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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-11-27 Daily Xml
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RIVERLAND SUSTAINABLE FUTURES FUND

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (15:25): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before directing a question to the Minister for Regional Development about the Riverland Sustainable Futures Fund.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: Recently, the Waikerie newspaper, The River News, reported the board of the Waikerie Hotel Motel, which is a community-owned hotel motel, would proceed with the redevelopment of the hotel without assistance from the Riverland Sustainable Futures Fund. Board chairman Graeme Thompson is quoted as saying:

We have been waiting now for more than six months, which is ridiculous because had we known this would happen that building would have been two thirds rebuilt by now. Ms Gago's office hasn't made any decisions and hasn't provided any certain dates, so we feel it is not in the interests of our business to wait.

My questions to the minister are:

1. When will the minister announce the recipients of funding from the Riverland Sustainable Futures Fund?

2. Will all applicants who were shortlisted from the expressions of interest process, which closed on 30 April, be informed as soon as assessment of their application is complete?

3. When will assessment of applications be completed?

4. Does the minister anticipate reopening the fund to further applications?

5. Are there any dollars still in the fund, and is this why there have not been any announcements?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women) (15:26): The honourable member's question was almost incoherent. Nevertheless, it was again a rehash—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: That is the pot calling the kettle black, I would have thought.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: I couldn't understand the latter part of his question at all, but that's alright, because they are often incoherent or incorrect. Again, we have seen a really incredibly lazy opposition come in here this week, and all we have had is basically rehashed old questions, questions that have been answered in this place in significant detail before. A great deal of detail has been given around those answers, yet the honourable members clearly have not bothered to listen and they come back with the same old questions dusted off and run them over and over.

I have outlined the process in detail before, and I am not going to waste this chamber's time outlining it again. Around about half the fund has been spent and there is a process that has been set up to look at further grant proposals. Expressions of interest went out, a short list has been developed and work has been done on those applications on that short list. Some of the applications have been incredibly complex. There are significant business and other probity details. It has taken time.

What is the opposition saying? That we should cut corners and rush through this process and put up public money—taxpayers' money this is, hardworking taxpayers' money—and just fling it out the door without doing the due process? Due process will be done and we are not going to be rushed into this. We will make responsible and sound decisions when we use taxpayers' money, and I do not apologise for that.

I know that the Waikerie community hotel has had some hardships in terms of the fire, and I know that they are keen to rebuild. If their grant proposal is successful, it is not going to be jeopardised just because they have commenced building. The due process will be completed, and I will make an announcement as soon as I am able.

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