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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-05-06 Daily Xml
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Opening of Parliament

GOVERNOR'S SPEECH

His Excellency the Governor, having been announced by 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 would like to thank Mr Lewis O'Brien, an elder of the Kaurna people, for his gracious 'welcome to country'.

I am also pleased to have taken the salute of the Australian Federation Guard, which includes young men and women representing our nation's armed forces.

The guard was officially launched for the Centenary of Federation celebrations, and has gained a well-deserved reputation as Australia's premier ceremonial unit, undertaking its duties in Australia and overseas.

It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the passing of three former Members since the Opening of the Third Session of the 51st Parliament.

In November 2008, the Honourable Jack Olson, Member of the House of Assembly for the electorate of Semaphore in the period 1973 to 1979, passed away.

In April 2009, we noted the sad passing of the Honourable Donald Laidlaw, Member of the Legislative Council from 1975 to 1982.

And in September last year, the Honourable Jack Carnie, Member of the House of Assembly for the seat of Flinders from 1970 to 1973, and Member of the Legislative Council between 1975 and 1982, also passed away.

We acknowledge the contributions made to our State by these Members, and we offer our further condolences to their families and friends.

Honourable Members.

My Government begins its third term in office seeking to oversee the transformation of South Australia with renewed vision and commitment.

Its over-arching aim will be to continue to foster confidence and to help create jobs, while ensuring that the benefits of the State's growing prosperity are shared by all.

It has committed itself to re-connecting and re-engaging with the State through ongoing consultation, and by listening to South Australians' concerns and aspirations.

In its first four-year term, the Government endeavoured to set our State on a new course with the release of South Australia's Strategic Plan that contained a number of diverse and specific targets to help deliver increased economic, social and environmental wellbeing, among other goals.

The Plan's 2006 update revised and increased those targets, and the Government is committed to undertaking a further update of South Australia's Strategic Plan in 2010.

The State's economy remains strong, and increasingly diverse.

I am advised that while the recent global financial crisis slowed national economic growth, South Australia is outperforming other States on a number of important indicators of economic performance, including employment rates.

Central to this Government's objectives is the creation of an extra 100,000 jobs in South Australia over the next six years.

To that end, the Government plans to introduce additional training places and apprenticeships across a number of industry sectors.

Pre-apprenticeship programs and foundations skills training will also target sectors that continue to experience skills shortages, and those groups that experience high levels of under-employment, such as Aboriginal South Australians.

In total, 100,000 training places will be offered over six years.

My Government will also remove payroll tax on wages for apprentices and trainees, and will introduce further reductions in land taxes, which will see nearly 75,000 South Australians no longer liable for land tax in 2010-11.

To further promote job growth and economic activity in our State, the Government proposes to implement a Small and Medium-Sized Business Investment Development Program to increase the competitiveness of local manufacturers.

South Australia's economic development is also being supported by an estimated $71.5 billion in major projects that are in the pipeline, and by sustained high levels of investment.

Health will remain a core priority for the Government.

In addition to its major investment in health infrastructure, it will continue to pursue a number of initiatives to further improve services.

These will both complement and incorporate the reforms that South Australia agreed to at the Council of Australian Governments meeting on 20 April 2010.

The Government has adopted a target that, by 2013, 95 per cent of emergency patients will be treated and discharged, or admitted to a ward within four hours.

This initiative has now received support at the national level.

Further, I am advised that following the COAG Agreement, approximately $287 million of additional funding will be available to South Australia over the next four years, with a further $1.1 billion to follow.

These resources will be directed to services in highest demand, including community-based support for young people with a mental illness, and to aged care places in nursing homes.

The new funding arrangements from the COAG Agreement build on the substantial investment that the Government had already provisioned for 260,000 elective procedures over the next four years.

The State's major hospitals will continue to undergo re-development and upgrading, and work on a new hospital to replace the ageing Royal Adelaide Hospital is ongoing.

By November this year, the Government will choose a preferred consortium to build the new RAH, with construction due to begin by early 2011.

South Australia is also now the nation's premier defence hub, with that sector continuing to be a major driver of our economy.

The Government will continue to bid for major defence projects, and will support the defence industry's ongoing growth through the establishment of a specialist naval education program, based at Le Fevre High School.

A Minister for Defence Industry has also been appointed to further focus the Government's work in this vitally important area of the State's economy.

The mining and minerals resources sector also continues to be a flagship for South Australian economic growth, and contributed more than $2.6 billion in exports in the past financial year.

I am advised that by the end of this year, there will be 16 mines in operation or under construction in South Australia, which is quadruple the number of mines that were operating in the State eight years ago.

The Government will provide an additional $18.2 million to fund initiatives to boost employment in mining, and will continue to work with BHP Billiton to bring to fruition the Olympic Dam expansion.

My Government will also recruit and train additional specialist maths and science teachers, in recognition of the importance of these disciplines to our burgeoning mining and defence industries.

South Australia continues to lead the nation in renewable energy investment.

It has attracted 94 per cent of all Australian investment in geothermal projects, and is home to around 50 per cent of the nation's wind power.

Around 14 per cent of the State's electricity is now being generated from renewable sources, and the Government is lifting its target for renewable energy production by 2020 from 20 per cent, as adopted nationally by the Prime Minister, to 33 per cent.

It will also adopt a number of dedicated policies to support achievement of this target.

These include the establishment of a Sustainable Technologies Precinct at Tonsley Park, to promote the development of environmental and clean technology industries.

My Government has reaffirmed its strong commitment to ensuring that South Australians receive a social dividend from the State's economic expansion and prosperity.

In its first term, the Government appointed a Commissioner for Social Inclusion, Monsignor David Cappo, to enhance and progress the work undertaken by the Social Inclusion Board in critical areas such as mental health, school retention, Aboriginal health, and homelessness.

The Government will continue to pursue its social inclusion agenda, which has attracted national interest and been replicated to some degree in a number of other jurisdictions.

The Social Inclusion Board is paying particular attention to improving disability services across Government agencies, and to addressing long-term disadvantage by ensuring a social dividend is derived from the economic benefits that flow from the mining sector's expansion and the State's record infrastructure investment.

The Government recognises that the south of Adelaide continues to undergo major population and commercial growth and, consequently, will duplicate the Southern Expressway as well as build a new interchange at Darlington.

Major track works for the electrification of the Gawler line are set to begin this year, with the first electric train services to commence in 2013.

The extension and electrification of the Noarlunga line to Seaford is also underway, with early works having commenced and tenders called for the main design and construction contract.

Work on the $564 million Northern Expressway is due to be completed later this year, and ground testing has begun on the site of South Australia's biggest-ever road project, the South Road Superway.

My Government will also undertake a major expansion of the Adelaide Convention Centre, including a new plenary venue, to replace the existing original convention space.

This will constitute part of a major development project to transform the southern bank of the River Torrens through new landscaping and improved access to North Terrace.

Work undertaken in this high-profile precinct will further complement the proposed redevelopment and upgrade of Adelaide Oval.

The new International-standard State Aquatic Centre is being built at Marion, and is due for completion late this year.

South Australia is also facing a period of significant demographic change.

Our State's population is projected to reach 1.64 million by 2014, and two million by 2029.

Despite large net immigration in-flows, the State's average age will also increase during this period.

This carries significant implications for future levels of economic activity and productivity, for the services on which people will rely (particularly health services), and for our State's vital infrastructure.

My Government intends to build on its vision for vibrant, inclusive communities as outlined in the 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide.

It believes that by enabling carefully-managed and responsible growth within our city and its surrounding regions, it will be able to promote even greater sustainability, wellbeing and social inclusion.

Ten extra children's centres will be established to better support the parents of young children, bringing together pre-school, childcare, health and parenting services in a single location.

The Government will also establish six new education units to provide support for up to 120 children with a disability, including two sites with a specialist focus on children with autism disorders.

Four of our State high schools—Adelaide, Glenunga, Brighton and Marryatville—will be substantially expanded to increase their combined capacity by up to 800 students.

And six new behavioural centres will also be built at existing schools to provide specialist support to help teachers manage disruptive students, and to help students who are disrupting classes to get back on track.

This Government understands that water remains one of the most important issues for our State.

Without adequate and secure water supplies to service our domestic, industrial, agricultural and environmental needs, the State will not be able to achieve the targets outlined in South Australia's Strategic Plan.

In this session of Parliament, the Government will introduce amendments to the Environmental Protection Act 1993 for the licensing of the $1.8 billion desalination plant, currently under construction and due to deliver its first water in December this year.

It will also provide rebates for up to an additional 40,000 rainwater tanks.

South Australia already has the nation's highest level of stormwater capture, and measures are in place to more than triple that amount by 2013.

This Government will also implement a 170 billion litre environmental reserve for the Lower Murray Lakes in 2010-11, and prepare a long-term plan for the drought-affected Murray Mouth.

My Government also remains strongly committed to maintaining prudent and diligent management of the State's Budget.

It has established the Sustainable Budget Commission, which will report mid-year on how best to address, among other things, the consequences of significant reductions in total revenues over the forward estimates period, as a result of the recent global financial crisis.

The 2010-11 Budget will be introduced into Parliament in September 2010.

A Supply Bill will be introduced in the intervening period to ensure smooth conduct of Government business pending consideration of the Budget, and passage of the Appropriation Bill.

Also in this term, the Government will introduce legislation to implement strong new road safety measures, including special measures that will apply to an 'inexperienced driver' category, provision for mandatory alcohol interlocks fitted to vehicles of repeat offenders, and increased criminal penalties for those who cause harm while undertaking illegal street racing.

Funding will also be provided to undertake more road black-spot improvement, and to expand road safety awareness programs.

From 2012, our renowned Adelaide Festival of Arts will become an annual event, to join other yearly attractions such as the Fringe Festival, WOMADelaide and the Tour Down Under.

Law and order continues to be a high priority for my Government.

It will recruit an additional 300 police officers in South Australia, and will establish a Southern Community Justice Court that concentrates on dealing swiftly with offences, such as those involving drugs and other anti-social behaviour in those communities.

The Government will also introduce legislation to restrict the types of offences, and the seriousness of crimes that qualify for wholly-suspended sentences.

Legislation will also be introduced to allow prosecutors to introduce evidence of prior attendance in court, where appropriate, and new parole restrictions that will be placed on child sex offenders.

In addition, the Government intends to propose amendments to the law governing the confiscation of assets.

Bills will also be introduced to increase police powers in order to further control the carrying of weapons, and to control the conduct of people in the vicinity of our main entertainment precincts.

And a review is being conducted to develop strategies to reduce alcohol-fuelled anti-social behaviour, which will include amendments to the Liquor Licensing Act 1997.

In this Parliament, a number of Bills will be introduced that reflect South Australia's commitment to a broader national reform agenda.

The Government is committed to working closely and effectively with the Commonwealth and with other States and Territories to achieve important national reforms that aim, among other goals, to improve the environment for business.

Honourable Members.

With the policies and programs outlined, and working within the framework of South Australia's Strategic Plan, the Government enters its third term seeking to build further on our State's existing prosperity and momentum.

In doing so, it aims to enable South Australians to maximise the opportunities that are available today, and to position our State to meet the challenges and reap the benefits presented by the future.

I now declare this session open, and trust that your deliberations will serve the advancement of the welfare of all South Australians.

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.

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