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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-06-22 Daily Xml
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EYRE PENINSULA

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (14:48): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Regional Development a question about Port Lincoln and surrounding areas.

Leave granted.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Most members would be aware that there are many exciting developments currently underway in the Eyre Peninsula region, particularly in the mining and energy industries. These burgeoning enterprises hold great hope for the state, and I understand that the minister recently visited the area to speak with and support the local community and business leaders in their endeavour to create a vibrant, economic and social future for the region. Will the minister inform the chamber about her recent trip to Port Lincoln and her hopes for the region's vibrant future?

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, Minister for Gambling) (14:49): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. It certainly gives me great pleasure to be able to visit the regions in our great state.

I was very pleased to be able to go to the southern part of the Whyalla Eyre Peninsula regional development area on Friday as part of my program of regional trips around South Australia. I went to this area to meet with some of the board members from the Whyalla Eyre Peninsula Regional Development Australia Committee, as well as local staff and the CEO of Regional Development Australia—Whyalla and Eyre Peninsula, Mr Mark Cant.

I find that it is very valuable to be able to get firsthand experience of the members and also the staff of these bodies. It is always a great opportunity to chat to them, as they know only too well the issues that affect the people of the area, and they have a most important role in developing a vision of how they want their area to go forward. It is this understanding of the strengths and opportunities in the region that I want to see translated into real projects on the ground.

Another feature of my visit was my meeting with the Mayor of the District Council of Lower Eyre Peninsula, Ms Julie Lowe, and the manager of the airport. Members may recall that I recently announced that the district council, which owns and operates the busiest regional airport in South Australia, the Port Lincoln airport, has been successful in its application for assistance through the Regional Development Infrastructure Fund to begin works on the $13 million upgrade of the airport.

The seed funding provided by the government of over $1 million has been earmarked for the transport and electricity infrastructure for the new-look airport, and I understand the moneys will go to construction of the new taxiway and extension of the apron, as well as the electrical mains connection to the proposed new terminal. I am advised that extending the airport taxiway and apron will give the Port Lincoln facilities maximum flexibility for different sized aircraft and that the plans are well advanced for the new terminal building with an upgrade to security screening.

I have to say that the plans look absolutely fabulous. It will be a terrific facility with fabulous new amenities in it. Given that sometimes I have had to wait for many hours in that airport, I certainly personally look forward to the new upgraded facility. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the council on its hard work, and I am looking forward to seeing the building once it is completed.

I also went on to meet with the Mayor of the Port Lincoln council, Mr Bruce Green, and its CEO, Mr Geoff Dodd, to discuss with them their plans for the local area, and that was a worthwhile discussion. The Mayor was very pleased to tell me about the results of another previous grant by the state government from our RDIF, and that was towards upgrading Port Lincoln's wastewater re-use scheme. I was taken out and shown the water purification system and had that process explained to me.

That scheme, I understand, aims to reduce the drawdown on the city's potable water system and, of course, it has much potential for further rollout. I was advised that it is currently saving up to 69 megalitres per annum. That grant of over $200,000 was made by the state government in 2010 to help expand the existing scheme. That now encompasses 75 per cent of the council-owned ovals, parks and reserves, so it has certainly helped with their watering.

As I have said in this place before, the RDIF is an important infrastructure fund. It is a competitive fund which has three rounds a year to provide support for infrastructure costs of projects which support sustainable economic development, and I encourage organisations to look at opportunities for accessing that fund.

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