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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-06-26 Daily Xml
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Jetties

Mr McBRIDE (MacKillop) (14:24): My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure. Will the government provide extra financial assistance to councils whose jetties have been badly damaged during recent storms? With your leave, Mr Speaker, and the leave of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr McBRIDE: Two days ago, the jetties at both Robe and Kingston in my electorate were partially destroyed by storms. The $20 million Jetties Renewal Program, even with the additional $5 million, isn't enough to maintain or fix these structures.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:24): Well, no doubt they were insured. Surely councils insure against storm damage? What council wouldn't insure against storm damage? My house is insured for storm damage. I am sure that councils would insure critical infrastructure for storm damage. No doubt, prudent mayors would do basic remedial maintenance on council infrastructure and keep their jetties fit for purpose and insure them for storm damage.

Any mayor who is in charge of any council who didn't do basic remedial management of key infrastructure would be considered to be perhaps not keeping the financial interests of their constituents at heart, given how important regional infrastructure is.

Mr Brown: It's negligent.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Yes, it could be described that way, member for Playford.

An honourable member: Florey.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Florey.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: They have chosen the wrong assistant minister to pick on—they have chosen the wrong one. There were a series of intense cold fronts that extended from the west of the state bringing rainfall and strong gale-force wind and gusts measuring in excess of 100 km/h at several locations across the state. Marine infrastructure can only withstand so much, and we accept that. When there is unforeseen marine infrastructure damage, the state will help. But there is an agreement in place, a contract as it were with the public, that councils who have this marine infrastructure in their care and control do regular maintenance, and that regular maintenance is critical.

If you maintain your infrastructure regularly, it can be easier to repair when there are unforeseen circumstances that hit it, like extreme weather conditions. So I would say to the members of this house that every single state-owned jetty is insured for storm damage. If that storm creates damage, the councils have up to $10,000 worth of excess—as it were—damage; the state, up to $100,000; and the relating damage is done by our insurance. What would risk that insurance policy is councils that have not maintained their jetties, councils that it can be shown and proven not to have done the regular maintenance that's required on their jetties.

That type of behaviour would rule one out from public office I would have thought—especially high office—if people wanted to seek office in, for example, the Treasury benches. If you were mayor of a jurisdiction and you had the care and control—

Mr Telfer interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Mate, listen—

Mr Brown: Don't identify yourself.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Don't identify yourself. Listen to your lawyer and keep your mouth shut. I would be very quiet here. The first thing is, just like the guy you watch—what's his name?—Tucker Carlson, right? The Fifth Amendment: the right to remain silent—you have the right to remain silent. If I were you, don't make any admissions.

Mr Telfer: What's this got to do with Kingston and Robe?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Don't make any admissions.

Mr Telfer: What's this got to do with Kingston and Robe?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: No, no—I am telling you, as a friend: keep your mouth quiet; as a mate—zip it.

Mr Telfer interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: If I were you I would just zip it, because they take notes in these interviews, right, and all of a sudden you are in court and the—

The SPEAKER: Member for Giles.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Oh, my time has expired, sir.

The SPEAKER: Member for Giles, you have the call.

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