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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-09-08 Daily Xml
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Question Time

ROYAL ADELAIDE HOSPITAL

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:35): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Leader of the Government a question about the location of the new Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: On 2 June this year, I asked the question: did the minister or any other member of the government seek advice on the location of the hospital from any of the three Thinkers in Residence or any other urban design practitioners? The minister was unable to give an answer and referred the question to the Minister for Health.

We have since learned that part of the land for the proposed Royal Adelaide Hospital is not owned or controlled by the government. In fact, 1.2 hectares of the site is owned by the Adelaide City Council, notwithstanding that there have been many trees removed from this land by the government. A recent Adelaide Parklands Authority meeting resolved to recommend to council not to give up control of that land to the government.

On 2 June, in response to a supplementary question relating to the location and the decision that was made, the minister said, 'Obviously, these are decisions of cabinet.' In light of that, my question to the minister is: can he, as a senior member of cabinet, explain how cabinet can sign off on a $1.7 billion project committing South Australians to at least four decades of public private partnership payments on land that the government does not control?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (14:36): My understanding is that the government proposes to beautify that particular strip of the Parklands to make it an appropriate entrance to what should be one of the best hospitals in the world. I suggest that honourable members go to the Royal Adelaide Show and have a look at the sorts of facilities that will be available at the new hospital. They are the sorts of things that you can provide if you build a new hospital, rather than try to renovate a 40 year old building, which is not only more costly but you cannot get—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: Not renovate, rebuild.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Rebuild; yes. Mind you, you can actually build a new one without all the inconvenience you would have if you are trying to operate on a building site. As I understand it, there is more than adequate land available on that particular site for the hospital. I believe the government is trying to achieve a sensible resolution with the council, as would befit such a major new facility. The little strip of land along there is deserving of such a major new facility—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: If anything is arrogant it is the opposition seeking to hold it up. In which other part of the world would you have an opposition campaigning against a major hospital?

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: Wanting to save money.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Well, the thing is that it will not even do that. What will happen is that it will take a lot longer and provide inferior services. Why is it that in other parts of the world you can build a new hospital? What is it that members opposite do not get about this new facility? If the council wishes to play games and do the bidding of the opposition on this, then I guess it will.

What I would have thought would be a better outcome for everybody—in particular the people of South Australia—would be if we could come to some arrangement with the council so that that particular strip in front of the hospital can be landscaped in a fitting manner. It is my understanding that members opposite, certainly in relation to other parts of the Parklands, had a policy of wanting to take control of the Parklands. That was their policy in respect of the old Victoria Park racecourse site a few years ago. So, if there is a change of policy on this matter then perhaps the opposition should tell us what its policy is relating to the Parklands.

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