Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-09-20 Daily Xml

Contents

ROYAL ADELAIDE SHOW RAIL PLATFORM

The Hon. M. PARNELL (15:05): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, representing the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, a question about train facilities at the Adelaide Showground.

Leave granted.

The Hon. M. PARNELL: Coming into parliament on the train today I noticed, as the train passed the Adelaide Showground, a sizeable team of workers who were disassembling the temporary rail platform that is at the western entrance to the showground. As members would know, each year at show time the temporary platform is erected and then disassembled at the end of the show.

We are familiar in this state with temporary facilities, such as for the car races where grandstands are put up. Of course, they need to be removed because the land they sit on is used for other purposes but, in relation to the land where this rail platform sits, there is no other use for this land. It is not in the way of anything, there is plenty of room for vehicles to get past if they are authorised to use that section of closed-off roadway, and there is plenty of room for the bike path.

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: We could use it for other events.

The Hon. M. PARNELL: As the Hon. John Dawkins interjects—

The PRESIDENT: Out of order.

The Hon. M. PARNELL: —the platform could be used for other events, and I think he is pre-empting my questions of the minister, which are:

1. What does it cost to put up and take down this facility every year at show time?

2. Why not just leave the platform in place rather than erect it and remove it each year, particularly because it could then be used for other events that are held at the showground?

3. Why not construct a new permanent facility at that location, given that the land is available, it is not used for any other purpose, and it would avoid the annual cost of erection and removal of the temporary rail platform?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (15:07): I thank the honourable member for his most excellent question on temporary infrastructure at the showground. I undertake to take that to the minister in the other place and bring back a response for him.