can to keep it here and Lot Fourteen does just that: it keeps our best and brightest here.

I have had the opportunity to meet some of those best and brightest South Australians in some recent visits to Lot Fourteen. One of them is a constituent of mine, someone who calls Bragg home and also someone who calls Lot Fourteen home: Ryan Kris has a startup, Verida, which is involved in Web3 development and which is helping to build the internet of the future. Ryan's startup focuses on personal privacy data and flipping the models we use to give permissions to use that data, from a model where we give consent to applications to retain personal data to one where individuals retain their own personal data and provide access where necessary. Ryan and Verida are just one example of how Lot Fourteen is helping to foster those jobs of the future.

Another example is someone I met recently, Mary Kelly, whose startup Reusably was launched formally just a couple of weeks ago. That company is aiming to develop a network of participating businesses where stainless cups and plates and other items can be re-used and shared. It is a program that has recently been tested very successfully on Kangaroo Island, and I am sure the rollout in Adelaide will be just as successful. I commend Mary for recently receiving the SA Young Achievers Innovation Award for her work in the circular economy space.

The Marshall Liberal government has helped to foster an environment where these people can succeed. Lot Fourteen is an outstanding achievement and I am very glad to support his motion.

Ms PRATT (Frome) (12:21): I also happily rise today in support of the motion brought by the member for Morphett and I commend it in its original form. I wish to acknowledge the incredible work the Liberal government did in transforming this old Adelaide hospital site into a hub of technology, innovation and culture, and I call on the current government to continue with that excellent work. We have heard a lot already this morning about the fantastic concept of adaptive re-use along a magnificent boulevard on North Terrace and what has evolved into a precinct of innovation in health, technology and space excellence.

Lot Fourteen is certainly a shining example of what can be achieved when governments have the foresight and a vision for the future. This world-class innovative district is still creating thousands of jobs in its global capacity and showcasing South Australia to the world. The establishment of the Australian Space Agency at Lot Fourteen has cemented South Australia as the national centre of Australia's space industry, and I am incredibly proud of the legacy that does extend back to the Liberal government with its vision to deliver such an important organisation.

It is an integral part of South Australia's growing innovation network. Lot Fourteen is leveraging the power of collaboration to drive innovation and the translation and commercialisation of cutting-edge research into global markets. It is a true team effort. When you walk through the site, you get a sense of what a hub really looks like and feels like. I want to acknowledge the businesses, the educational institutions, the research facilities and the startup individuals who have made Lot Fourteen the success it is today.

I wish to highlight a few businesses currently operating at Lot Fourteen as examples of the arguments we are making today about its ongoing benefit and return on investment back to South Australia, businesses that are working in technology and certainly in the health and agricultural space. For example, Add Life Technologies has a purpose of developing emerging technologies that improve a person's quality of life—so in the health space, in the ageing space and in the portfolio space, encouraging startups, entrepreneurs, innovators to design, invent and imagine technology that is going to prolong a person's life to identify those critical health moments for people who may have a stroke or may be diagnosed with Parkinson's.

It is certainly technology that will allow a faster recovery and I applaud the current efforts. Another business or innovation to draw attention to is the CareApp, a communication and engagement platform for aged-care providers building our care community. This is an app that brings providers, residents, carers and families together to build and support seniors to love the way they live.

I am constantly talking in my portfolio of ageing about developing policies, programs, projects, innovations and services that deliver a standard of care to our elderly and our loved ones; not just focused on end of life, but what it means to age well and to age well at home. When we reflect on current examples of call services, emergency pendants and the technology—the switch from 3G to 4G—the understanding that will be required to support those emergency options still being available to people who are ageing well at home, then we should understand the critical understanding and intervention that comes from a centre like Lot Fourteen. It is not just bricks and mortar.

Another example of a business is Personify Care, a communication and monitoring health platform which supports patients before and after surgery, supporting them in a way that would deliver early warning signs to clinicians. This speaks to elements of virtual care, of telehealth, what it means to be discharged from hospital but recover at home and have that support from our health clinicians, our experts, our specialists, in ensuring that people can actually be discharged in a timely way, can return home to their comforts, to their loved ones, to a bed that is available to them—and, dare I say, pillows and rugs—but with the technology that will allow them to still be providing those vital signs through data back to their clinicians.

To shift from the health space and move on to another critical element for residents of my electorate of Frome, and that is to the topic of agtech, I want to reference Cropify, which replaces a subjective classification process currently used globally in the grain supply chain with an artificial intelligence—we talk about AI a lot—and a machine learning driven solution.

This type of innovation is going to have a profound impact on the whole supply chain. Certainly we know that we are coming out of a bumper harvest, but with the priority that has been placed these days on traceability, sustainability and provenance, it is critical that we have the block chain technology, the innovation, the machine learning and the AI to go along with what the market is looking for in that supply chain. This is going to have a profound impact on that and it has been identified by the agricultural industry as a critical issue.

The need for agtech was front and centre when the member for Colton came to visit Frome and we paid a visit to ag industry in Roseworthy. We visited Robert Baumann at Emmetts John Deere in Roseworthy and were lucky enough to hop up into some of the big machines and implements on site. As soon as you sit in a new tractor or a harvester, you sink down in these beautiful ergonomic chairs that have massaging options—

An honourable member interjecting:

Ms PRATT: My dad drove around in a Massey Ferguson with an umbrella as a roof, so we have come a long way—but this is what we are relying on: people who will innovate and invent in this space. The technology that is available now for our farmers, for our primary producers, is reliant on GPS, sat nav, and satellites that will help them interpret moisture in the soil, quality of the soil and, again, sustainability and traceability.

We were witness to a commercial-sized automated robot lawnmower. We cannot keep up with the technology that is being invented for us at this time. Farmers certainly are reliant on this technology for spray drift, looking for inversion, what implications there are from access to weather stations or not, being good neighbours and working towards increased yield and productivity for the state. Agritourism is another industry tied to technology, innovation and advancement. So, no matter which way you cut this, the invention and design coming out of Lot Fourteen because it was established by a Liberal government are certainly giving back to our community.

I want to touch on our young rural ambassadors who were here with us today, a couple from Jamestown and Balaklava—a shout-out to Charlie and Jana. These are young kids who are looking for opportunities to study. They need ag teachers to do that. Balaklava has delivered Supra as the state's leading ag teacher. Meanwhile, the Kapunda High School has coughed up Karen Bromley, the latest outstanding ag teacher for 2023 as voted for by her peers.

We need our young generation in the country, and in fact in the city, who are interested in studying at Roseworthy, Waite, Urrbrae and interstate, to have access to the innovation that comes from Lot Fourteen, so I commend the original motion.

Mrs HURN (Schubert) (12:31): I rise to support wholeheartedly the motion that has been put forward to the house by the member for Morphett. I do so in speaking to the original intent of that motion. It is a fantastic opportunity to again shine a light on what has been one of the most celebrated and successful legacy pieces of the former Marshall government, spearheaded almost single-handedly by the member for Dunstan and his vision for what could be on the now Lot Fourteen site.

There is no doubt in my mind that Lot Fourteen is now arguably the nation's leading entrepreneurial hub, and it is right on North Terrace in the heart of the city. It has attracted the brightest minds not just from around the state, and not just from around the nation, but from all corners of the world. All corners of the world had their eyes on Lot Fourteen when the member for Dunstan announced his vision for that site.

It is what I would call and what many of us on this side on the house would refer to as a once-in-a-generation opportunity. It is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. It was a once-in-a-generation investment that was made by the former Liberal government, and it has transformed our state. It is now a beacon of opportunity that has created thousands and thousands of jobs in the heart of the city and has really put South Australia on the map as the startup state. We are now the startup state and we are the startup capital of the nation.

Who would have thought that Lot Fourteen or the former Royal Adelaide Hospital site could be transformed into what it is now, that it would bring together the brightest minds, that it would bring together people from a whole host of industries—not just defence, not just space, not just cyber, not just AI, but creative industries as well? It very nearly did not happen, of course, because the boldest vision that the former Weatherill Labor government could come up with in the heart of the city—the boldest vision—was to put some granny flats there. What a wasted opportunity.

Now people are starting businesses in South Australia. They are employing people in South Australia on this site and following their dreams right here in South Australia. They do not have the need and they are not pulled to go to places like New York, London and Hong Kong because they can actually follow their dreams right here in South Australia in a way that they have never been able to do before. That is not thanks to the Labor government; that is not thanks to the former Premier Jay Weatherill. It is not thanks to anyone on the government benches. It is thanks to Steven Marshall and his vision as the then Premier of South Australia and the member for Dunstan.

I remember vividly when Steven Marshall started to think about what this place could be for our state. He really did tear up Jay Weatherill's view, and I find it quite disingenuous that the member for King would put forward such an amendment. I think it is quite an affront, not just to the parliament but to all those hardworking people on Lot Fourteen. I would hazard a guess that there is no way that the member for King or anyone on the government benches would dare say that at Lot Fourteen, because all those people who have followed their dreams and have started their businesses, and are now employing people in this state, know exactly who to thank for that opportunity in the heart of the city: it is Steven Marshall and the former Liberal government.

There is one great success story that is coming out of the Barossa—well, there are many success stories coming out of the Barossa, of course—and it is a 19-year-old lad called Edward Robinson. He is encouraging kids to get excited about space. He has established kits that he is selling to people from right across South Australia where they can build their own cube satellites to go to space, and they are doing that from scratch. They can pull it together, they can have a play around with the data, and that is just one example of the types of opportunities that have been flowing from Lot Fourteen.

Edward started manufacturing these and pulling them together in his parents' garage, and it was such a success. He started out hand-making 20 of these kits, and they were in such extraordinarily high demand that he needed a partner, and guess who that partner now is? It is the duty manager of the Australian Space Agency. They are now the co-founder of his business, Robinson Aerospace Systems. Now he is working out of Lot Fourteen. I am very much looking forward to going on a tour with Edward next week.

When he reached out and when we connected, I again reiterated the fact that he has this opportunity thanks to the hard work of the former Liberal government, which I did not even need to tell him because he knew straightaway who to thank, and that was the member for Dunstan and the former Liberal government who spearheaded this opportunity. He would not have had this opportunity had we not won what was a hotly contested battle to have the national Space Agency here in South Australia. It was a ferocious campaign and every single state in the nation wanted to have it in their capital city, and guess who got it? It was us here in South Australia. We managed to secure the national space agency.

It is because of securing the national Space Agency that young people like Edward can actually follow their dreams right here in South Australia. You can go from pulling together satellite kits in your parents' garage in the Barossa Valley and now partner with someone from the Australian Space Agency, which is based on North Terrace at Lot Fourteen. That is exactly the type of entrepreneurial spirit that the former government had hoped to foster when we lifted our vision far beyond the granny flats that were all the former government could muster.

I do believe that this will be one of the biggest legacy items of the former government. It is a shame that when we looked at the federal budget that came down only a couple of weeks ago that they had pulled out $80 million from the space industry. The only response that we get from those opposite and from the very minister, the Deputy Premier, who is actually responsible, is: 'I am meeting with him in a couple of weeks to find out what it means for our sector here in South Australia.' I might be a little bit silly, but I would have thought that you actually advocate for these types of things before the state budget comes out and that you go in hammer and tongs advising the federal government about what this would mean for the space agency and what this would mean for the space sector here in South Australia.

The member for Frome and a couple of other people have touched on this, but Lot Fourteen is not just about sending a man or a woman to the Moon. It is about creating some opportunities for businesses to come through. It is about AI. It is about providing support for farmers who rely so much on satellite systems to be able to map out their next moves on their farm; that is, they can predict weather patterns and a whole host of things that are so critical for farmers to do.

In summary, tying it in a nice little bow, if I could, Lot Fourteen played a critical role in stopping the brain drain. This again was something that Steven Marshall as Premier, and before that as Leader of the Opposition, actually wanted—to turn off that tap, to stop our brightest people from leaving to go to the eastern seaboard or leaving to go to London, Hong Kong or New York. He wanted them to stay right here in South Australia, and that is exactly what they are doing because of opportunities that are absolutely flowing and oozing out of Lot Fourteen.

I am so pleased to be supporting this motion. We will absolutely keep that momentum up when it comes to Lot Fourteen because we would hate to see those opposite start to wind back the clock or start to pull out funding. They need to support entrepreneurialism here in South Australia and they need to support small businesses. I thank the member for Morphett once again for bringing this important motion to the house.

Mr TARZIA (Hartley) (12:40): When I think about Lot Fourteen, I also think about Silicon Valley. I might talk a little bit about a visit I once took to the west coast of America, where I was lucky enough to visit companies like Apple and surrounding technology companies. I was so inspired and drawn to this concept of Silicon Valley and how things started on the west coast of America. If you do the research, what you learn is that the government of the day was heavily invested, but what also enabled Silicon Valley to develop was a massive development in the defence industry, a massive spend in the defence industry and also collaboration with the startup community and educational institutions. Do you know what we have here in South Australia? We have a unique opportunity to replicate that.

I am proud to say that I was part of a government, working closely with the Premier of the time, who saw the ability for South Australia to very strategically invest in this area of startup investment, technology, defence, cyber and these sectors that are going to pay massive dividends for South Australia into the decades ahead.

I have to admit, I did sit around the cabinet table at the time, and at the time—whilst we do not talk about cabinet deliberations—there was fierce scrutiny by members of parliament, especially the Hon. Rob Lucas. But let me say, even Rob Lucas knew that this investment was an extraordinarily effective strategic play for the state of South Australia. Future generations will look back and thank the Premier of the day and thank the government of the day for their strategic investment in areas like Lot Fourteen.

We know that Lot Fourteen transformed the old Royal Adelaide Hospital site into a hub of technology, innovation and also culture. We know that this precinct is creating thousands of jobs and showcasing South Australia to the world. We know that Lot Fourteen is host to the national Space Agency, something that was hotly contested at the time. That did not just happen overnight: that happened because of a relentless campaign by Liberal governments of the time—and what better place to have it than here in South Australia?

We also recognise that, with the establishment of the Aboriginal Art and Cultures Centre, Lot Fourteen will not only showcase our rich and diverse Aboriginal culture to the world but also attract more visitors to South Australia. We acknowledge the Marshall Liberal government for establishing a vibrant, world-class innovation startup growth precinct at Lot Fourteen.

If we look at where we are at the moment in terms of the economic situation and the challenges that South Australia faces, we are in a constant battle and competition. We are in a competition for ideas, we are in a competition for workforce, we are in a competition for capital. We see this especially in other parts of the world, especially in America, where states actively compete against other states. Here in South Australia, we have a significant challenge on our hands, and we must do everything possible to make sure that we compete on a national stage and on an international stage to the best of our ability.

How do we do things like encourage more people to South Australia? We need to encourage more people to South Australia by making it more attractive for people to come here. Why will people come here? Well, it is not just because of the charisma of any of us; when people come here they usually want to come here to work, or come here for travel, or come here to play, and we need to make sure that they have those things available to them. What Lot Fourteen presents is an ability to get a job in an area that is going to add massive growth potential for them down the track.

We need to make sure that we continue to do what we can to stop the brain drain to the east coast. It was happening for some time before we came into power, but, when we did come into power, what happened for the first time in a long time is that we were able to reverse that brain drain. We were able to reverse that brain drain. History will show that the Liberal government of the day reversed that brain drain, unlike the 16 years of hard Labor, when people flocked—they flocked—to the east coast because they wanted to get away from the socialist Labor government that went on for far too long. Anyway, I digress. I come back to reversing the brain drain.

We also know that we need to stop the over-reliance that governments sometimes have on things like GST revenues and handouts. There are some who talk about an inferiority complex, a chip on the shoulder, and growing international economic headwinds. How do you change these things? You change things by inspiring people. How do you inspire people? You do that by giving them opportunities like those that exist at Lot Fourteen, but it does not just happen overnight.

When you look at the innovation centre that we have right in the CBD, it is seven hectares of innovation right here in our city. This has been a lightning rod for where people should focus their efforts, and we know that these sectors present a massive exponential growth opportunity. Just like some were talking about a few years ago, how quickly those dreams have been realised. How quickly we are seeing the growth of things like the space industry, the defence industry and the cyber industry.

Two or three years ago, we were being told, even at a micro level, about the rapid changes in cyber and how more sophisticated scams would come. We were all being written to by constituents, almost on a weekly basis, about the sophisticated scams, for example, and why cyber is so important. Not only that, look at the area of AI and how that is transforming the way we do business day to day. Can I say, I definitely did not use ChatGPT to write this speech. I am just talking straight from here.

Ms Stinson interjecting:

Mr TARZIA: I don't think it would have been better. That technology is still in its infancy, and that is why we need to continue to invest in things like Lot Fourteen—so we can encourage entrepreneurs to learn their craft, to put their capital on the line with strategic risk—because it may well be that we have the next Amazon or the next Google or the next Tesla right here in South Australia.

What you need is a government that encourages entrepreneurial activity, that encourages young people to get involved and have a crack and not be afraid to fail, as long as they fail and move forward. That is what we need, and that is why Lot Fourteen is so important—because it harvests that entrepreneurial spirit. We cannot be a state with an over-reliance on GST revenue or a handout mentality. What we have to do is harness the next breed of entrepreneurs here in South Australia. That is how this state is going to continue to go from strength to strength. Look at our past history: we have always been an entrepreneurial state and we have always grabbed that football of entrepreneurialism.

We should recognise that during its four-year term the Marshall Liberal government completely transformed the old Royal Adelaide Hospital site into this hub of technology, innovation and culture, and we do recognise the thousands of jobs this sector has created and will continue to create. I am certainly very proud to have been part of a government that grabbed this opportunity and ran with it. I know that down the track this will continue to develop several thousands of jobs well into the future, and I commend the member for Morphett for bringing this matter before the house.

Mr TELFER (Flinders) (12:51): I rise to speak in favour of the original motion as put by the member for Morphett and recognise that, although an amendment has been mooted, I think the motion as it stands in its original form does justice to the situation we are in. I stand in this place as the member for Flinders and, albeit that Lot Fourteen is a long way away from my electorate, the opportunities it opens up as a hub of technology, as a hub of opportunity and innovation, really do open the door for all of South Australia to look at what the potential might be.

This morning, in this place we hosted representatives from all around South Australia as part of the Rural Youth Ambassadors program. I commend the education minister for that initiative and for continuing that initiative. With young leaders from all around South Australia coming together to talk to each other about opportunities, and to hear about opportunities they have within South Australia for their long-term future, really does look at the opportunities that we have as a whole in our state.

Can I especially give a call-out to four representatives from my electorate: Prapti Pai and Seth Kayser from Port Lincoln High School; Miranda Millard from Cleve Area School; and Ava Brace from Streaky Bay Area School. It is a long way away from Adelaide to come here from those schools in the western part of our state, but I had a great chance to talk with those four students in particular about what opportunity we really do have in this state of South Australia and what we need to be doing as decision-makers to make sure that those opportunities within our regions, in particular, are maximised.

Those students who are part of that Rural Youth Ambassadors program are looking forward to their own careers, but they are also looking forward to where we need to be as a state. What are the technologies and innovations that we need to be fully aware of as decision-makers that are going to be on our doorstep not just now but into the future? The work they are doing, the networks they are creating and the connections I know will continue on for years and decades to come are really important. Can I commend those four students from my electorate in particular and thank you for your conversations with me as your local member.

I know that I am the member for Flinders for a short time, but it would not surprise me if one of those four, or one of the others who are involved in these sorts of leadership programs, might be a future member for Flinders. I bring this up because within my electorate there are a couple of aspects of this motion in particular that are really important to highlight. On Eyre Peninsula, we have been really at the cutting-edge of some of the practical potential outcomes of involvement as a state within the space industry. There has been a lot of talk about space within this state and opening up what technologies that might bring.

To see the opportunities this opens up within some of our remote communities is, for me, really exciting. It is not just about job creation and the thousands of jobs that will be created through this within the metropolitan area but it is also about giving opportunity to students like those who are going through the Rural Youth Ambassadors program at the moment. They can say, 'Maybe there are opportunities for me as a regional South Australian student in some of these high-tech areas such as aeronautical engineering and biomedical science.' In some of these areas, ordinarily you would think that, in aiming to get to this high technological level of study, students might have to look interstate or overseas for job opportunities. No, these opportunities are on the doorstep for us as a state here in South Australia, and for me that is exciting.

It is exciting to say to my students in Flinders who are going to high school now, who are looking at which subjects they are looking to take up, 'You know what? If you aim for some of these high-level engineering degrees, the investment the former government put into innovation, science and technology really does open up the door so that you will be able to have a job within your home state. You don't not need to go interstate. You don't need to go overseas to have a high-quality, highly paid and highly effective job here in South Australia.' As I said, for me as a regional leader, that is truly exciting.

The space industry is in its early stages, but the opportunities for regional South Australia and especially on the West Coast are certainly front and centre for us as a state at the moment. That is why we need to get the arrangements right. We need to make sure that the technology is right for the location. We need to make sure that the plans that are put in place—the platforms, the foundations for this industry—are done well and done with an eye to the next decades to come because this can be an industry that can be a mainstay for regional South Australia if we do it well as a state and the right decisions are made, especially at government level.

I have had conversations with Lloyd Damp, who is a man with an incredible passion not just for the space industry but for regional South Australia. The work they are doing not only at Koonibba but also down at Whalers Way at Port Lincoln has recently been given attention. It is looking at an opportunity that is unique for those areas in particular. I know from conversations with some of those who are looking closely at what we are doing in South Australia that there is opportunity for even more investment into this industry.

As has been briefly touched upon by some of the previous speakers, it does open up opportunities for existing industries if we can get some of the manufacturing and technology right in this space at the moment. I think of agricultural technologies, which are continually developing. I have done my stint for a couple of decades on the land in agriculture and I have seen how far technological changes have come just in my short tenure. I know that I can get into my tractor and it can be steered automatically within a two-centimetre differential in paddocks that are not nice big square paddocks. They often have some undulating areas and some interactions with some interesting environment. Even in some of the more far-flung areas of our state, we can have the opportunity for this sort of agtech.

That is why the productivity of our agricultural industry in the last 10 or 20 years has gone from strength to strength. The crops being produced around Australia, the numbers continue to rise. The land does not get any bigger: it is the productivity within the existing land that continues to grow. This is why we as a state have a particular interest and need to have a real eye on the opportunities for our agtech because, with these sorts of productivity opportunities, farmers can maximise their economic potential, and those farmers are within regional areas of the state.

It means that that productivity can then be reflected back in making their livability better within their regional towns and centres, making sure that it is actually a sustainable industry. As I said, the advances within agricultural technology over the last 10 or 20 years have been immense, but I think the J-curve, as the tech changes and develops even more, is going to be incredibly exciting. I seek leave to continue my remarks.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.

Sitting suspended from 12:59 to 14:00.

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