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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-06-24 Daily Xml
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Riverbank Arena

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:27): When will the government be backing down and cancelling this basketball stadium?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:27): I thank the leader for his Dorothy Dixer because that gives me the opportunity to speak for another four minutes in responding to the question. The answer to the member's question is quite simply that there will be no backdown in relation to the Riverbank arena because (a) it generates jobs for South Australians not only during construction but also in an ongoing capacity because the benefit-cost ratio—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: I will say 'Oh, dear' as well. Stop interjecting.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: —for this particular project is between 1.2 and 1.3. It actually generates revenue because we are able to attract conventions and conferences, visitors and delegates who spend money in South Australia in restaurants, hotels, accommodation and other entertainment, as well as attending their convention or their conference in South Australia.

The critical question is that only $10 million will be spent in the next two years, and the building of the arena will not conclude until 2027-28, after we have built a brand-new Women's and Children's Hospital and after we have resolved some of the issues in terms of mental health and ambulance services and easing pressure on emergency departments and increasing the capacity in emergency departments, as the people of South Australia would want us to do—give priority to health and then we will finish the building of the arena.

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