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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-08-19 Daily Xml
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Condolence

Goldsworthy, Hon. E.R.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:04): By leave, I move:

That the House of Assembly expresses its deep regret at the death of Mr Eric Roger Goldsworthy AO, former member of the House of Assembly, and places on record its appreciation of his meritorious service, and that as a mark of respect to his memory the sitting of the house be suspended until the ringing of the bells.

I rise to pay tribute to Eric Roger Goldsworthy AO, former member for Kavel who passed away on 1 July at the age of 95. Everyone’s path to political service is deeply and uniquely personal, but there is one thing which I believe unites all who serve in these chambers, and that is that we might leave having made our own mark on our great state. In most cases, that mark is metaphorical at best. In the case of Roger Goldsworthy, however, it is a mark which literally is visible from space—via satellites at least, anyway.

Eric Roger Goldsworthy was born in Lameroo and never lost his connection with regional South Australia and the people who lived and worked the land. He trained as a teacher but initially found that the work was not sufficiently appropriate for him so he returned to farming, heading to the Adelaide Hills to create what eventually became the largest chestnut farm in the Southern Hemisphere. This became the family home for Roger, his wife Lyn, and then to their three children Carolyn, Mark and Rhys.

Roger supported the growing Goldsworthy family with a return to teaching at Gilles Plains High School, but plans for yet another career reinvention were swiftly taking shape. Drawing inspiration from Thomas Playford, another Hills farmer who went on to make an indelible mark on South Australia, Roger chose to enter politics. After previous tilts for the seat of Barossa under the Liberal and Country League banner, Roger became the first member for the new seat of Kavel in 1970, a seat he was to hold through seven elections, for an impressive 22 consecutive years.

As member for Kavel, Roger also proudly served as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party for 15 years, taking the record as the longest-serving Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party anywhere in Australia. As Deputy Premier in the cabinet of David Tonkin, following the Liberal’s landslide victory of 1979, Roger also took on the portfolio of Minister for Mines. This was a crucial portfolio at a pivotal moment in the state’s development, and Roger deserves to be remembered for his leadership in putting our state’s resources sector on its modern trajectory, one that has uplifted our state’s economy and contributed to the prosperity of our people substantially ever since.

He was one to first realise the incredible potential of our mineral wealth and of the urgency of developing the extraordinary bounty discovered in the state’s Far North. At the time, the Tonkin government faced strong opposition to any expansion of the number of mining operations in the state, and especially any proposal that included the mining of uranium. However, thanks to Roger’s diligence, determination, and sheer single-mindedness, and an eleventh hour indenture agreement with Western Mining Corporation Resources and BP, Olympic Dam was created. I do not need to tell anyone in this place how that has been a game-changing asset. Olympic Dam has been for our state, the nation and the world, an incredibly important resource.

Furthermore, a condition of the Olympic Dam indenture was the formation of a town to service the facility. Roger, demonstrating his characteristic passion for regional development, had argued—and correctly—that a well-resourced local centre would also provide greater economic and regional benefit over the mine’s considerable life span than would otherwise be possible if it was just a typical fly-in fly-out system. Roxby Downs remains living testament to Roger Goldsworthy’s foresight today.

As Minister for Mining, Roger also established the Cooper Basin Liquids Project, a site which remains the nation's largest onshore oil and LPG resource. Our state genuinely owes a great debt to the minister for his wisdom and determination in getting the deals done. The mere fact that my colleague the Hon. Tom Koutsantonis, who himself aspires to be an active and progressive minister for mining, has acknowledged that 'Roger probably is the best ever mining minister of the state' says a lot, and certainly indicates the degree of respect afforded to him from across the aisle.

Roger stepped down as the member for Kavel in 1992, passing the baton to the returning John Olsen, but the Goldsworthy political dynasty continued, with Mark subsequently being elected as the member for Kavel from 2002 to 2018—and I acknowledge his presence here today as well.

In retirement, Roger continued to serve the state as a member of the Resources Industry Development Board, among other expert roles. He was appointed to the Order of Australia appropriately in 1997 and inducted into the Energy Hall of Fame in 2017. Retirement also provided the opportunity for Roger to focus on his other great loves of music, particularly singing, his unshakable Christian faith and service, and his precious family: his beloved Lyn, with whom he shared 73 amazing years of marriage—an extraordinary achievement—and his children, his grandchildren and even one very besotted great-granddaughter.

We offer our sincere condolences to all of Roger's loved ones, and I move that this motion be commended to the house.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Leader of the Opposition) (14:11): I also rise today to support the condolence motion in recognition of the Hon. Eric Roger Goldsworthy AO. Best known as 'Roger', Mr Goldsworthy was born in July 1929 in Lameroo within our state. He was a conservative country man who lost his parents at an early age. Intelligence and hard work saw Roger graduate from the University of Adelaide with a Diploma in Teaching. He also studied physics, chemistry, maths and geology. Roger worked as an inspiring high school teacher and was an apt farmer.

At the age of 22, Roger married the love of his life, Ms Lynette Chapman. Described as soul mates, Roger and Lyn were always loyal and supportive to one another. They lived in their rural home of Paracombe where, together, they raised three beautiful children: Carolyn, Rhys and Mark (with whom I was pleased to serve in this house). Roger and Lyn have been commended for their parenting and told they have every reason to be proud of the successful and decent people their kids grew up to become.

In 1968, Roger ran for the seat of Barossa but was unsuccessful in winning it back for the Liberal and Country League during this term. In 1969 the seat of Kavel was created, and Roger was encouraged by a friend at church to run for preselection. At the time, there were two strong candidates and one other. The first vote for preselection was Goldsworthy 30, Giles 30 and three for the other candidate. On the second vote, Goldsworthy won preselection by one vote. As they say, politics is a game of inches. In the 1970 state election, Roger went on to win Kavel with a large majority, which he would do again seven more times—a testament to his work ethic and his effectiveness as a local MP.

Roger spent much of his early political life carefully and quietly expanding his knowledge of parliamentary procedure, state finances and the economy. He would go on to become deputy leader in 1975, a position of leadership he would hold for almost 15 years—a credit to the confidence that his colleagues had in him. This saw Roger assume the position of Deputy Premier when the Tonkin Liberal government took office in 1979. Goldsworthy was appointed Minister for Mines and Energy, Services and Supply, leaning on the strengths of his education background and his interest in the portfolio's significance for the development of our state.

Roger's understanding of state finances that he had honed early in his political life was put to good use when he was also appointed chairman of a committee of ministers who were given the role of controlling spending to ensure every budget was within surplus. Roger was respected within this role, but it was his role as Minister for Mines and Energy that truly brought him enduring respect over his career.

He was a passionate believer that our mining resources, including South Australian uranium, should be available to suitable customers. He had the foresight, the courage, the conviction and the understanding of the potential that our state held in this regard. It was Roger's careful leadership that led to the Liberal government establishing Olympic Dam at Roxby Downs. While there was a lot of public criticism around the project, it was Roger's responsibility to ensure that the project happened successfully.

Olympic Dam held copper, gold and uranium, but there was no essential infrastructure effectively to enable the mine so it took tough negotiations that were had to settle the state government's contributions and return to activate the project. Over the months of work to follow, Roger faced many roadblocks both inside and outside his party, but his steady hand allowed the government to overcome each one, leading to the passing of necessary legislation through the parliament for the establishment of the mine.

The jobs and prosperity that have been created for the people of our state ever since will forever be marked in our state's history and in turn cements Roger's legacy as a man who contributed genuinely to the advancement of our state's economy. Roger's personal efforts in completing this project actually earned him his induction into the Australian Institute of Energy Hall of Fame in 2017.

In 1992, Roger retired as the member for Kavel and John Olsen took his place. When John Olsen retired in 2002, Roger's son—I am proud to say a former colleague of mine and of many in this place—Mark Goldsworthy, ran for the seat. The story was recently shared with me that it was during Mark's campaign that Roger and Lyn became actively involved again, with Roger in particular becoming quite nervous. On the day before the election, Roger's nerves were so bad that Lyn sent him out to get a haircut. Of course, the aim was to get him away from the campaign office, but she told him he should go to look good in the photos that would be taken the next day!

Anyone who knew Roger knew that he had a head of lovely curly hair, but when he returned from his haircut, nobody could keep from laughing at the worst haircut he had perhaps ever received coming at that awful time. The bowl cut made for an extraordinary story and long-lasting joke between Roger and his friends.

Roger was respected on both sides of the house when he was in parliament and loved by so many in every aspect of his life. It was truly an honour to attend his funeral and to see so many of his friends and family who held him so dear. He was a true gentleman with a wonderful sense of humour. On behalf of the opposition, I pass on our condolences to Roger's children, grandchildren and great grandchildren as well. May he rest in peace.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:17): South Australia has lost a giant. Roger Goldsworthy is probably not a household name; however, he should be. His contribution to the people of South Australia as a former minister for mines and energy and as a former deputy premier in the Tonkin Liberal government, in my view, is the finest demonstration of a mining minister this state has ever had.

Roger was a man of rare foresight and conviction. In an era when it was deeply unpopular he championed uranium mining in South Australia, not for political convenience but because he believed in the economic future of this state and what mining of Olympic Dam could deliver for generations of South Australians. He was right then and he is right now. For those of us who opposed him at that time, including my party, we were wrong and it is, I believe, to our great shame. It is important that we say that.

Roger championed the Roxby Downs indenture bill through the South Australian parliament, a bill that baked in an additional expenditure of $50 million in 1981 by Western Mining, who had already budgeted to spend $50 million, taking it to a total $100 million prefeasibility study. In today's dollar, according to the Reserve Bank inflation calculator, that is close to half a billion dollars of expenditure in South Australia. At that time, no other project in Australia had required an expenditure in excess of $100 million in the prefeasibility stage, not even anything on the North West Shelf. The bill gave the regulatory certainty necessary to facilitate such a prefeasibility investment.

That decision has allowed BHP, which is there today, the custodians of that South Australian resource, to spend $10 billion in his lifetime purchasing assets alongside Olympic Dam in order to expand South Australia into a copper province, not just a copper mine. Back then, South Australia's mining royalties were $8 million, and the project—that one project—promised to increase this by $30 million per year. It promised to employ up to 3,000 people at a time at the mine site, and it promised to establish the Roxby Downs township.

Thanks to Roger's leadership and determination, South Australia became home to Olympic Dam, the largest mining operation in the world, employing today about 8,000 people. What people might not know is, in terms of operational expenditure, it exceeds the joint venture in the Cooper Basin each and every year in its expenditure. It is the cornerstone of private investment in our economy. This achievement alone—this achievement alone—marks Roger in the annals of South Australia's history as probably one of our greatest parliamentarians.

But this is beyond just uranium. He played another pivotal role in making South Australia the largest exporter of onshore oil in the country, with the construction of the Moomba to Stony Point liquids pipeline, a nation-building project that helped transform South Australia's energy landscape. His support for the development of Stony Point and the processing facility at Port Bonython lay the foundation for South Australia's participation in the national oil and gas industry. That infrastructure today still remains critical, it is vital, and it contributes each and every day to the energy exports in our domestic security, something, again, that Roger deserves credit for.

Whether it was mining, gas or energy policy more broadly, Roger Goldsworthy understood the importance of sovereign capability, of value-adding and long-term infrastructure investment. His insistence, through the Olympic Dam indenture, that copper be smelted here in South Australia, that decision alone, to add complexity to our economy by having a smelter rather than an export facility, has fundamentally changed the way we view our entire economic outlook in this state. There is nothing wrong with exporting ores to other countries to be processed. Western Australia do an exceptional job of it, but what Roger ensured in this state is that we would add value here. That is a remarkable achievement. Think, at the time, how much easier it would have been to process that ore somewhere else.

Under his stewardship South Australia ascended as a globally respected mining and energy jurisdiction. The state Drill Core Library at Tonsley fittingly includes the Goldsworthy Room, named in honour of his vision and service. Beyond politics and policy, he was a generous mentor, a principled advocate. He was decent, he was honest, and I was one of those lucky enough to have met him and known him. He was warm, he was thoughtful and he was always generous with his time. No doubt he was partisan, as we all are, and so we should be, but he was always happy to give his advice.

South Australia is a better, stronger and more resilient state because Roger Goldsworthy served in this parliament. We are a stronger and better place because Premier Tonkin had the good foresight to put this man in charge of this very important industry. I am very sad at his passing. I wish his family, especially Mark, who I know the best of the family, but obviously Lyn and Carolyn and Rhys, all the very best in their commemoration of their late father. There must be a unique pride in knowing that their husband, their father, had done so much to grow this state. This man has earned the title of nation builder. We will look back 50 years from now at what BHP are doing in the copper province of South Australia, and generations will look back thankfully, that there were people like Roger Goldsworthy who served in this house. God rest him and God comfort those who loved him.

Mr TEAGUE (Heysen—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:24): The order of service for the funeral of the Hon. Eric Roger Goldsworthy AO on 11 July said it well. Roger was a giant of South Australian politics and played the key role in ensuring the development of the Olympic Dam Roxby Downs uranium, copper and gold mine, which has sustained the South Australian economy for the past 40 years.

That he was a giant of South Australian politics sells it somewhat short—he was a giant of South Australia. I acknowledge, in particular, Lyn, Carolyn, Rhys and Mark for your presence here with us today. I am particularly thoughtful that Lyn for so many years met weekly with my grandmother—with Nana—and they would share a morning tea together in retirement and it was marvellous to be together at Roger's funeral just a few weeks ago. I want to recognise, along with so many of my colleagues, present and past on this side of the house, the presence of the Deputy Premier and the Minister for Education at that state service, and I extend thanks to the government for providing that on behalf of the family.

To Lyn, you were married for 73 years and Roger is celebrated as a giant of the state, and he did it right alongside you for those 73 years. That in itself is an extraordinary achievement, and as one who comes to a parliament as a son of a father, I think it is one of the great tributes that can be paid to a father that inspires another generation and, Mark, I recognise you in particular for your service as the member for Kavel for so many years subsequent to Roger.

I want to say a few more words, in particular, about Roger's towering achievement as minister for mining during the Tonkin government from 1979 to 1982. The high watermark, of course, was in 1982 on the passage of that critical legislation, the battle for which was one of such towering achievement that we would do well to stay and reflect on it. It took much more than vision. It took a dedication to wrestle with the parliament of the state, lots of prevailing sentiment that was abiding for years at the time, and I will just reflect on that in some detail.

But it wasn't a flourish, and I commend to members a contribution that Roger made to the parliament in late 1980, having returned from overseas travel. This is just a short part of that succinct contribution he made in the house on 25 November 1980. He said that he had been meeting with government officials and industry in Canada, Britain, Sweden, Holland, France and Japan and he also visited Hong Kong and Israel on that journey. Amongst other observations, he said:

I have obtained valuable information which will assist the government in its consideration of issues, including the development and processing of our uranium resources, exploration for hydrocarbon resources and further development of existing resources, and future use of coal for power generation and renewable energy resource technology, especially in solar energy and electric vehicles.

That is in November 1980. He was truly visionary, practical and dedicated towards the task of achieving the improvement that was, in part, inspired by those inquiries, even early in the period of his time as minister. On this occasion, I will make a rare extended reference to A History of the Liberal Party, written by Baden Teague. He addresses the establishment of the mine at Roxby Downs in the following terms:

The massive mine at Roxby Downs could only have been established by a skilled and determined Liberal Government. The Liberals went to the '79 Election with a policy to develop Roxby Downs, at a time when all their political opponents and every environmental group in Australia were vehemently opposed to any form of uranium mining. Labor opposed it at every stage of the debate in Parliament. Most of the Unions opposed it. Mike Rann was a staff advisor to Labor Leader Bannon and strongly anti-uranium, who publicly boasted that Roxby Downs was just 'a mirage in the desert.'

Roger Goldsworthy, Liberal Deputy Premier, as the Minister for Mines and Energy, rightly regarded this win for Roxby's approval by Parliament as his finest hour. This Olympic Dam copper, gold and uranium mine was to be a free enterprise mining development but it was necessary, before private investment could begin, to have Parliamentary approval to guarantee the Indenture, to sign the contract for the terms under which the mine would function and to agree on the royalties payable to the SA public for the minerals extracted.

As the Minister for Mining has already addressed.

There was no doubt about the extraordinary size of the Roxby Downs mineral deposit. It had been discovered in 1975 following world-leading geological work led by Dr Roy Woodall AO, the chief geologist of Western Mining Corporation…It was reliably estimated to contain the fourth-largest copper deposit in the world, the fifth-largest gold deposit in the world and by far the largest uranium deposit in the world. The trouble was though, that these minerals were 300 metres underground and located in a desert, 580kms north of Adelaide, with no infrastructure, no utilities and no services. To establish roads, electricity, water supply, and housing let alone community services, would cost one billion dollars. The mining company, of course, negotiated to maximise the government's contribution, but the government knew that it could only afford to pay for the school, the hospital, local roads and a police station, which it would normally be called upon to provide in the establishment any new township.

The negotiations for the Indenture Agreement involved not only getting the agreement of the mining company to pay the normal royalty applying under the Mining Act, but also to pay a second-tier, profit-related royalty to ensure that the public received a fair return from the anticipated mineral wealth. This 'fair return' was politically essential in order to convince the public that this venture was in their interest. More than a dozen such issues were raised and negotiated by expert teams over many months in 1980-82.

It was something that took place over the bulk of the Tonkin government's period.

The pressure to agree on the details of the Indenture mounted and became even more intense when it became clear in early 1982 that, if the Indenture Bill failed to pass Parliament by 30 June, there could be no second attempt. WMC's partner, British Petroleum (BP), was already losing patience with the whole venture and threatened to pull out forever.

At the same time, there was another kind of pressure that had to be dealt with. This was from the constant and ferocious pressure arising from Labor's platform-ban on uranium mining and its deliberate scare campaigns to foster fear in the public mind of the perceived dangers of uranium radiation, of the health risks to employees and, at worst, the potential diversion of uranium from providing fuel for energy production to making destructive bombs. All these challenges were confronted by the Liberal Government—

led by Roger, sustained over years—

which responded with rational arguments and scientific facts. The scare campaigns of Labor and the Unions went on to infect the media, the parliamentary committee inquiries, and the constant parliamentary debates. At one stage, Minister Goldsworthy had to stare down a false Report on radiation dangers that had come from a Labor-influenced section in the SA Health Department, until experts both from Australia and overseas examined it and found it to be unsound and its conclusions false. Even sections of the Mines Department for a time obstructed their own Minister's negotiations about the royalties, because these public servants genuinely believed that the Minister's proposed high rates in the second royalty might deter private mineral exploration in the future. However, Minister Goldsworthy, fully supported by the Tonkin Liberal Government, withstood all these pressures and distractions. The Liberals pressed on.

The final battle for Roxby could only be won by 'getting the numbers' [on the floor of] parliament. The House debate would not be a problem because the Government had the numbers there, but in the Council the Liberals would be defeated by one vote if the Labor and Democrat Councillors voted together against the Indenture Bill. Everyone was aware of the issues and everyone was aware of the numbers. After full consideration, all seemed lost when the Bill was put and the Council defeated it. However, the next day, one of the Labor Councillors, Norm Foster MLC, had serious misgivings about the outcome. He was the one member of the Labor opposition who had most actively researched the matter; he had visited Roxby, he had been involved in the Parliamentary Committee Inquiry, and he understood the potential of this mine to bring employment and genuine, long-term prosperity to the State and people. Foster had met with the preliminary workers at Roxby and he knew that they would lose their jobs if the mine failed to go ahead; and he had never taken any action that would take away jobs from workers. He informed Minister Goldsworthy about his change of mind and Goldsworthy acted with immediate urgency. He used the recommittal procedure in the Council to have a second vote on the Bill. With lots of drama, Foster conscientiously swapped sides and, on 19 June 1982, the Bill was passed.

This was how Roxby began. The mine was soon fully established and by the end of its first year of operation there were 1,200 jobs on site and another 4,000 jobs supporting the mine. The initial revenue to the state was $30 million pa and this has greatly increased since. Importantly, the mine is returning a profit to the Mining company and to its shareholders who provided the development capital. For over thirty years, from first production in 1988, it has provided employment and prosperity to the people of South Australia. Only a Liberal Government could have achieved this complex development.

Finally, to go on to that moment in 1982:

The journalist, Matt Abraham, published a report of events when the Roxby legislation was finally passed. He wrote, "The Liberal Government finally let its hair down late yesterday afternoon to celebrate the Roxby Downs go-ahead. Norm Foster had taken the longest walk of his life to cross the Legislative Council floor to let the Bill pass. The Liberal party room was crowded and the scene was one of absolute, untainted, almost child-like elation. It is hard to imagine politicians being any happier, even after an election victory. The curly-haired Roger Goldsworthy was standing on a chair looking like he wanted to have a darn good cry as the off-key strains of 'for he's a jolly good fellow' rang about his ears. A bleary-eyed flush-faced Premier nodded in agreement as his Deputy thanked all those who had worked towards this outcome. This unbridled release of emotion came at the end of an electric day. Tingles ran up my spine."

I thank the house for bearing with me for what was an extended quote that I hope captures the spirit, energy and dedication that it took for Roger to achieve that outcome in that era, which I think was appropriately summed up, as I said at the outset, in the form of the order of service. That alone rendered him a giant of our state. His legacy continues to this day and, indeed, as the Minister for Mining has observed, will continue for many decades to come.

I do briefly want to acknowledge, in what we all recognise was a period of extended service to this parliament as the member for Kavel since 1970, his extended service to both the opposition and the government, to the Liberal Party, as deputy leader. It is a point not lost on me at this time, and while I could not for a moment look to emulate that record-breaking achievement as deputy leader of our party, his service in that role and his demonstrated commitment to unity and our capacity to do great things in government stands as a testament and an example to all of us who serve as members of a party of government and as members of parliament. His service was exemplary in that regard and his towering achievements for the state of South Australia will never be forgotten. May he rest in peace.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (14:39): It is with pride that I speak to this condolence motion for the Hon. Eric Roger Goldsworthy AO. Roger Goldsworthy was the Deputy Premier during the Tonkin Liberal government from 1979 to 1982. During this time he was also the Minister for Mines and Energy, playing a crucial role in the establishment of the Olympic Dam mine in Roxby Downs and the Cooper Basin Liquids Scheme. He was the longest serving deputy leader of the Liberal Party in Australia.

As Minister for Mines and Energy, Goldsworthy was involved in the establishment of the Olympic Dam mine and the Cooper Basin Liquids Scheme. The liquids project involved an expansion of facilities in the Cooper Basin, the building of a 660-kilometre pipeline from Moomba to what is now Port Bonython near Whyalla, and the construction of a treatment plant at Port Bonython. The products of the Port Bonython plant included condensate and crude oil for domestic consumption, and LPG for both domestic consumption and export.

The Stony Point (Liquids Project) Ratification Bill was enacted in 1981 and construction of the necessary facilities began in the same year. Shipments from the Port Bonython plant commenced in 1983. Just as an aside, I was working in the Cooper Basin around Moomba and elsewhere in those years of 1982 and 1983 and saw the construction of the extended plant at Moomba and obviously the pipeline connecting through to Port Bonython.

A key issue for the Tonkin government, when it came to power in 1979, was the prospect of developing the state's extensive uranium resources, in particular the recently discovered deposit at Roxby Downs, which also included significant quantities of copper, gold and silver. The government committed itself to securing this development, with Roger Goldsworthy as Minister for Mines and Energy given total responsibility for realising this goal, both in terms of policy direction for negotiations and both political and parliamentary debate regarding the project. An indenture agreement was negotiated with the joint venture companies and the Roxby Downs (Indenture Ratification) Bill was enacted in June 1982 in the face of extreme political opposition to the development. The Roxby Downs project has produced enormous benefits for South Australia in the period since the commencement of mining operations in 1988.

An interview with Roger Goldsworthy regarding the sale of South Australian uranium formed part of the 1981 documentary Backs to the Blast: an Australian nuclear story. To quote Roger Goldsworthy:

We're living in the real world, and countries like Canada, France, Britain, Sweden, Japan, all of which we visited, are committed to an increasing nuclear program. In fact, I believe we have a moral obligation to supply energy to an energy-hungry world and there is no other option.

I quote Roger from Parliamentary Debates in the House of Assembly on 20 February 1980:

In these circumstances, to make our uranium available to suitable customers under appropriate controls is the only responsible approach. Not to do so would be to deny a source of energy to countries which have no option available except the nuclear option for a significant part of their power generating capacity at present and in the future, and to condemn them to economic depression. This would surely be disastrous for the Western world and developing countries and cause greatly increased hardship and suffering. To use Bob Hawke's words, all we will be doing is making energy scarcer and dearer to those we should be supporting. I commend our policy to the House.

Other achievements—and some of these have already been quoted—are the establishment of the South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy, chair of the Gawler Craton Infrastructure study for the commonwealth government, and a member of the Resources Task Force set up by the South Australian government to revive the mining industry in South Australia. Achievements outside of politics include being a member of the University of Adelaide Council 1970-73, a member of the Resources Industry Development Board, and a member of the South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy.

The Hon. Eric Roger Goldsworthy was awarded Officer in the Order of Australia for service to politics, to the parliament of South Australia and to the community on 26 January 1997 as part of the Australia Day 1997 Honours List. The Hon. Roger Goldsworthy AO was inducted into the Australian Institute of Energy Hall of Fame in 2017. He was awarded this honour for his work as the Minister for Mines and Energy from 1979 to 1982 and his significant contribution to the development of appropriate energy policies and the state's energy resources.

I just want to make a couple of other comments in relation to Roxby Downs. It has long been known as 'North Kimba' in relation to the amount of farmers from the West Coast who went north to work at Roxby Downs. Roxby Downs has provided much needed employment for people right across the state. In fact, my son works up there from time to time as a mechanical engineer with Redpath Mining. It has provided tens and tens of thousands of jobs and political stability for many, many South Australians and others who fly into this state to work at Olympic Dam.

I just want to reflect on a speech by the former member for Kavel, Mark Goldsworthy. I might get a bit emotional, but anyway we will see how we go. It was quite an emotional speech and it did, as it is now, affect me. This shows the dynamics of the debate and the heat of the debate during getting Roxby established. Part of the speech that Mark gave in this house was about a Christmas lunch where Roger had to leave the table because the media pack was on the driveway. I thought that that is service to the community when you have to front the media on your driveway while you are having your Christmas lunch. That shows the detail of the man and his support for not just this state but this great country.

We have heard all the other things that had to happen to get this legislation approved in this parliament, but that was truly a moving speech that Mark gave in this house and that is only part of it. What a giant of a man and his contribution to the prosperity of the state. Vale, Roger Goldsworthy, and my sympathies to the family.

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN (Kavel) (14:47): The Premier has made remarks, the leader has made remarks, the minister has made remarks and the shadow minister has made remarks. What room is there for the local member? There is important room. Can I share these following three anecdotes with Roger Goldsworthy's family by way of comfort. We are all aware, when we come to this place, of the standing of our predecessors. That standing lives in our minds and, of course, we are aware of the contribution of our predecessors if they have been a minister of the Crown or served in some other way or had a very significant standing in the community prior to arrival.

We are also deeply conscious of the work of our predecessors as local members and the way in which they made quite often a very quiet contribution to their community. The work of a local member is often concealed. It is not revealed in this place necessarily or revealed properly until sometime later, for example the work of a member in the course of significant bushfires and Roger Goldsworthy was involved in that, in industry transitions where people's livelihoods are under threat and Roger Goldsworthy was involved in that, and at moments of great tragedy for individual families and Roger took a significant role in that.

A local member is tested in all of those circumstances, and in other circumstances. In a sense, it is a form of ministry, and Roger was particularly well equipped for that, not just because of his Christian faith and principles but also because of a deep humanity and compassion, a willingness to do more despite all the calling on his time, despite having a family and the necessary contribution that he had to make to that, to a marriage, to his friends, to all of the other pursuits he had been involved in, in a very lively way, prior to coming to parliament. He was able to discharge his responsibilities in each of those realms, but also to maintain considerable space and scope to be an excellent local member.

May I share with Lyn, Carolyn, Rhys and Mark, and other of his friends here today, and with the house, three anecdotes that were shared with me. Of course, it is not often the case that a new member is overwhelmed with stories of their predecessor, and they might come to those stories with perhaps a degree—I am not certain—of measurement, a measurement of themselves, first of all, as to whether they are going to be able to live up to that expectation and then, as a professional politician, viewing whether perhaps in their estimation their predecessor was an adequate local member.

Roger Goldsworthy was far more than an adequate local member: he was first and foremost a very sound local member which is, of course, what is required in regional communities, including the Adelaide Hills. He is remembered as somebody who was willing to do far more for a constituency than might be expected. There were three anecdotes that loom large in my mind and that I can recall to the house clearly and without notes.

The first occasion on which a number of constituents were eager to impress on me the standing in which they held Roger Goldsworthy was, of course, in the course of the Cudlee Creek bushfire when they remembered his work on Ash Wednesday and in other local disasters. They emphasised to me that this was a man of kindness, of depth, of intellect, and of compassion.

There are two other matters: the first regarding a lady who had gone on to become a significant academic in Australian university life. It perhaps will be unsurprising for me to relate to you that she took a very different view to Roger Goldsworthy in relation to the exploitation of uranium assets in this state. She had been deeply involved in moratorium movements in opposition to the war in Vietnam and also in relation to a number of other matters, including opposition to the war in Iraq.

It might be said that she was diametrically opposed politically to Roger. She said that she had confronted Roger in the street, expecting that he would seek to evade her and would not be willing to engage with her in terms of her deeply held philosophical perspectives and beliefs. It was the opposite: he had considerable time for her and was willing to hear her out. He understood the perspective that she put, and she felt that she had been not only heard but understood, and that she was able to engage with him intellectually. She had remembered it all her life. This was something that she felt politicians were not expected to do. In fact, her interaction with him had changed her perspective of what political leaders are capable of being and doing.

Finally, the anecdote that I wish to share with Mark and Lyn and Rhys is one in relation to a local constituent’s desire for citizenship and the belonging, of course, that comes with that, and the security—in the case of this particular constituent—and the lengths that Roger had gone to to ensure that certain papers that had been missing in the application might be recovered from the United Kingdom to serve her application and to ensure that she could be a citizen of Australia.

She had never forgotten it, her family had never forgotten the kindness, and she was prepared to speak for him then and there and to emphasise to me that I should live up to those standards as a local member and that, if I did not, she was surely going to judge me, and all of her family, too, who lived in the community, and they would remind me of it regularly. What else can be said has been said, and I wanted to share those remarks as the local member.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta) (14:54): I knew Roger Goldsworthy a little—I wish I had known him more. I had enormous regard for him, and I am fortunate to have had some insight through some of his children who I have the honour of calling my friends.

Roger Goldsworthy's career prior to politics was fairly distinguished as well. My mother-in-law was one of his students at Gilles Plains High School and had him for physics. She showed me a photo of her class recently. The leader had the story about the hair and, I tell you what, those photographs of that rich curly hair were memorable. She remembers him fondly.

He was a teacher, he was a father, he was a servant of the community, he was a friend to many and he was also a constituent of mine for several years. I first met him at Balmoral in Dernancourt for that period of time when that was in my seat. I subsequently also had the privilege of serving the community in Paracombe that he and his family added so much to that the member for Schubert now serves. The Goldsworthy name is indelible with those parts.

I remember when I visited Roger and Lyn at Balmoral being struck with the grace and the dignity with which he comported himself. He was a substantial figure of South Australian history and, as somebody who had been an MP for about four or five years at the time, I did not know much at all, certainly by comparison—but he had time, he had advice and he had interest.

At the funeral service the family offered substantial reflections, and they were incredibly good to hear. Richard Yeeles talked about the same topics that the Premier, the Leader of the Opposition, the minister and others have talked about: the most substantial minister for mining in South Australia's history and the impact of the work that he did against the tide and against common opinion at the time, which now has such a substantial impact on the way in which we all are able to live our lives, and the prosperity in which we find ourselves. They were important reflections.

I was struck by the reflections of David Cox who, despite having been a political opponent during the 1980s as an adviser in that field, despite having served the Labor Party in the federal parliament, became in later life an extraordinarily good friend of Roger Goldsworthy through the Friday lunchtime group at the naval and military club. I loved hearing about the ways in which Roger, David and their colleagues would solve the problems of the world right up until very recent times. To the age of 95, he was so interested in our state, our future, our community and with a perspective he was willing to share.

I am incredibly interested in, and think it is worth mentioning, his legacy as deputy leader of the Liberal Party, a role he took on in the 1970s at a time when the Liberal Party needed to be brought together. In becoming the deputy leader of the Liberal Party he served through our party our state with dignity, respect and a sense of servant leadership. The Minister for Mining talked about the way in which he pursued the Olympic Dam proposal against the tide, against potentially political interests, and I think it was that suppression of self, the suppression of one's own political interests that also was the hallmark of his term for 15 years as deputy leader of the Liberal Party. He put the party's interests and the interests of the leader of the times ahead of his own, and by doing so he served the state. That is a role model that all deputy leaders worth their merit should aspire to.

Having done the role for about two years and nine months, and having aspired to do so in the tradition of Roger Goldsworthy—who did it for five times longer—I particularly again reflect: Lyn, thank you for how you and Roger served the state in that way. I have to say it can be a tough job and he did it with grace, with dignity and with other people's interests at heart always. He was very proud of his children. I know the pride he had for Mark, whom we all know reasonably well, and I know how proud he was that Carolyn was awarded the OAM earlier this year. I know how interested he was and how proud he was of his children's service.

So to Carolyn, Mark, Rhys and, of course, Lyn; and to the grandchildren—Caitlin, Fraser, Zoe, Harry, Tom—and to Zara: there is much to be proud of. Roger Goldsworthy will not be forgotten for as long as this parliament stands.

The SPEAKER: Could members please rise so that the motion can be carried in the customary manner.

Motion carried by members standing in their places in silence.

Sitting suspended from 15:00 to 15:09.

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