Commissioner for Kangaroo Island Bill

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 23 September 2014.)

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (15:42): I rise on behalf of the opposition to make opening remarks in relation to the Commissioner for Kangaroo Island Bill 2014. Kangaroo Island, as you know, Mr President (I think you may have a holiday property there that you get to quite regularly, and I know you enjoy it very much), is a unique, iconic and beautiful part of our state, and in my current portfolios I have developed a greater familiarisation and appreciation for it. It is interesting that Kangaroo Island is one of those places I had been to only a couple of times prior to becoming a member of parliament, but I have been there a number of times now and it is a very unique part of South Australia. It is so important that we get things right on this island, not just for the 4,600 people or the many businesses, particularly in the food and agriculture sectors, but also for the tourists who visit from all over the world.

As is the case in other regions of South Australia, the elected Kangaroo Island Council is the peak governing body for the island. It works with a host of elected boards, committees and community councils, associations and organisations. As with any council area, funding comes from state and federal government contributions and, obviously, from its own rate base as well. The government has proposed that we now install a commissioner, to be paid for by the state government, at a cost of some $5.6 million in the forward estimates. As I understand it, that includes the completion of KIFA, the Kangaroo Island Futures Authority.

The commissioner's role would be to prepare management plans focusing on the coordination and delivery of infrastructure and services provided to Kangaroo Island by government, with the objective, of course, to improve the local economy. The minister is of the view that state agencies have failed to focus on Kangaroo Island, and we would agree that they have failed to focus not only on Kangaroo Island but also on most of regional South Australia. He wants decisions made in Adelaide to be in the best interests of the island. I am told that at one stage he suggested heads of departments could be responsible for complying with the Kangaroo Island plans developed by the Kangaroo Island Futures Authority. Apparently, the idea was met with universal horror.

Essentially, this is the problem we have and the main argument being made by the opposition in the debate on this bill. We have a cabinet of ministers and their respective departments, and the role of those people is to ensure that, as far as practical, cross-agency decisions are made which are of maximum benefit for all regions of South Australia. An efficient dialogue between local and state government, industry bodies, individual operators and the public are supposed to exist for this very purpose.

South Australia does not have a commissioner for any other geographical area, and no Australian island has one. If the commissioner is set up, it will have to pass the KI management plans through cabinet and, if there is a conflicting position between two separate agencies in relation to a plan, the commissioner will make the final recommendation to the minister and to cabinet. The opposition has been told that development of the management plans would assist Kangaroo Island in receiving government funding. This type of loose undertaking is not something which will compel the opposition to support this legislation. We have seen the government make similar commitments in the past, and we have learnt that these plans do not necessarily translate to affirmative action, especially where financial investment is concerned.

My colleague and the local member, Mr Michael Pengilly, made a valid point. What the island needs is infrastructure, it needs an airport upgrade, it needs a reliable electricity supply and it needs more competitive freight and transport access costs, but this bill does not deliver those things at all. It is probably designed to give the impression that these issues will be addressed but, at the end of the day, these are still primarily funding issues. Of course, we have seen 12½ years now of Labor government in this state, and funding issues for the whole state are particularly big issues and big concerns, and areas such as Kangaroo Island will suffer under the mismanagement of this government.

As mentioned by my colleague Vickie Chapman, the member for Bragg, the Kangaroo Island Futures Authority, which came out of a recommendation of the State Economic Development Board, has done some reasonably valuable work. It has outlined priorities for Kangaroo Island in terms of infrastructure planning and services, and from there KIFA (as it is known) promoted a number of reforms, but their work still did not tackle the core infrastructure issues for the island.

It is my understanding that the chair of KIFA made some representations to the Premier in relation to the implementation of the government's marine parks, in particular the bill which was defeated last week. It passed in this chamber a couples of months ago but was then voted on last week in the House of Assembly and was defeated by the government. My understanding is that the chair of KIFA made some representations to the Premier in relation to the damage that would be done to the Kangaroo Island community and economy by the implementation of these marine parks.

It is interesting that we are now seeing that the government wants to have a Kangaroo Island commissioner yet, when someone who is well respected and is involved with the Economic Development Board makes a representation to the Premier about their concerns about the damage the marine parks will do to the Kangaroo Island economy, they are ignored.

One of the concerns I have is that a Kangaroo Island commissioner could easily form that view, make a representation to government and be ignored. The Kangaroo Island Council also is not in a good financial position, and it is fair to say that it has not been helped by the state government. Some examples given in the other place of hindrance created by the state government are as follows:

They have failed to provide or subsidise vital infrastructure.

They have brought up more land on the island, thus reducing the council's revenue base.

They have capitalised on their own assets with the instalment of boardwalks and walking trails. These are great news for visitors but do not do anything for the locals.

They have created regulations, compliance with which is costly for islanders.

They have sponsored planning reform with a new DPA carving out the coastline to further advantage themselves in control and income but depleting the council's future role.

They have increased levies, taxes and charges.

They have reduced education and health facilities.

So, you can see, Mr President, that Kangaroo Island is in a difficult situation, as you would know from your regular visits there, and having a commissioner, in the opposition's view, is not going to solve those problems.

It is interesting to note that the Kangaroo Island Council is supporting the bill, probably because it is desperate for any change which (however unlikely) could potentially improve its situation. Whilst the LGA supports the bill, it seems possible that they have not considered the practical consequences of the legislation, such as the imposition of any disputes with the commissioner as well as the cost of compliance.

The minister actually has the power under section 57 of the Development Act to enter into land management agreements with owners of land in relation to development, management, preservation and conservation. The minister legally has to have regard to the KI development plan. This bill actually circumvents that, so ultimately the council's power is significantly downgraded. As the shadow minister for tourism, and given the value of tourism to Kangaroo Island's economy, I would like to touch specifically on that area. In minister Rau's second reading speech on the bill, he referred to two targets in South Australia's Strategic Plan. They were:

Target 4: Tourism industry

Increase visitor expenditure in South Australia's total tourism industry to $8 billion and on Kangaroo Island to $180 million by 2020.

It is interesting that we have noticed that the tourism minister and the cabinet have recommended abolishing the Tourism Commission Board—

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire: Bad, bad idea that.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: —and I am yet to be convinced that that is in the best interests of tourism and particularly in the best interests of tourism on Kangaroo Island. I know it is out of order, but I will acknowledge that my colleague the Hon. Robert Brokenshire thinks it is a very bad decision indeed to abolish the Tourism Commission Board. It then states:

Target 40: Food industry

Grow the contribution made by the South Australian food industry to $20 billion by 2020—

including 'clean green food as our competitive edge'. As the shadow minister for food and tourism, there is nothing more I would rather see than South Australia and Kangaroo Island reach their respective targets. However, for Kangaroo Island to reach this target, it needs the necessary infrastructure in place, not additional bureaucracy—not another layer of government interference and another layer of cost.

It seems that one of the things we see with this current government is that they are always excited and able to look at where they can spend money. As we saw today, they cannot even measure the number of people from their Skills for All program who actually get jobs. What we should be about is trying to grow the economy and actually make money and not look at ways we can keep spending money and put in additional bureaucracy.

Kangaroo Island is one of South Australia's premier tourism assets. The island offers unspoilt nature, abundant wildlife and a rural experience that is unique throughout South Australia, given its island setting. Tourists travel to Kangaroo Island expecting to see native wildlife in natural habitats, spectacular coastlines and bush landscapes. The region also boasts a diverse primary industries sector which includes, obviously, cropping, grazing, horticulture, forestry, fishing and aquaculture. In addition, it is known for the quality of its value-added products such as wine, cheese, marron, olive oil and honey. For all these reasons, we need to harness and facilitate the promotion of Kangaroo Island as one of South Australia's leading tourism regions.

At present, it has been well documented that the cost of accessing Kangaroo Island is a barrier to the growth of the island's tourism industry and more broadly to the island's economy. At present, the tourism industry accounts for some 15 per cent of direct employment on the island, more than any of the other South Australian regions. Therefore, it is critical that we support this industry for the betterment of Kangaroo Island's struggling economy. Currently tourism on Kangaroo Island is underperforming and, as a result, Kangaroo Island's economy is struggling. This is placing greater financial pressure on the local council and on local residents and businesses alike.

In fact, statistics published by the South Australian Tourism Commission show that, to the year ending June 2014, the number of overnight visitors to Kangaroo Island decreased by some 6,000 nights, from 123,000 to 117,000. It is interesting that that is after the Kangaroo Island ad was produced, which I think we all thought was a very good ad. It is interesting to note that some of the stats now are not showing any increase in visitor nights. The total number of all visitor nights on the island has significantly decreased, from 528,000 to 505,000 nights, a decrease of some 23,000 nights.

Overnight intrastate travel—that is South Australians trying to visit Kangaroo Island, a tourism region within their own state—decreased by some 7,000 nights, from 53,000 to 47,000. In fact, between 2010 and 2013, intrastate visitation as a percentage of total visitors to the island decreased by some 6 per cent, so even South Australians are becoming less and less willing to spend money to visit an island in their own backyard. I can assure you that is not the case in all South Australian tourism regions. There are many other regions throughout South Australia which are benefiting from increased intrastate travel.

These substantial decreases in the number of tourists visiting the island can be attributed to a number of factors; however, none are more concerning than the sheer cost of getting on and off the island. With the tourism industry set to be a key economic driver, not only for Kangaroo Island but for South Australia going forward, the responsibility rests on the shoulders of the government to facilitate this industry as best it can. In this instance, we are looking for infrastructure to be in place to access one of South Australia's greatest tourism assets, Kangaroo Island.

The government needs to spend money on South Australia's regions. This bill does not do this. The comment was made by my colleague in the other place, the member for Goyder, that the proposed bill is considered by some 'as a strategy making it appear as if the government is taking action to boost the local economy without necessarily delivering upon those things.' By throwing money at a commissioner the government is simply wasting more money and red tape on bureaucracy.

As I have mentioned previously—and this fact has been well documented by my colleagues in another place in the second reading of this bill—the local government is struggling to raise money. It does not need an extra hurdle to jump over, or another body to report to. What is needed is investment in the island, and this investment needs to kickstart Kangaroo Island's economy. The expenditure of millions of dollars on an unnecessary commissioner will do no such thing. In summary, we will not be supporting this bill for the following reasons:

it undermines the elected council as the people's voice;

it does not help the council with its financial problems;

it dilutes the council's principal role in planning;

it adds an expensive level of bureaucracy;

it does not bind the government to do anything about infrastructure and other challenges faced by the island; and

it wastes valuable time to consult and prepare more plans when the council's strategic plan, the RDA reports, and the countless management plans have already identified the priorities. In fact, KIFA has already identified a number of these priorities.

In the event that the opposition does lose its vote on this bill and that the bill is supported by the crossbenches we will be moving some amendments requiring the minister to consult with the local member on who he appoints as the commissioner. We also expect to have a four-year sunset clause in the act and, importantly, our amendments will also remove references to the Kangaroo Island Council so that the commissioner cannot trump a democratically elected body.

With those comments, I indicate that the opposition will not be supporting the bill. We see for a number of reasons that it is not the right mechanism to bring about a change in the Kangaroo Island economy, but I have consulted with some of the crossbenches and I see it is likely that it will be supported at the second reading. As I have indicated, if it is supported at that stage we will move some amendments to try to make what we think is the wrong solution a little bit more accountable.

The Hon. T.T. NGO (15:56): I also rise to speak about a place and a plan that are very significant. The place is Kangaroo Island, and the plan is to improve its economy and enhance the delivery of services by the government to islanders and visitors by way of creation of the office of the commissioner for Kangaroo Island.

The place is special and the plan is significant for the islanders, their visitors, all South Australians, our country and beyond. The place and the plan are significant for me, personally, because following my arrival in Adelaide at the age of 10, a visit to Kangaroo Island was my first real experience of what I imagined to be the 'bush'. I was astonished at all the flora and fauna that were unique to the island—especially kangaroos—and amazed at the island's size and varied terrain.

Let me tell the house a bit about how I was given the opportunity to go to the island. When I arrived here I went to Hindmarsh Primary School. I was in year 6 then, and I did not speak a word of English. One day the school offered me the opportunity to go on a YMCA camp trip to the island for four days. I was the only student out of the whole school of a couple of hundred kids being offered the trip.

As a new migrant, my sister—who was looking after me at that stage—had no idea why the school offered me a free trip to the island and told the school I could not go because we had just arrived here by boat. She did not want to send me off on another boat trip!

The school principal and teacher came to my house and explained that attending the camp with other kids would be a great opportunity for me to understand the Australian culture. From the school's perspective it had nothing to do with me being naughty and their wanting to send me away for good. In the end, my sister agreed and let me go. I do not know how; most of us here have kids, and I would be very nervous if the school came and asked my 10-year-old child to be sent away on a camping trip by himself or herself. As a parent I would be worried too.

I take this opportunity to thank the school for giving me a lifetime opportunity to visit and experience such a beautiful place. In particular I thank my home class teacher, Mrs Myatt, who organised a sleeping bag, a pillow and whatever I needed to go on the camping trip. She even got her husband to pick me up and drop me off at the bus station in the city. So, it was an incredible kindness and dedication in how the school went out of its way to get me there.

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire: A good teacher.

The Hon. T.T. NGO: A very good teacher. In light of the journey that had brought me to South Australia, that experience has stayed with me ever since and has informed my views of the island in all its natural beauty. Obviously it is a lot better than the refugee camp on the island where I came from.The island is situated just a short 13 kilometres off our South-East coast. Kangaroo Island covers about 4,300 square kilometres, an area that surprises many visitors and in fact makes it Australia's third largest island after Tasmania and Melville Island.

It is part of the island in closest proximity to the mainland that is most developed by settlement and farming. Obviously that is why about a third of the area as a whole comes under the protection of national parks and conservation parks. We all know its wild surf beaches, its sun-browned paddocks, its quiet stands of various Indigenous flora, its penguins, fur seals and sea loins, wallabies, black cockatoos, reptiles and celebrated bees.

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire: And koalas.

The Hon. T.T. NGO: And koalas too, thank you. We know the sense of community that gives the islanders pride and coherence as a group, but also enables them to embrace difference. We know the glorious produce that comes from the pristine island environment: wine and beer, honey and bee products, sheep's milk yoghurt and cheese, eucalyptus oil, eggs and chickens, condiments, lobster, marron and fish of many varieties.

We know that tourists, conservationists, artists and scientists draw inspiration from residing on or visiting the island, but we know that state government services could be more coherently delivered. We know, too, that the residents' population is small, about 4,000. This means that local government struggles financially to provide the required services. We know that new farming techniques are changing the face of island agriculture and impacting for good or ill on native flora and fauna.

We know that infrastructure, particularly roads—the vast majority of which are unsealed—and power, needs improvement. We know that operating and transport costs for businesses are high, that residents can struggle to meet the cost of living because of those very factors, and that the island's special remoteness presents its own particular challenges, as well as advantages as I have discussed. What can be done to help Kangaroo Island realise its extraordinary potential while also safeguarding its unique character and personality? To answer that question we need to go back to first principles.

We know that South Australia has so much to offer both in terms of resident lifestyle and as a destination for visitors from all around the world, that our Strategic Plan targets tourism as an income producing strategy for the state, that we intend to increase visitor expenditure on Kangaroo Island to $180 million by 2020, and that we intend to grow the contribution made by the various components in our food sector to $20 billion in the same period, because clean green food is a commodity we can be confident will give us a competitive advantage, both locally in Australian markets and, of course, globally.

All these elements have specific application to Kangaroo Island which, while it punches well above its weight in terms of international recognition (it is up there with the Opera House, Barrier Reef and Uluru), would so clearly benefit in so many ways from a coordinated strategic plan for its sustainable developments into the future. As all present would be well aware, the Kangaroo Island Futures Authority (KIFA) was established in 2011. In consultation with a range of stakeholders, the KIFA board examined a number of issues impacting on the island and devised eight strategic priorities. Key objectives were set to lift tourism and farm gate income each by 50 per cent on 2012 levels by 2022.

The government has acknowledged the views expressed by KIFA and others that, while many of our departments and authorities, including education and further education, environment and natural resources, local government relations, health, police, SA Water, transport, fisheries and primary industry, regional development, tourism, native vegetation and national parks, provide services to the island, those services need to form a more coherent and more productive whole.

That is why the government is proposing a Kangaroo Island authority. It is proposed that this entity will overarch and coordinate all of the state bodies charged with delivery of services to the island and that it will be accountable to the minister with special responsibility for the island. This does not mean that the role of local government will be decreased. On the contrary, the two will operate together and, of course, Kangaroo Island Council will continue to represent the residents, provide the required services and manage commonwealth grants.

The government is also proposing a commissioner for Kangaroo Island whose primary role will be to assist in all possible ways—and, needless to say, in consultation—in developing the island's economy. The commissioner will coordinate existing departmental and other programs and officers, but in doing so will ensure an improved island-specific policy focus in service delivery methodology.

He or she will devise, in accordance with statutory principles and based on broad consultation with islanders, local government, relevant departments and any other body or person, management plans that put local interests, service provision and economic development on Kangaroo Island front and centre. The bill provides that the functions of the commissioner will be as follows:

(a) to improve the management, coordination and delivery of infrastructure and 35 services provided by government agencies on Kangaroo Island;

(b) to assist with improving the local economy on Kangaroo Island, which may include, for example, assisting with the marketing of the island or products from the island and helping to create employment and other opportunities from tourism or other industry development programs on the island;

(c) to prepare, and keep under review, management plans consistent with the functions of the commissioner; and

(d) any other functions conferred on the commissioner by or under this or any other act or by the minister.

And of course the commissioner will be obliged to report to parliament annually. As well, the ERD Committee, which I am currently on, will inquire into and report on the act's operation after two years and every four years thereafter. I understand that this bill had a fairly torrid time in the other place. There will always be those who resist change and who say that it is too expensive, that it will not work, that it will fail and we will look stupid. I say to them, 'Why not take a positive view, an optimistic view?' We have here a tiny, isolated part of South Australia that has an enormous amount to offer and needs a fair go. We want to help.

As the Hon. Mr Ridgway has just outlined in his speech, the Kangaroo Island Council is emphatically onside. It has passed a motion unanimously supporting the bill as amended in the other place, and I stress that those amendments were primarily concerned with mandating consultation with the council on particular matters. I cannot remember the last time a country council passed a motion unanimously supporting a government on a policy. I do not know if the Hon. Mr Brokenshire can remember when was the last time a council—

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire: 1874.

The Hon. T.T. NGO: 1874—that was the last time a country council moved a motion supporting what the government was doing. Islanders are themselves onside. The government is obviously onside, and remembering that initial exposure to Kangaroo Island all those years ago, I am onside, too. I commend the bill and hope for its speedy passage. I look forward to seeing the results of this initiative.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Brokenshire, before you start, you might want to put 1874 to the ABC's Fact Check and see what they make of that.

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (16:13): Thank you for your advice, sir. I rise to advise that, after careful consideration, lots of discussion, consultation and representation from a broad cross-section of the Kangaroo Island community, Family First will be supporting the principles of this bill.

We do not do that lightly, but I have to say also on the public record that I have had lots of representation from people I work closely with on Kangaroo Island as well as on the mainland and people I highly respect for their wisdom, guidance and commitment to the island—generational farmers and generational businesspeople. One even visited me at home a few weeks after I had my hip replacement operation to tell me why they believe that, on this occasion, the government was right in putting this commissioner proposal to the parliament.

I know there are concerns about it from the local member but, as I explained in a letter I wrote to the editor of The Islander, I believe that you do not look a gift horse in the mouth and that if there is an opportunity to capitalise proactively for a region, particularly a region like Kangaroo Island, then we should give this bill a go.

Family First would consider an amendment by the opposition, perhaps with a sunset clause in it, or a clause that said it had to be deliberated on by the parliament, ultimately after consideration through the ERD standing committee, perhaps. If the opposition put up something like that, we would look at it because it is always good to reassess something like that.

As Kangaroo Island is, in one sense, the most remote region in this state, any assistance that it can get to fully coordinate, cooperatively and collaboratively across government as a whole-of-government focus with a commissioner, I think, is a model that we should be giving a go. The proviso for that from our point of view is that we want to see this commissioner given real teeth and strength when it comes to their role and that, through the direction of the legislation and the support of the cabinet, the commissioner knows that if he or she, in their role as commissioner for Kangaroo Island, can capitalise on opportunities, the government will treat that as a priority.

Sometimes I am not in a position where I can support or agree with the Deputy Premier, the Hon. John Rau, but I have to say that, from what I have seen and heard in discussions with him personally, he is genuinely committed to ensuring that this commissioner proposal works, and to me that is a good thing.

The council is not opposed. In fact, as my colleague said in a very good speech preceding my comments now, the fact of the matter is that the council strongly lobbied Family First to support this, and not only the council but the Southern Hills Local Government Association, an area that takes in my own home region, Kangaroo Island and the Adelaide Hills. They wanted this to be supported by the parliament. From memory, we also got a letter from the Local Government Association as a whole wanting this supported.

Kangaroo Island is used sometimes frustratingly by federal and state governments as an icon, as a tool and an opportunity to encourage people to come and visit Australia, but so much more could occur on Kangaroo Island if there were some real effort put into improving its infrastructure and opportunities.

Someone for whom I had a lot of time was Mr Duncan MacGillivray, who sadly, tragically passed away on a holiday in Bali. I was with him in the dining room here with an Indonesian delegation only a few weeks before he passed away. He was a great South Australian, who was very committed to Kangaroo Island. He lead the charge on Kangaroo Island Pure Grain. When you look at what Kangaroo Island Pure Grain is doing and the way they are positioning opportunities for value-added agriculture from Kangaroo Island to export across the world, it just reinforces the opportunities for Kangaroo Island.

Successive governments of all colours, ever since they did away with the Troubridge and Island Seaway, have not done Kangaroo Island a favour when it comes to the water gap issues. In fact, we did some analysis on that and, if you look at the millions of dollars a year that used to go into water gap subsidisation to assist Kangaroo Island, that no longer exists.

One of the big problems still is the cost of freight and tourism, its passenger transport and its freight transport, and I will give you an example of where it is a problem. First of all, with the freight, if you want to export canola from Kangaroo Island to Japan, which they do, the cost in freight to get the canola to Port Adelaide is higher than the cost of then taking that canola from Port Adelaide to Japan. That is the sort of problem that they face. Then you have situations with prime lambs and things like that, where they have such high freight costs.

If you have a look at tourism, people would love to go to Kangaroo Island. My colleague, who had the opportunity of going there at age 10, really reinforced a key point to me; that is, that he was fortunate but that was his first look at the bush at 10 years of age. He was privileged, in a sense, because very few 10 year olds get to see Kangaroo Island. In fact, just before my mother passed away, at 85 or 86, when I told her I was going over to Kangaroo Island (because I go over there regularly meeting constituents) she said that she had never been to Kangaroo Island. I thought she had been, but she never got to Kangaroo Island. I did a bit of research into that and the reality is that only one in seven South Australians ever visit Kangaroo Island, and yet we have such an iconic, pristine, magnificent island that is so important in marketing the whole of Australia.

What I am saying there is that I want money put behind this commissioner because it is no good the commissioner having a role, and there is going to be around $1 million or even above $1 million allocated for this position, not only does the commissioner have to be listened to and initiatives expedited but there needs to be infrastructure spend, and I am talking—and I do not mean this tongue-in-cheek—more than $200,000 on a toilet block for tourists when they are going to see the seals, or something like that.

I am talking about serious money being spent on upgrading the airport and runway and serious money being spent on ensuring that they can get the passenger liners into Kingscote. Also, money needs to be spent urgently on upgrading their power supply because the power cable under the Backstairs Passage is at the end of its viable life.

If the cup is half full in your eyes then this is an opportunity, and the cup is half full in my eyes. I want to see this work. It is worth supporting. It is worth giving this position a go. I do not understand why some people are negative about the concept, but I guess the only positive thing to come out of that is that it actually puts more pressure on the commissioner and the government, if this bill is passed, to make it work.

Family First will watch this very closely. It may well be that if this model does work, and I do not believe that it is about more red tape and bureaucracy, in fact I would expect that the powers of the commissioner would be to streamline, work through and break down that red tape and bureaucracy and get things happening a lot quicker. If it does work, if it is a good model, then perhaps it could also go into outback South Australia to the pastoral areas and to support the APY lands because that is another very remote and important region that needs support.

So, let us be proactive. Let us be positive on this. Let us give this a go. As I said, if there is a clause that comes in amending the bill to have a sunset clause or a full review clause where the parliament at that point in time, after due and proper consultation, makes a decision on whether it then continues then Family First will look at supporting that amendment.

I will also put on the public record now, so that I do not have to spend too much time debating it in the committee stage—I still have to consult with my colleague about this, but given that it has been flagged—that as to the matter of the local member having input into the commissioner role, we will have to think very carefully about that before we would consider supporting that amendment. That would then be consistent with what we have done with things like the ICAC situation and the appointment of the commissioner there.

With those few words, I again thank the people of Kangaroo Island who have put so much energy into lobbying Family First to support the bill. I hope the bill will be passed. On this occasion, I congratulate the government because I think it has a genuine intent here. I hope there are positive outcomes that will see not only Kangaroo Island flourish, grow and build its economy, but I would hope that this will actually help with job creation and strengthening the economy throughout the state and in my own region, the Fleurieu Peninsula.

One of the other things with Kangaroo Island is that we miss out on certain international travellers coming to the Fleurieu peninsula to enjoy our beautiful dairy, wine and coastal opportunities. They just bypass us because they see Kangaroo Island, which they would like to visit, as too expensive a destination to access. With those words, we support the bill.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (16:25): I rise today to support the Commissioner for Kangaroo Island Bill. With some reluctance, I must say, I find myself in great agreement with nearly everything the Hon. Robert Brokenshire has said, which is very strange after the complete nonsense he talked in question time. However, his contributions today on this bill have been very worthwhile.

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: He might put you forward as the commissioner.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Someone like Robert might be a good commissioner, who knows?

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire: I would make a wonderful commissioner.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Robert thinks he would make a wonderful commissioner. This bill is a positive move for Kangaroo Island and for South Australia. Kangaroo Island is one of Australia's most recognised international tourism assets, and the island has incredible potential as a sought after travel destination. The Southern Ocean Lodge is widely regarded as one of the best resort hotels in the world, and there are many other premium experiences available to local and international tourists.

The isolation and relative wilderness of the island also provide great opportunities as a producer of premium quality produce, and the Hon. Robert Brokenshire has talked about KI Pure Grain and other Kangaroo Island Pure brands that are attracting massive premiums for their products. Food and wine tourism are just two of the great opportunities that Kangaroo Island has to make a strong contribution to the South Australian economy.

Many people know about the great things Kangaroo Island offers, but the opportunities have often gone unrealised or it has taken massive efforts on the part of entrepreneurs to overcome obstacles that are far too often, and often by well-meaning people, placed in the way without proper coordination.

In many ways the strengths that provide the island with its distinctive identity have a flip side, challenges that make things far more difficult than they need to be or than they are in other regions. It might seem like pointing out the obvious, but the fact that we are talking about an island, isolated from the rest of the state by Backstairs Passage, means that this region faces challenges that are different to any other region in the state. However, with challenges come opportunities, and that is why this bill is before us for consideration.

The government has recognised the opportunities on the island and the desire from the local islanders to see it reach its potential. This bill is a direct outcome of the work of the Kangaroo Island Futures Authority that was established to try to build a better future for the island. The Kangaroo Island Futures Authority advisory board combines the business sense of the chair of the state's Economic Development Board Raymond Spencer and local entrepreneurs Craig Wickham and Justin Harman, with the local mayor Jayne Bates, and the tourism expertise of Jane Jeffries.

The Kangaroo Island Futures Authority has worked hard over the past few years to implement strategies to support local government, local businesses and the overarching branding of and strategy for the island. While the Kangaroo Island Future Authority's work has been able to help many individuals, projects and businesses, there needs to be structural change to help overcome some of the challenges the island faces. By appointing a commissioner for Kangaroo Island it can be better seen as a single entity, and can have government services and strategies—

The PRESIDENT: Hon. Mr Maher, can you keep the volume down so that you do not interfere with the conversation between the Hon. Mr Ridgway and the Hon. Mr Brokenshire?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I apologise to the honourable members for thinking that when I was on my feet I might take precedence.

The PRESIDENT: Your apology is accepted.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Obviously they do not wish to consider taking their conversation outside; it is much more convenient for them in here. By appointing a commissioner for Kangaroo Island—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Would you like me to start again, Mr President?

The PRESIDENT: If you must. I have missed half of it.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: By appointing a commissioner for Kangaroo Island it can be better seen as a single entity, and can have government services and strategies coordinated and streamlined. All too often the Kangaroo Island Futures Authority has found that government decisions made from Adelaide appear well-intentioned but fail to align with efforts on the island.

As the minister noted in his second reading speech, the delivery of state government services suffers from three interrelated major problems from a Kangaroo Island perspective. Firstly, there is a lack of critical mass in any of these agencies that can be devoted to Kangaroo Island issues; secondly, the delivery of services tends to be Adelaide or mainland focused; and thirdly, there is a lack of any one or more networks joining up services with a Kangaroo Island focus.

The situation is exacerbated by the fact that there is a small population of about 4,000, meaning that local government struggles financially to deliver the necessary services, and there is a tenuous critical infrastructure provision, notably electricity and sea transport. These challenges are best addressed by creating a Kangaroo Island commissioner focused on the best interests of the island. The local council recognises the benefits that a commissioner can bring to the island and supports this bill.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I note the Hon. David Ridgway further interjecting and the hypocrisy with which he interjects. Often when bills are before this chamber, the opposition rely on the advice of a community group or a local council as a reason to be against the bill, but when the local council is unanimously and fully in support of the bill, they are still against it. They have it both ways and the hypocrisy is outstanding. If the Hon. David Ridgway, as a former shadow minister for local government, continues to want to alienate—

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Point of order, Mr President: I have never been the shadow minister for local government. I ask the honourable member to get his facts right and to withdraw it.

The PRESIDENT: Check with the ABC Fact Check.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I will check with the highly paid people at the ABC and their Fact Check program. Despite support from local government, despite the opposition refusing to listen to the will of local government, refusing to listen to what people want in regional areas, this bill as introduced has been formulated through consultation. With this being the case, it is perhaps of little surprise that the local council supports this bill, despite the opposition wanting to go against the wishes of the local council, and that is something they will have to answer for at coming elections.

Some who have spoken on this bill, particularly in the other place, have said that this bill should not be supported because it is a threat to local government on the island. Additionally, there is a debate in the other place where the point has been made that the support of the council should not be considered because the council is dysfunctional.

The opposition thinks that the council may be dysfunctional, and that is the reason they do want to support it, despite the council supporting this bill. It is an interesting line of argument because, if you accept the premise of the argument, the council is dysfunctional but you should not put someone in there to help them. It is an absolutely nonsensical argument, as we often get from the opposition.

The council recognises that the appointment of a commissioner should not be seen as a threat to their authority but that it will be another champion for the island who can work with the council to bring best outcomes for Kangaroo Island, outcomes that support the local economy of the island.

The government is working to double tourism income within a decade and to double farm gate income within a decade. These goals cannot be met by additional effort alone; a new approach is needed. The approach will be led by the commissioner, who I note from the minister's second reading will have the following the principal administrative responsibility of development management plans dealing with the delivery of government projects and services to Kangaroo Island.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Maher has the floor.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Thank you, Mr President. The Hon. David Ridgway continues to interject with 'We was robbed' commentary again and again, but I will continue. These management plans must be the subject of detailed consultation with affected departments; must accord with the legislated set of statutory functions; will be informed by local input, perhaps by local advisory boards; and will be instruments approved by the Governor in Council and published in the Government Gazette.

The commissioner will be required to consult with the relevant government departmental heads, and the minister will be responsible for solving any impasse. By giving a minister the responsibility for solving impasses, by granting the role of champion for Kangaroo Island to an independent commissioner, the island gets the best of both worlds.

That this bill is before our parliament is a good thing. Kangaroo Island is one of the jewels in South Australia's crown. It faces special challenges, and it needs help such as this to help it realise its potential. This bill is supported by the local council, it is supported by local people, and it would be a pity of the Liberal Party, through lack of consultation and lack of understanding, stood in the way of this bill, which will be good for the people of Kangaroo Island. I commend the bill to the house.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. J.S. Lee.