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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-03-24 Daily Xml
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RIVERLAND SUSTAINABLE FUTURES FUND

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:41): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Regional Development a question about the Riverland Sustainable Futures Fund.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: On 15 February 2010, Karlene Maywald, one of two Labor ministers to lose their seats at the 2010 election, and Paul Caica, then minister for regional development, issued a media release, headed 'Major investment in a sustainable Riverland economy.' The opening paragraph states:

The state government today announced it will invest $20 million over four years in a Riverland Sustainable Futures Fund to help create a more diverse industry and promote further investment in existing businesses.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: I reiterate that the statement did not say that the government will invest up—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Wade might want to start again.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Thank you, Mr President. On 15 February 2010, Karlene Maywald, one of the two Labor ministers to lose their seats at the 2010 election, and Paul Caica, then minister for regional development, issued a joint media release, headed 'Major investment in a sustainable Riverland economy.' The opening paragraph read:

The state government today announced it will invest $20 million over four years in a Riverland Sustainable Futures Fund to help create a more diverse industry and promote further investment in existing businesses.

I note that the statement did not say that the government will invest up to $20 million; it said the government will invest $20 million.

In the Riverland Weekly on 18 February 2010, the then member for Chaffey (the then minister) said, 'The $20 million is now in the budget.' In answer to a question on Tuesday in relation to the Riverland Sustainable Futures Fund, the Minister for Regional Development said:

If there are any outstanding funds at the end of this financial year, I will be arguing most strongly—ferociously, nonetheless—and fiercely negotiating to ensure that any outstanding funds are carried over.

Those words are not a guarantee of an automatic carryover. The Riverland is at risk of receiving considerably less than $20 million. My questions are:

1. Can the minister advise the funding period for the Riverland Sustainable Futures Fund, that is, whether it is funded on a financial year basis or some other basis?

2. How much has been spent in the first year of funding, or has been spent to this point in the first funding year?

3. Why has the government backed away from its election promise to invest $20 million over four years?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Public Sector Management, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises) (14:44): The member's assertions are simply outrageous, incorrect and completely misleading, as usual. It is completely outrageous. We have quite clearly put on the record that the $20 million fund is over a period of four years. The $20 million fund, as I said, is available over the four years and will be accessible to organisations, industries and businesses to fund future projects to make major sustainable changes in their region. A significant commitment has been given from 2010-11 through to 2013-14—over four years: 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14, I believe—in line with whatever our original announcement was. In the 2010-11 budget, we budgeted $5 million per financial year over those four years.

Thus far for this financial year, there has been a commitment of about $2 million to go from the fund to the Flinders University Rural Clinical School project. That is subject to the successful application for federal funding. The federal university application for the federal government's Structural Adjustment Fund is seeking, I understand, $25.7 million, and the total project cost is $31 million. I made other announcements in my recent visit to the Riverland area, so other smaller amounts of money have been made available.

As I said yesterday, if we are not able to expend the $5 million from the Sustainable Futures Fund this financial year, I will be using the budget process to ensure that any outstanding funds are carried over into future financial years. I have given a commitment on the public record that I am committed to fulfilling the $20 million spending commitment within the four years as per our election promise in 2010-11. So, I am, indeed, very committed and have put on the public record in a number of forums and functions that I am committed to ensuring that the full $20 million is expended within that four-year period.

It is always challenging to get a new large project off to a start. These can involve very large commitments and significant partnerships, and a great deal of work has been done by the department as well as the RDA to look at projects. We established a task force, as you would be aware, Mr President, to assist in helping to identify priorities for the region.

The RDAs have been very busy establishing road maps for their areas and assisting in identifying projects and, from those projects, identifying priorities for their particular regions. It has taken some time for them to get going, to start producing those plans and to start to stimulate ideas and projects from the community. Nevertheless, there are some good projects being generated out there, and I am sure that these projects will continue to develop. I am confident that lots of initiatives will be presented. I am very confident, given the innovative and very hard work of members of the Riverland, that they will be providing us with many wonderful potential projects to help increase the investment and sustainable future of that region.

As I said, the opposition is shameless in its attempt to try to mislead this place and to distort the facts. This is a very good example of an election promise that we are, indeed, very committed to. Even in challenging and difficult times, we are able to regroup, refocus and continue forward to our objective, which is to invest $20 million into our Riverland area over the next four financial years, that is, from 2010-11 through to 2013-14. The honourable member's comments are simply outrageous and are an attempt to try to mislead this place yet again.

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