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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-03-20 Daily Xml
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EYRE PENINSULA GRAIN GROWERS RAIL FUND

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (15:24): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries a question about the Eyre Peninsula Grain Growers Rail Fund.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: The Eyre Peninsula Grain Growers Rail Fund was established in 2006 to raise a $2 million grain grower contribution for a joint industry and government grains logistics infrastructure upgrade program. This fund was raised with a levy to PIRSA of 50ยข per tonne from all Eyre Peninsula grain growers up until 2011.

The member for Flinders in another place, Mr Peter Treloar, who was a member of the South Australian Farmers Federation grains committee at the time of the agreement to raise this fund, has advised me that there is an excess figure of around $230,000 remaining in the fund following the completion of the rail upgrade. I understand that grain grower contributors to the fund have been invited to participate in an online PIRSA survey to assist in determining the best way to use the excess funds. My questions are: firstly, when will the minister make a decision about the use of the excess money held in this fund; and, secondly, has consultation taken place regarding the use of this money with other groups and individuals across and beyond Eyre Peninsula?

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) (15:25): I thank the honourable member for his important question. Indeed, there are excess funds available from that former levy contribution that are excess to the upgrade of the rail, which was the purpose of the fund. The view was that the money belonged to the grain growers from that region, that it would be extremely difficult to give it back to individual grain growers and that it should be spent on a project that grain growers believe would be worthwhile and useful to their industry.

I am happy to gain the details of the process that was involved and bring that back to the chamber. However, I understand that there has been a process of engagement with the industry to determine the best way forward. My understanding is that the view was that this was an appropriate way to proceed with identifying the best way to spend and utilise these excess funds and that a process has been put in place to engage with the sector to identify priorities and then give the industry an opportunity to identify which of those priorities they believe is the most worthwhile. That process is in place. I am not sure of the deadline, but a fairly extensive period was given for consultation. As I said, I am happy to bring those other details back to the chamber and to provide that information to the honourable member.

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