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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-10-15 Daily Xml
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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AUSTRALIA

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (14:52): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Leader of the Government, representing the Minister for Regional Development, questions about Regional Development Australia.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: Members will be well aware that the Regional Development Australia process was commenced by the federal government and its state and territory counterparts in the middle of last year. Since then, the process of the amalgamation of regional development boards and area consultative committees in South Australia has been protracted.

Despite a number of untimely deadlines for the local government funding partners of regional development boards to agree and the subsequently hurried signing of the MOU with federal and state governments in late June, there has been no finalisation of the Regional Development Australia boards.

Regional development boards are concerned about losing experienced local staff who are not assured of a long-term future—a repeat of the situation two years ago, due to the long delays in the state government renewing resource agreements. My questions are:

1. When will the composition of the seven Regional Development Australia boards in South Australia be announced?

2. Is the minister concerned that regional development boards are losing valued senior staff members due to uncertainty in the sector resulting from this delay?

3. Will the minister ensure that the Regional Development Australia boards are established in time to enable the considered approval of a constitution before the deadline for ongoing RDA funding of 31 December this year?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (14:54): I will refer—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: —that question to the Minister for—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: —Regional Development in another place and bring back a reply. As the honourable member would be aware, the former premier (Rob Kerin) was assisting the government in relation to the consideration of new boundaries regarding the regional development areas. The aim of the new Regional Development Australia program would be to build on the federal government's Area Consultative Committees Program, with the new Regional Development Australia taking on a broader role to provide input into national programs, to improve the coordination of federal regional initiatives and to link closely with local government and other regional organisations.

As part of that process, as the honourable member would know, it was proposed that our state move from 13 regional development boards to seven and, of course, the five federal bodies, the area consultative committees (ACCs), and they would go back to the seven regional RDOs. I will get a report from my colleague in another place and bring back a response for the honourable member.

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