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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-11-15 Daily Xml
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Question Time

GLENCOE NURSERY

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:21): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Forests a question regarding the Glencoe nursery and contradictions between the minister and the Treasurer.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: On 7 May, in a letter now obtained by the opposition, the Treasurer wrote to the Wattle Range Council. The Treasurer assured and faithfully promised the council that following the forward sale of the long-term timber rotations the Glencoe nursery would continue to be owned by the government and operated by ForestrySA. In response to a question in this place on Tuesday, the minister herself further assured and faithfully promised South Australians that the forward sale did not include the Glencoe nursery.

However, as often happens in this place, the minister was wrong. She had to make a personal explanation. She finally revealed what the opposition, the industry and worried South-East families had dreaded and suspected—that the Glencoe nursery was and had been included in the forward sale. The minister did not know even that when it was asked of her. My questions to the minister are:

1. Why did the Treasurer promise the nursery would not be sold in May, only to sell it secretly later?

2. Who will now take responsibility for fire management and firefighting at the Glencoe nursery?

3. Has the Mount Burr depot been sold?

4. Can the minister table what other ForestrySA assets have been secretly sold?

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) (14:23): Indeed, Glencoe is still owned by the government. It is still operated by ForestrySA as per the government's commitments and, in fact, it has been leased (that is the advice I have received) to OneFortyOne Plantations for the same period as the rest of the plantation estate.

As I indicated yesterday, the matters around the management of the Glencoe nursery were done fairly late in the negotiations. I am advised that the reason why Glencoe was in the end included in the lease was to ensure the continuity of seedling supply for the estate and ensure seamless handling of fire management and the like across all estate areas, including Glencoe.

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