Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-10-30 Daily Xml

Contents

Question Time

ROYAL ADELAIDE HOSPITAL

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:27): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Urban Development and Planning a question about the master plan for the existing Royal Adelaide Hospital site.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: On Tuesday 29 April of this year I asked the minister a question about the existing Royal Adelaide Hospital site and, in particular, I advised him that sources within Planning SA had advised me that Woodhead, an international architecture and design firm, had been engaged to undertake some planning work for the government at the RAH site. The minister, at that time, was unable or unwilling to confirm that; however, earlier this week, I received an answer to a question from the minister that Woodhead is providing master planning services for this project. Given that the government's commitment was to return the site to parklands, as Minister for Urban Development and Planning, has the minister been briefed on the master plan for the existing Royal Adelaide Hospital site?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (14:28): As I understand it, the master plan is being conducted through my colleague the Minister for Health. Obviously, the Royal Adelaide Hospital will continue in operation for some time yet even though we hope to have work under way for the new, much-needed Marjorie Jackson-Nelson hospital within the next 12 to 18 months or so. It will be some time before that will be completed. Clearly—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: You have no idea what is happening then. You are the Minister for Urban Development and Planning and you have no idea.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: I am sure that the Royal Adelaide Hospital will continue to be used as a hospital for a significant time yet, so it is important that my colleague—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: The point is that, if it is being used as a hospital, it is just logical that the Minister for Health would be responsible for the master plan.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Yes, indeed, I am. Don't you think that master planning, since it is largely about a hospital site, would be looked at by him? It is the health agency which will need to determine exactly which buildings it will require according to which time frames. Quite appropriately and logically, that is where those studies should lie.