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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-02-21 Daily Xml
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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AUSTRALIA

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (14:40): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Regional Development a question about regional development.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Regional South Australia is an important source of our sense of self, our prosperity and our unique character. As well as providing some of the best food and wine in the world, regional areas sometimes consider it a struggle to create a prosperous economy and to attract businesses to set up in regional communities. Can the minister explain to the chamber what this government is doing to support regional development?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (14:41): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. Indeed, it is almost two years to the day—not quite—that I became regional development minister. I think my anniversary date was 9 February 2011. I have enjoyed this portfolio very much, a very important portfolio. I cannot believe it has been two years—time flies.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: It does. In the two years since becoming regional development minister and all the trips that I have done into regional communities, I continue to be very impressed by the resilience and the enormous resourcefulness of people in regional areas and their ability to seize opportunities and in times of toughness to pick themselves up and shake themselves off. One of the mechanisms to do this work is obviously through our Regional Development Australia associations (RDAs). It is for this reason that a series of RDA programs across South Australia has been given a total of more than $2.7 million over two years in funding through the state government's new Regional Development Fund (RDF).

Each region has had programs developed by its RDA to support the government's efforts in helping to create jobs and attract new investment or reinvestment in their regions. The aim of the RDF is to help deliver the government's seven strategic priorities, including premium food and wine from our clean environment and also, obviously, growing advanced manufacturing. RDAs can access grants from $50,000 to a maximum of $200,000 each year from the $3 million Regional Development Fund for priority programs identified by local communities.

Our regional businesses know that they are competing nationally and internationally, so it is essential that that they remain up to date with their products and services, which enables their communities to flourish and grow. My agency has worked closely with RDAs to ensure that they can plan their activity and programs, including their budget, well in advance of the 2013-14 financial year. The funds announced today are available from 1 July 2013. They include things such as:

expanding the vibrant economic and social base of the Yorke and Mid North region—$400,000 over two years to create business investment opportunities, infrastructure development, and suchlike;

economic development programs for the Eyre and Western region—$400,000 over two years, again supporting business development;

realising the benefits of mining in a vibrant Far North region—$400,000 over two years through initiatives such as facilitating investment, aiding infrastructure, and development of regional and local events;

strengthening the premium food and wine economy in the Barossa, Light and Lower North—$400,000 over two years for programs such as increasing export earnings and job creation around that, assisting horticulture, facilitating industry forums, and suchlike;

sustainable growth for food and wine in the Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu, Kangaroo Island region—$400,000 over two years to support things like enhancing primary production value adding, research, education and business development;

economic diversification and support for small to medium enterprises for the Limestone Coast region—$325,000 over two years through things like implementing the Limestone Coast Economic Diversification Forum outcomes; and

smarter digital regions and growing primary industries for the Murray and Mallee region—$400,000 over two years for things like developing demand profiles for regional digital needs and identifying infrastructure requirements.

I look forward to seeing the results of these funds at work being rolled out in the regions around South Australia.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Dawkins has a supplementary question.

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