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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-04-10 Daily Xml
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REGIONAL STATEMENT

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:11): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Regional Development a question about the Regional Statement 2012.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: In the Plains Producer on 27 March 2013, it was noted that the state government's Regional Statement 2012 received 'heavy criticism by various Local Government circles, suggesting the document avoids commitment to investing in regional areas for future growth'. Speaking at the Wakefield Regional Council's February meeting, chief executive Cate Atkinson 'believed the document to be vague...on any concrete detail'. Mrs Atkinson stated that 'the issue from council's perspective is the Regional Statement is merely a statement of what is in the regions currently. It's not a commitment to support regions or regional development.'

Additionally, Ms Anita Crisp, executive officer for Central Local Government Region added that 'executives from all the local government regions put their heads together on a regular basis for it and none of that was taken on board'. Furthermore, on page 21, the regional statement states that 'this Regional Statement is the beginning of a conversation between the government and regional communities to work in partnership, ensuring future prosperity for regions and all South Australians'. My questions are:

1. With various local government circles feeling unsupported with little action taken, can the minister advise how she will rebuild confidence among the councils within regional communities?

2. Can the minister inform the chamber what suggestions from the council executives she will be taking on board?

3. With such heavy criticism from local government circles, can the minister outline how the state government will be supporting regional development? Specifically, what resources and commitment will be on the table, rather than just seeing the regional statement as the beginning of a conversation after 11 years of government?

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) (15:14): I thank the honourable member for her question. Indeed, it is sad, really. It is indeed a very sad and sorry opposition that cannot even inform themselves that in fact the process of consultation around the regional statement has not been completed yet. So, how could the Hon. Jing Lee get to her feet in this place and say that the statement fails to take on board information obtained during the consultation process when there is no final regional statement as yet? The process is not completed; we are still consulting.

It is just pathetic that, yet again, the opposition come into the place and have failed to inform themselves of really basic information. They are really asleep at the wheel—it is tragic. So, for the benefit of honourable members who fail to understand this very important process, I will reiterate what we have done and what we intend to do.

The PRESIDENT: Yes, minister.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Indeed, Mr President, back in December 2012, I released a draft—I emphasise 'draft'—regional statement for South Australia, and it's that draft statement that is out there currently for consultation. This draft statement highlights the essential contribution made by regional South Australia to the state's economy and outlines a framework for prosperity for regional communities to drive forward change from the bottom up.

It is not a strategic plan, it was never intended to be a strategic plan for regional areas, and it is not going to be a strategic plan. That's what I think some members of the public want it to be, but the strategic planning is done under various policy areas. For instance, with health, it is done under the country health plan, and it is those specific policy areas that pick up the specific strategic direction.

This is a much higher document. As I said, it was never intended to be a strategic plan, it's not a strategic plan, it's not going to be a strategic plan. But what this statement will do is reaffirm our longstanding commitment to the region and signify our work together—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: —towards greater collaborative partnerships.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Ridgway, the Hon. Ms Lee would like to hear the answer to her question.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Well, she needs to listen and so do the rest of the opposition, Mr President, because they fail to understand that this is a process of consultation and engagement—public consultation and engagement. It just defies logic that the honourable member would come into this place and accuse us of not taking consultation or feedback on board when there is not even a final statement as yet. We are still consulting, so I don't know how she is able to see the future and see what is going to be in the final statement because I haven't seen that far yet. I am genuinely consulting. I am actually genuinely out there listening, engaging and consulting.

This planning provides a coordinated approach to planning and brings together current government plans, such as strategies and services, strategic plans—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! I want to hear the answer. The honourable minister.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: At least someone is prepared to listen.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order, the Hon. Mr Ridgway! If I can't hear the answer, neither can the Hon. Ms Lee hear the answer, and she is genuinely interested. The honourable minister.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Thank you for your protection from this unruly lot, Mr President. I will just go back and repeat that because I don't think the Hon. Jing Lee could hear what I was saying, and I think it is really important that she does hear and listen to this.

It does reaffirm our longstanding commitment to the regions and signifies our work towards greater collaborative partnerships, and a much more strategic and coordinated approach to planning, and brings together current government plans, strategies and services with regional plans and road map ideas and highlights how we will consolidate and build upon current initiatives to help ensure that our regional communities are prosperous, healthy, educated and safe.

The regional statement builds on the updated 2011 South Australian Strategic Plan and regional workshops that fed into the revised plan. The regional statement hopes to highlight to regional communities and to government agencies. The linkages—

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: You can sit down now.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: I haven't finished—there's more. The linkages between government plans, strategies, programs and services reaffirm the government's commitment to regional areas by highlighting the importance of regional communities to the continuing economic development of the state, including new opportunities for major resources and projects, and build on the South Australian Strategic Plan by working closely with relevant state agencies and key stakeholders.

The statement is a conversation tool between government and regional communities and, as I have already reported in this place before, I have asked the Regional Communities Consultative Committee, as my independent advisory body, to undertake targeted community consultation on this draft statement to seek comment and feedback and a series of targeted workshops. Also, key stakeholders have been invited to submit feedback as well. To complement the consultation process, an online survey is going to be hosted on the PIRSA website for the broader public to be able to participate as part of that engagement process.

Mr President, you can see that the draft, draft regional statement is still out there for public consultation, and I value the feedback, particularly from local councils, a very important sphere of government. I value their feedback and encourage them to use the processes of government that have been made available to them to direct their comments back in a constructive way into this process.

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