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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-09-10 Daily Xml
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GOVERNOR'S SPEECH

His Excellency the Governor, having been announced by the Black Rod, was received by the President at the bar of the council chamber and conducted by him to the chair. The Speaker and members of the House of Assembly having entered the chamber in obedience to his summons, His Excellency read his opening speech as follows:

Honourable Members of the Legislative Council and Members of the House of Assembly.

I have called you together for the dispatch of business.

I thank Lewis O’Brien, an elder of the Kaurna people, for his gracious 'welcome to country'.

I also want to acknowledge the Australian Defence Force Federation Guard, the body specially-formed to participate at major national ceremonial occasions, for its presence here today.

It is with sadness that we acknowledge the passing of two former Members since the Opening of the Second Session of the 51st Parliament.

In December last year, the Honourable Glen Broomhill—a former Minister and Member of the House of Assembly from 1965 to 1979—passed away.

And in January of this year, we noted the passing of Ernest Crimes, who was the Member for Spence from 1970 to 1975.

Honourable Members.

My Government proposes to continue its program to foster economic growth, prosperity and opportunity for South Australia.

It is committed to prudent financial management, a strong budget position and the retention of South Australia’s triple-A credit rating.

The goals and targets that are contained in the Government’s policy blueprint, South Australia’s Strategic Plan, underpin its legislative program.

The Government believes that the biggest challenge facing South Australia is the issue of water security.

The River Murray and the southern Murray-Darling Basin are experiencing the most severe drought in recorded history, and the outlook for water in-flows—according to the Murray-Darling Basin Commission—is of serious concern.

The Government is committed to a range of initiatives to manage this ongoing situation.

Having first raised concerns in 2002—with the then Prime Minister and State and Territory leaders—about the imminent danger facing the Murray-Darling system, my Government is continuing to play a significant role in ensuring that the River system is managed as a national asset.

The Council of Australian Governments reached a historic agreement earlier this year that will allow for sweeping reforms to the management of the Murray-Darling Basin system.

As a result, during this session the Government will introduce a legislative package that will enable reform of the governance arrangements for the management of the Basin, and will give effect to the Intergovernmental Agreement that was signed at the Council of Australian Governments meeting on 3 July this year.

Under that agreement, South Australia will refer its constitutional responsibility for water management in the River Murray to the Commonwealth.

Amendments to the Murray Darling Basin Act 1993 will be required to enable the management of the River Murray in South Australia by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.

As part of the Commonwealth Government’s reforms, it will invest $3.7 billion in its Water for the Future program to improve water efficiency through upgraded infrastructure and other projects.

The investment will return much-needed water in the medium to long-term to the ailing river system to improve environmental flows, including to the Lower Lakes and the Coorong.

The Commonwealth has allocated $3.1 billion to purchase over-allocated water licences, particularly in the upstream States.

My Government has been successful in urging the Commonwealth Government to accelerate the purchase of these licences, including the targeted purchase of large-scale, water-intensive irrigation properties in Queensland and New South Wales.

The $610 million that the Government secured from the Commonwealth’s Water for the Future package will be used for a program of infrastructure projects known as 'Murray Futures'.

That program will include the complete re-engineering of water infrastructure affecting the townships, communities and irrigators that draw water from the Lower Lakes.

A new integrated network of pipelines will be established, eliminating reliance on the Lower Lakes for potable and irrigation water.

And $200 million has been allocated for longer-term environmental improvements to the Lower Lakes to help secure their future.

The package also includes $80 million that is available for the purchase of water entitlements from willing sellers.

I’m advised that these measures in our State could result in savings of more than 100 gigalitres of water in the Murray-Darling system.

The Commonwealth Government is also undertaking the first comprehensive, detailed and externally reviewed audit of public and private water storages held in the Basin.

My Government is committed to making the largest infrastructure investment in the State’s history in order to secure South Australia’s water supply.

That investment includes the establishment of a 50-gigalitre desalination plant that will deliver up to a quarter of Adelaide’s water needs.

A pilot desalination plant that assesses filtration and pre-treatment technology has begun testing at Port Stanvac.

Investigations are continuing into opportunities to double the capacity of reservoirs in the Mount Lofty Ranges.

Projects are also underway to meet the Government’s target of increasing the percentage of wastewater and storm water that is re-used in South Australia.

A 30-kilometre pipeline will be established to carry treated wastewater from Glenelg for use in Adelaide’s CBD and parklands.

One of the major challenges confronting our nation and our planet is the issue of climate change, and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

My Government will continue to support renewable energy projects, such as the development of Australia’s largest off-grid solar power station to be built in Coober Pedy, and the installation of Australia’s largest rooftop solar panel array above the new Goyder Pavilion at the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds.

A significant majority of the national investment being made in the exploration and development of naturally-occurring geothermal, or 'hot rocks', energy projects is happening in South Australia.

The Government has reached sector agreements—through which it works with industry organisations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase energy efficiency—with the Wine Industry, the Local Government Association and the Property Council of Australia, and is pursuing additional agreements.

And it is implementing a four-year project to make commercial buildings in Adelaide’s CBD more energy efficient.

A Residential Energy Efficiency Scheme to come into effect at the start of next year will require South Australian gas and electricity retailers to offer financial and other incentives to households to adopt energy saving measures.

As well as reducing its own emissions by purchasing enough 'Green Power' to meet 20 per cent of its energy needs, the Government will continue to play an active role in the development of a national Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.

Through the Million Trees Program, a total of three million native plants will be planted throughout Adelaide to help improve the city’s carbon-absorbing capacity and to conserve our local biodiversity.

And Adelaide will become home to a new 'super greenhouse' – the Plant Accelerator – that will enable research to be conducted into helping the agricultural and horticultural industries adapt to some of the challenges posed by climate change.

To further protect our environment, the Government will introduce legislation to ban the supply of lightweight plastic shopping bags, with the prohibition to come into effect in May 2009.

It will also proclaim the outer boundaries of 19 marine parks in order to better protect and conserve the State’s marine environments.

My Government will continue its work to modernise and upgrade South Australia’s health infrastructure.

In addition to the new Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Hospital, a program of redevelopment is ongoing at Flinders Medical Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Women’s and Children’s Hospital and Noarlunga Hospital.

The second stage of the Lyell McEwin Hospital redevelopment has been completed, and the third stage is being planned to include the proposed expansion of specialist surgical services.

New GP Plus Centres will open at Elizabeth and Marion in 2010, in addition to the two existing centres at Aldinga and Woodville.

These centres are being established in order to ease the pressure on emergency departments.

The Government has also committed to capital works at country hospitals, including redevelopments for Berri, Whyalla and Ceduna.

More women in regional and country South Australia will have access to updated breast screening technology through the availability of two new mobile vans fitted with digital screening equipment.

The Government will continue to fight childhood obesity by introducing a healthy eating message to school children and families across the State under a new nutrition and lifestyle program.

Extra doctors, nurses, paramedics and allied health professionals will continue to be recruited into the public health system.

And the Government will continue to reform, rebuild and re-design mental health services and facilities that include community recovery centres, new hospital wards, supported accommodation and modern drug treatments.

A significant part of the Government’s reform and investment includes a $130 million redevelopment of the Glenside campus, and work is expected to start during 2009 on a new, secure forensic mental health centre at Mobilong.

The program to rebuild South Australia’s public transport system will see the extension of the existing tramline from the city to West Lakes, Port Adelaide and Semaphore.

The first stage of the tram extension—to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre—is due for completion in 2010.

In addition, the major northern and southern rail lines will be electrified and 20 extra buses per year will be brought into service over the next four years.

The 10-year transport program will deliver new electric trains, converted and refurbished diesel to electric trains, new hybrid trams/trains, additional light rail vehicles and a new ticketing system.

Further to the Government’s commitment to upgrading transport infrastructure, a record level of investment is being made in a roads program over the next four years.

That includes further upgrades of Adelaide’s north-south transport corridor, safety improvements to the Dukes Highway, and new projects at Oaklands Park and on the Fleurieu Peninsula.

My Government believes that the private sector remains the engine room for economic growth in South Australia, and is continuing to work to make this State the most competitive place to do business in Australia and New Zealand.

It has made another reduction in the payroll tax rate, and raised the tax threshold level.

The Government has also undertaken an overhaul of the State’s planning system, in order to modernise it and make it more efficient.

Those reforms include a 30-year plan to manage Adelaide’s growth and development, and an investment in the building of efficient transport corridors to help create new commuter-friendly neighbourhoods within existing suburbs.

They also contain a 25-year rolling supply of broad acre land to meet the residential, commercial and industrial needs of a growing population and an expanding economy.

The Government has also outlined a simplified and faster assessment process for new housing and home renovations, as well as five regional plans to help guide the development of the State outside of Adelaide.

And it continues to work towards reforming WorkCover in order to deliver a workers compensation scheme that provides injured workers with fair and equitable financial and other support, that reduces the average levy rate for employers, and is fully funded as soon as practicable.

South Australia is experiencing solid economic growth, and the Government is committed to providing opportunities for all South Australians to share in the benefits.

The State’s mining sector continues to perform strongly, and South Australia is gaining international recognition for its mineral prospectivity.

My Government’s extended Plan for Accelerating Exploration—known as the PACE initiative—continues to play a significant role in attracting and securing national and international mineral exploration investment to South Australia.

Many of the $45 billion worth of major projects that are either underway or in the pipeline are connected to the expansion of our mineral resources sector.

A number of others are linked to the defence sector, which includes the Air Warfare Destroyer project and the relocation of the 1200-strong Mechanised Battalion Group to Edinburgh in the northern suburbs from 2011.

However, I’m also advised that the State faces challenges in developing the skilled workforce required to carry out these long-term projects.

The Government estimates that South Australia will need an additional 133,000 workers between now and 2017-18.

Another 206,000 workers will be required to replace those who are expected to leave the workforce through retirement and other reasons.

In order to respond to these challenges, the Government has developed the Skills Strategy for the 21st Century.

That includes a stronger legislative base for skills and workforce development, and a strengthened Industry and Skills Board that will work with industry in order to identify and respond to emerging skills and workforce development needs.

The Government will introduce the Public Sector Bill, which will provide a new legislative framework in order to develop a stronger, more flexible public sector.

In addition to the State’s home-grown universities, Adelaide is also now home to branches of international universities including Carnegie Mellon which offers US-accredited masters’ degrees and specialises in areas such as information technology and computer science, and Britain’s Cranfield University which offers defence-related courses.

From next year, University College London will also establish a presence in Adelaide, and offer a post-graduate Masters of Science in Energy and Resource Management.

My Government believes that investment in science and innovation is an important element in the State’s continued economic development, for environmental sustainability and to increase employment.

The Royal Institution Australia—the first satellite operation of the Royal Institution of Great Britain to be established outside London—will be housed in the former Adelaide Stock Exchange Building, which is currently undergoing refurbishment.

When work is completed next year, RI Australia will create a focus for science awareness activities and is expected to become a national hub for scientists, students, educators, media, industry, government and families.

South Australia’s new Chief Scientist, Dr Ian Chessell, chairs the Premier’s Science and Research Council which—over the coming year—will focus on areas such as climate change, water security and mining capability.

My Government remains committed to creating better opportunities for young people through education and schooling, and to building a stronger workforce for the State’s future.

The 2009 school year will see compulsory age education legislation come into effect.

That will ensure that all young people are in school or training until they are aged 17, or achieve their South Australian Certificate of Education or equivalent qualification.

Also from the start of school next year, students in Year 10 at Government, Catholic and Independent schools will be the first to begin a new South Australian Certificate of Education.

The new South Australian Certificate of Education will enable more young people to learn within schools and beyond—including at TAFE, university, the community and the workplace.

This is part of a 'school to work' strategy that includes the new compulsory education legislation, as well as 10 new Trade Schools for the Future.

The Government is continuing to work on the construction of six new schools in metropolitan Adelaide, which will be opened progressively from 2010 to 2011, as well as undertaking the upgrading of schools and pre-schools across the State.

A strategic policy framework called YouthCONNECT, which will be launched early next year, will help government agencies, the community and young people better tackle the issues affecting young South Australians.

Under its Social Inclusion initiative, my Government has focused on how a social benefit can be secured from the anticipated acceleration in economic growth in South Australia.

It has charged the Social Inclusion Board with examining ways in which a social dividend can accompany the State’s economic dividend.

The Social Inclusion Unit will also continue to implement strategies designed to make reductions in the number of homeless people who 'sleep rough' on our streets, and will extend them to regional areas such as the Riverland as well as the city and metropolitan areas.

This Unit, along with Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation Division, will work with communities on the APY Lands to identify people who are sleeping rough or who are living in improvised dwellings.

The Government has recently secured the agreement of the APY communities to the provision of leases for the Commonwealth’s offer for housing on the APY Lands, which means new accommodation can be built to help alleviate overcrowding.

And in the wake of the Mullighan inquiries into children in State care and on the APY Lands, the Government is moving to implement the recommendations that were made in the landmark reports.

It will also be working to ensure it does everything possible to prevent similar kinds of abuses from ever happening again.

My Government has made the State’s largest-ever investment in protecting children, thereby providing the resources needed to carry out the Inquiry’s recommendations.

That includes providing additional resources to the Guardian for Children and Young People to strengthen the office’s role and independence, and expanding the screening processes in place for people involved in child-related work.

And new laws will be introduced to further protect children from harm.

For the first time, the Government has established a Ministry for the Northern Suburbs.

A Government office called 'Northern Connections' will soon be opened at Elizabeth to help the community to take advantage of economic growth and opportunities in the region.

The Government will continue to introduce legislation to improve public safety by targeting crime, particularly serious and organised crime, as well as recidivist offenders.

It will build on existing legislation to strengthen the authority of police and prosecutors in the fight against outlaw motorcycle gang-based crime.

Improvements to the Criminal Assets Confiscation Act will enable law enforcement agencies to target the unexplained wealth of drug traffickers and known criminals.

A Bill will be introduced to provide police with greater wherewithal to disrupt and dismantle organised gang crime through increased powers to assist undercover operations and protect the identity of witnesses.

The Government has also introduced significant changes to laws dealing with rape and witness evidence, which are expected to come into effect later this year.

Laws that deal with domestic violence will also be updated to help shield victims and at-risk individuals and families from abuse.

And the Government will introduce additional changes to juvenile justice laws and establish a youth parole board in order to tackle the difficult issues identified by Social Inclusion Commissioner Monsignor David Cappo’s To Break the Cycle report.

It will also continue to recruit more police, with a further 165 cadets in training at the Fort Largs Academy who will graduate by the end of this year.

And arrangements for the construction of the State’s new prison and secure facilities, including the new 760-cell men’s prison and 150-cell women’s prison at Mobilong, are proceeding.

These facilities are expected to become operational during the 2011-12 financial year.

Legislation will be introduced to revise penalties for the offences of arson and property damage.

The Government will also proceed with legislation to criminalise the act of indecent filming.

In addition, new Victims of Crime legislation will be introduced to further extend victims’ rights.

South Australia became the first—and I’m advised that it remains the only—State to appoint an independent Commissioner for Victims’ Rights.

My Government will also introduce legislation to require drivers who commit serious drink-driving offences to fit a mandatory alcohol ignition interlock to their vehicles when they regain their licences.

These devices—that measure drivers’ breath alcohol levels and prevent them from driving if they register a positive blood alcohol reading—would be fitted to their vehicles for a period of time equivalent to their licence disqualification periods.

Honourable Members.

With this set of policies—and working within the framework of South Australia’s Strategic Plan—the Government seeks to build further on the State’s prosperity and momentum during the course of this Parliament.

Its aim is to improve the lives of South Australians today, and to position us to take advantage of the opportunities offered by tomorrow.

I now declare this session open, and trust that your deliberations will serve the advancement of the welfare of the people of this State.

The Governor retired from the chamber, and the Speaker and members of the House of Assembly withdrew.


The President again took the chair and read prayers.


[Sitting suspended from 12:49 to 14:30]


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