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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-08-25 Daily Xml
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Kangaroo Island Wharf Facility

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (15:35): I wish to address the irrational decision made by the Attorney-General and planning minister, the Hon. Vickie Chapman, to knock back the development of a deep sea port at Smith Bay on Kangaroo Island. This decision, based on her own views rather than the experts' and the advice from our own State Planning Commission, is going to cost the Kangaroo Island community and economy dearly as well as be a hit to the state's economy at a time when timber resources are so desperately needed.

Millions of tonnes of timber are awaiting harvest or ready to be shipped from the island to meet the insatiable need of the nation's construction industry. The government continues to act like a sloth in trying to find a solution to this urgent dilemma it created through its own inept action and decision-making. The State Planning Commission concluded that the project should be given provisional approval with certain caveats—manageable caveats. Many business leaders on the island and mainland are astounded by the minister's decision. She is not an expert and I wonder what else or who motivated her to make the call.

The minister has generational longstanding family, personal and financial interests on the island, and I appreciate her passion for the place where she was raised, but her decision also begs the question: why have a planning commission in the first place go to such forensic detail assessing a project and making recommendations to the government only to have the government totally ignore that expert advice and outright reject the project?

The minister's appalling call, supported by a mayor who has a conflict of interest because his property is located adjacent to the wharf and the abalone farm, which would have resulted in log-laden trucks going past his place, has cost the island's economy jobs and much-needed revenue. Here is what Ms Chapman has done with one swoop of her blunt, misinformed chainsaw:

killed off a lucrative forestry industry that would have provided hundreds of jobs and injected millions of dollars into the economy for decades;

killed off additional investment opportunities on the island, including a chipping plant and power generator;

killed off incentives for the expansion of associated industries, like transport and clearing;

killed off further tourism opportunities with cruise ships having a better place to offload passengers;

killed off hope the existing timber can be transported off the island efficiently and economically, which now may result in excellent quality timber having to be torched every single day in winter, thus creating an environmental pollution hazard; and

killed off further investment interest in Kangaroo Island and South Australia.

Who would want to try to get a project off the ground here when they have to spend millions on reports and EISs just to gain approval? When they do, it is knocked back, knocked on the head, by a minister despite getting the nod from the planning agency. It is an appalling message the Marshall government has sent to the international business community. The minister seems totally oblivious to the impact her decision will have on future generations in a region that already desperately needs a viable, income-generating stream apart from its rural contribution.

But here is the kicker to another critical issue the planning minister may now need to take responsibility for: the death of thousands of koalas. We know that many were killed during the 2020 bushfires, but thousands more are still living in the remaining blue gum plantations. Kangaroo Island Plantation Timbers has an obligation to its shareholders to provide a return on investment. Now that it cannot do that by exporting the timber, it has decided to return the land to agricultural use.

That means clearing the remaining blue gum plantations, the habitat of thousands of koalas. What will become of them? KIPT has been told by National Parks it must come up with a koala management plan. It needs to identify where the koalas are and then relocate them. Where on the island will they be able to do that? Did Ms Chapman even consider this in her deliberations? Was it discussed in cabinet?

This is going to add another layer of costs, or should I say losses, to KIPT, a publicly listed company that was investing millions of dollars of its own money and was not seeking handouts from the government. Ms Chapman's captain's call in defiance of what was recommended could now end up being a public relations tourism disaster for the island that could result in thousands of koalas starving to death or, God forbid, thousands of this national emblem being euthanised.

The PRESIDENT: Before calling the Hon. Ms Scriven, can I just remind the Hon. Mr Pangallo that he should refer to the Attorney-General in that role or as Minister for Planning, rather than as Ms Chapman.

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