Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-07-03 Daily Xml

Contents

Site Contamination, Clovelly Park and Mitchell Park

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:26): I seek leave to make an explanation before asking the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation a question about the Clovelly Park contamination.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The opposition has been advised that the State Emergency Management Committee met on Thursday last week (26 June 2014) at one day's notice to discuss issues of escalated air contamination at Clovelly Park. The role of the committee, according to statute, is to provide advice on the management of emergencies in South Australia. The statute gives it no role in managing events that are not emergencies. My questions are:

1. Why did the minister not mention the meeting of the State Emergency Management Committee in his ministerial statement?

2. Why is escalated air contamination at Clovelly Park so serious that the State Emergency Management Committee was convened at one day's notice but is not so serious that the residents can wait for a public relations plan to be developed before they are advised?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:27): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. Once again, I have to say that the concerns for the residents came first with me. That is always—

The Hon. S.G. Wade: What about informing this house?

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Wade, allow the minister to complete his answer.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: The Hon. Mr Wade believes that I should have informed the house first. I differ from him on that. My view is and always will be that I should inform the directly affected residents first. They deserve to hear from government agencies first before I advise anyone else more broadly.