Commissioner for Kangaroo Island Bill

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 25 September 2014.)

The Hon. M.C. PARNELL (17:19): I rise to speak to the second reading of this bill and to indicate to the chamber that the Greens will be supporting it. This bill seeks to achieve a number of objectives, one of which is to achieve the coordinated and timely delivery of government services to Kangaroo Island. However, the role of the commissioner is broader. In fact, it is also to assist in other ways with improving the local economy of Kangaroo Island, whether that is in the marketing of products, the development of the tourism economy or in any other way.

What I have found remarkable about this debate is that practically all the correspondence that I have received from residents, business owners and local government on Kangaroo Island has been wholeheartedly in favour of this bill. In fact, it is difficult to find too many critics other than the local member, Mr Pengilly, who in some curious way appears to be very threatened by the creation of a new body that in part is to look after an electorate that he is charged with looking after as the local member.

I want to take a few moments in supporting the second reading to put on the record some of the communications that I have received from stakeholders and to thank them for taking the trouble to contact me. I will start with Mayor Jayne Bates OAM and Andrew Boardman, the chief executive officer of the Kangaroo Island Council. They have kept me in the loop continuously. They have taken the trouble to come to Adelaide, to sit down with me and talk through this bill, and they are wholeheartedly in favour of it.

In fact, the resolution that was passed at their council meeting, as I understand it, was unanimously in favour of the bill. I think that speaks volumes, because if there was to be any group of people who you might think would be threatened by the imposition of an additional layer of administration it would be the local council and yet they are the ones who are the loudest in their support.

That support has translated up the food chain, as it were. If we take the local government region that takes in Kangaroo Island, the Southern and Hills Local Government Association, earlier this year at their 20 June board meeting the association, which consists of the seven member councils of the Fleurieu Peninsula, including Kangaroo Island, resolved unanimously to fully support the passage of the Commissioner for Kangaroo Island Bill. If we go higher up the food chain we get to the Local Government Association itself. Again, they have written to us in June this year saying:

The LGA has been supporting the Kangaroo Island Council in considering the Commissioner for Kangaroo Island Bill including advising on various amendments and enhancements to negotiate with the Government. The LGA will continue to support the council during the passage of this Bill through Parliament.

At the LGA Management Group meeting on Thursday 19 June it was resolved that, on behalf of the LGA Board and their response to the Kangaroo Island Council's request, I advise key State Members of Parliament that the LGA supports the passage of this Bill through the Parliament.

In fact, the love is flowing strongly. The Attorney-General is receiving accolades from the Kangaroo Island Council. In fact, the red carpet is to be rolled out, as I understand it. Jayne Bates' letter to the Attorney, which has been circulated to all members, says:

We thank you again for the opportunity to work with you to give this legislation and the Commissioner's role the best possible start in life and we look forward to hosting your next visit to present to, and consult with, our Community on the Commissioner for Kangaroo Island Bill.

So the love is flowing. Mind you, the tap has been turned in relation to some other issues to do with planning, but we will come to those later. I do not want to spoil the moment now. The local newspaper has reported in some detail over several months the response of the local Kangaroo Island community. The headline was:

'Yes' to Commissioner

The Kangaroo Island Council votes unanimously to support commissioner to act for the island.

In the letters to the editor page—whilst these are never unanimous, and part of the job of a letters editor is to try to find some contrary views—overwhelmingly the letters have been in favour of the commissioner. Some of them were from Leeza and David Irwin, Geoff and Margi Prideaux, Allan Henderson of Kingscote, and the list goes on.

One letter that I received was from a person who I worked with some 15 to 20 years ago on Kangaroo Island, a chap called Craig Wickham. He is someone who has been in business on Kangaroo Island in the tourism sector for 25 years; 10 years working as a member of the Kangaroo Island Council; he is the presiding member of the Kangaroo Island Development Assessment Board; a board member of the Natural Resource Management Board; and a board member of the Kangaroo Island Futures Authority since its inception. Craig Wickham said, 'I have to say this has been the single most positive initiative in which I've been involved.'

My dealings with Craig were as a conservation delegate on a state government ecotourism task force because, as members would know, ecotourism is very much the future of Kangaroo Island's economy. What Craig Wickham says in a letter to Ms Vicki Chapman, member for Bragg, in her capacity, I think, as shadow attorney-general, is:

I am bemused by the complete lack of support for this proposal by some sectors of the Opposition.

In fact, I have to say that I have yet to receive any coherent argument from the member for Finniss or anyone else as to why this bill should not be supported. Other letters I have received in support of the bill are from Judie Bell of Kingscote; Jane Peckover, again, an island resident; Hartley Willson from Penneshaw; the managing editor of The Islander newspaper, stepping out of an editorial role in the tabloid but in her capacity as proprietor of Black Stump Media. Shauna Black writes stating:

I write in support of the concept of the KI Commissioner as proposed by Deputy Premier John Rau and State Economic Development Board Chairman Raymond Spencer.

My family has lived on Kangaroo Island nine years and I have spent most of those as Managing Editor of The Islander newspaper.

This role has given me a front row seat to the work of the Kangaroo Island Council and the Kangaroo Island Futures Authority. I have seen first-hand as the council and other agencies have tried to tackle the complex and unique challenges facing the Kangaroo Island economy and community.

The support of this State Government has been most valuable and must continue for the projects in the pipeline to be completed and the future work to shore up the sustainability of the island and realise its true potential.

A designated commissioner who can assist and progress the island's causes would be welcomed by many on the island.

Really, that is the tone of most of the correspondence that I have received from islanders. As members would know, having spent a lot of my life working in the conservation movement, I pay particular attention to constituents who come from an environmental or conservation perspective. I was pleased to receive a letter from Geoff and Margi Prideaux (the Migratory Wildlife Network), basically reiterating what others have said before. They support this bill, they believe it will be good for Kangaroo Island. Another organisation—and I have to confess here that I had not heard of this group before—the Kangaroo Island Road Safety Committee wrote to us saying:

We are of the belief that a commissioner for Kangaroo Island would benefit the island in more ways than one but particularly by giving strength to the island's ability to move forward as a united region by bringing together the different government departments.

This letter does not say who it is addressed to but it goes on to state:

We agree with your statement—

I am not sure whose statement that was but they agree with this statement—

that 'The island is complex, it's a unique and valuable resource for the state of South Australia, but it's been unable to achieve its full potential for decades.'

There are a couple more, including from Sue Florance of the Ficifolia Lodge in Parndana, again urging us to support the passage of the bill. I will conclude with one very detailed and very thoughtful representation made by Joy F. Willson, who describes herself as a ratepayer, elector and elected member from Penneshaw. She states:

The Council as a whole has gone through the proposed Bill and taking into consideration all discussions held and advice given have wholeheartedly supported the proposed Bill. The Council has put up many amendments which have been received favourably by the Government with the expectation that The Council will receive a final draft very shortly.

This is back in June. She continues:

As a private person I can only see good for Kangaroo Island emanating from this proposed Legislation. I guess there are other regional areas within our State who can only dream that this type of Legislation might be, at some time in the future, available for them. Kangaroo Island Futures Authority has done some excellent work for this island and its Community and in many ways not so tangible to the eyes but behind the scenes work done by this Body has been extraordinary. When the KIFA bows out of the picture then the Island may be back to square one that is, with decisions being made by Governments that have a lasting detrimental effect on the Kangaroo Island Community, its Social fabric and its Economic viability, past, now and into the future. The need to review the delivery of all Government services to Kangaroo Island should be a priority to both sides of Politics.

I think she meant 'all sides of politics' there. She continues:

Scratch the surface of this place, and not very deep, and you will find that these services often are subject of 'Talk Fests', folk fly in, have a meeting and fly out without anything tangible being achieved. The Social impact on this place by the non-coordination of Services is huge.

She then goes on to criticise Mr Michael Pengilly and the Liberal approach.

The Hon. I.K. Hunter: Read it out!

The Hon. M.C. PARNELL: But I don't need to read any more of that into Hansard. The conclusion that the Greens have drawn from all of that correspondence from ordinary citizens, elected members, councils in their official capacity, the fourth estate and local businesses of all types is that this small community of only about 4,000 people is eager for there to be a mechanism in place to coordinate services for them so it meets their needs and, as the last submission I read out, does not just involve talkfests and fly in-fly out. If the community wants this legislation, then I think they deserve our support in passing this bill as expeditiously as possible.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. G.A. Kandelaars.