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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-02-05 Daily Xml
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Governor's Speech

At 12:15, His Excellency the Governor, having been announced by Black Rod, was received by the President at the bar of the council chamber and conducted by him to the chair. The Speaker and members of the House of Assembly having entered the chamber in obedience to his summons, His Excellency read his opening speech as follows:

Mr President and Honourable Members of the Legislative Council.

Mr Speaker and Members of the House of Assembly.

I have called you together for the second session of the Fifty-Fourth South Australian Parliament.

We are gathered on the traditional lands of the Kaurna People.

I pay my respect to their elders, past, present and emerging.

I also extend this respect and recognition to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people here today.

I thank Mickey O'Brien, an Elder of the Kaurna people, for his Welcome to Country.

I want also to acknowledge the impact of the bushfire crisis on our great nation.

We think particularly of those who have lost their lives, including those who came from overseas to help us.

We extend our deepest sympathies to their loved ones and to all those who have suffered.

I also extend my heartfelt thanks to all those who have been supporting the rescue, recovery and relief efforts.

Honourable Members,

On its election, my Government accepted the challenges to create more jobs, improve services and reduce costs to households and businesses.

The bushfires confront us with an equally urgent challenge.

To support as strongly as we can, families, businesses and communities devastated by the fires.

This is a challenge my Government knows will also be met.

Because a state is not only a government.

Government reflects the people.

And all South Australians are demonstrating the commitment and determination to help in this time of emergency.

On behalf of my Government, I thank all South Australians for reaching out to those affected by the summer's bushfires.

So that they can recover and rebuild as soon as possible.

In this enormous effort, they have our entire state behind them.

Honourable Members,

My Government is delivering on its commitments made to the people of South Australia at the 2018 election.

Costs to families and businesses are being lowered.

More jobs are being created.

And there is a continuing focus on providing better government services.

However, three very important measures were not passed by the Legislative Council during the first session of this Parliament.

I refer to bills to:

Extend the hours shops can trade in the Greater Adelaide Shopping District and Proclaimed Shopping Districts

Cap Local Government council rates

Permanently lift the prohibition on growing genetically modified crops in all areas of the state except Kangaroo Island

My Government believes very strong community support has been demonstrated for each of these measures to be delivered.

Accordingly, they will be presented for your further consideration during this session.

Honourable Members,

My Government has secured unprecedented cooperation from the Commonwealth for the accelerated delivery of major productive infrastructure for our cities, towns and regions.

South Australia has a fully funded pipeline of infrastructure works worth $12.9 billion over four years.

For the longer term, proposals will be identified in Infrastructure South Australia's first 20-year strategy to be published soon.

Targeted investment in priority infrastructure projects is creating jobs, strengthening our economy and will get people home sooner and safer.

My Government's greatest infrastructure challenge remains the North-South corridor through the Adelaide metropolitan area.

During this parliamentary session, my Government will make a decision on how this vital corridor is to be completed.

Other major transport and road infrastructure projects being delivered include:

Electrifying the Gawler railway line

Extending the Tonsley line to Flinders University

Removing two level crossings

Upgrading seven major metropolitan intersections

Extending the Paradise and Golden Grove Park N' Rides

Repairing more than 1,000 kilometres of regional roads

As well as improving our transport infrastructure, my Government is also determined to deliver better and more customer focused services using this infrastructure.

Accordingly, my Government will complete the contracting of metropolitan train and tram services during this parliamentary session.

My Government is actively planning additional major inner city sporting and entertainment infrastructure.

This follows completion of the upgrade to the Memorial Drive tennis centre which has delivered immediate benefits through the attraction of leading international tennis players to compete in Adelaide last month and Australia's Davis Cup tie against Brazil next month.

As well as my Government's cooperation with the Commonwealth to deliver key infrastructure, our relationship has secured other major benefits including:

A City Deal supported by $185 million of Federal investment

The establishment in Adelaide of the Australian Space Agency and Cooperative Research Centre

Active collaboration on implementation of the naval shipbuilding program at Osborne

Naval shipbuilding is delivering a sophisticated, high-end manufacturing sector to complement the agricultural, mining and service industries that remain central to the South Australian economy.

My Government regards this as not only an opportunity to build submarines, ships and other vessels for our navy, but also to support smaller companies and innovators to succeed in the defence sector and export markets.

Honourable Members,

My Government aspires to a South Australia that works for all of us.

A state that is dynamic, vibrant and enterprising, with the confidence to embrace big thinking and bold change.

A state where effort, planning and persistence are rewarded by success.

Where your future isn't limited by the suburb, town, region or nation in which you were brought up.

Where you are just as likely to reach the top in a profession if your education has been at a state school rather than a private one.

And apprentices and trainees as well as university graduates can look forward to satisfying, well-paid careers.

A state where people lend a hand and a heart to others when they are needed—as they have been during the bushfires.

A state where home owners can maintain their mortgages without constant worry about making ends meet and where other cost-of-living pressures are eased.

Honourable Members,

My Government continues to lower costs for South Australian families and businesses.

Payroll tax on small business has been abolished.

Emergency Services Levy bills have been significantly reduced.

From July, there will be lower water costs and land tax reforms will benefit 92 per cent of smaller investors and 75 per cent of company groups.

Further cost relief includes lower electricity bills for households, reductions in compulsory third-party insurance premiums, doubling the value of sports vouchers for primary school-aged children and free screening checks for volunteers.

My Government has received independent research which concludes living in Adelaide is 16 per cent more affordable than Melbourne and 28 per cent more affordable than Sydney.

This advice also shows Adelaide has considerably lower office rental costs and other business outgoings.

My Government will use this research to present a compelling business case for Commonwealth Government departments and private businesses with large white collar support service functions to relocate to Adelaide.

Honourable Members,

Our state's economy is maintaining a solid level of employment and rising levels of business investment.

With lower costs and a more efficient regulatory environment, all businesses will have the incentive to grow and employ more people.

That is why my Government is delivering its Growth State Plan as a new approach to industry support.

My Government firmly believes South Australia has a future full of opportunity and prosperity and that our community is responding to this potential.

South Australian Certificate of Education completions are at their highest in nine years.

Over the past year, 700 South Australian businesses have taken on an apprentice for the first time.

There is high demand for places in the innovation and Startup Hub being developed at Lot Fourteen.

The loss of younger South Australians to other states and elsewhere to seek careers has reduced significantly.

The proportion of Aboriginal people in our public sector workforce continues to rise while the value of public sector contracts being secured by Aboriginal owned and operated businesses has risen almost tenfold.

My Government sees indicators like these as reflecting growing anticipation and confidence about South Australia's future.

Growth State is my Government's plan to work with industry to leverage our global competitive advantage to drive jobs growth and secure new economic opportunities for South Australia.

Opportunities in:

Defence

Space

Energy and Minerals

Food, wine and agribusiness

International education

Tourism

Hi-Tech

Health and Medical Industries

Creative Industries

So far, my Government has approved almost $100 million of funding to support Growth State initiatives.

A focus of Growth State is to lift South Australia's export performance for the long term.

My Government regards this as essential if our state is to achieve and sustain 3 per cent annual economic growth—double what it has been over the past decade.

Recently, South Australia's international education sector has overtaken wine as the export sector generating the highest earnings for our state.

The number of international students enrolled in South Australia has exceeded 40,000 for the first time.

Our tourism sector is also growing strongly.

South Australia's visitor economy is now worth $7.8 billion annually with the industry aiming to increase this by $5 billion over the next decade.

Hotel bookings are the highest on record and another 700 rooms are being added through new developments during this year.

Our visitor economy continues to be boosted by a thriving arts and culture sector.

My Government is delivering a five-year Arts and Culture Plan to guide further investment in this sector.

While the drought continues to have an adverse impact on South Australia's total international trade and the recent bushfires are a temporary setback for export growth, my Government remains determined to deliver all possible support to our exporters.

New trade and investment offices have been established in Shanghai and Tokyo and a third will open in Houston in the United States in the first half of 2020 to be followed by Dubai and Kuala Lumpur.

In helping to build a stronger economy, my Government's actions are being guided by advice from Infrastructure South Australia and our state's Productivity Commission.

The early establishment of these important institutions was a high priority to provide professional and independent advice.

As a result of the Productivity Commission's comprehensive inquiry into government purchasing practices, my Government will implement major changes which will make it easier for customers to do business with government agencies.

Honourable Members,

As my Government helps to unlock business investment and job creation, it also stands by those industries that have been South Australia's mainstay for almost 200 years.

Our primary industries remain confronted by drought conditions.

Some of the communities in which our primary producers have lived and operated for generations have also been devastated by bushfire.

All South Australians appreciate the commitment and courage of our firefighters and all other emergency services workers who continue to serve selflessly and tirelessly to help minimise loss of life and property.

No praise is too high for them.

We remain in their debt for the lives saved and property losses avoided.

My Government has worked closely with the Commonwealth on new arrangements to ensure our volunteer firefighters called out over prolonged periods are not financially disadvantaged.

I have visited the areas affected by the bushfires so far this summer.

I have spoken to South Australians whose properties were destroyed or damaged.

To do so is to be in awe of their resilience.

I have also met many of those who continue to sacrifice time with their families to defend and support their communities.

This experience is to see South Australians at their very best.

In recognition of their effort, I was pleased to include representatives of the Country Fire Service, Metropolitan Fire Service, State Emergency Service and National Parks and Wildlife Service in the honour guard outside Parliament today and I acknowledge their presence in the Gallery now. Please join me in showing our appreciation to them.

Members' acclamation.

We have seen men and women reach out to their neighbours despite their own safety and property being at risk, supporting one another in confronting catastrophe threatening entire communities.

To assist those who have suffered loss, my Government is providing tax relief and the waiving of fees and charges and with the Commonwealth, is allocating funding to support recovery and rebuilding.

Typically, people, organisations and businesses right across South Australia have been extremely generous in their support of the emergency relief fund my Government has established and other appeals.

My Government also thanks the State Opposition for its constructive support of the collective effort needed to respond to this period of emergency.

As the recovery and rebuilding work intensifies, my Government is allocating major resources from its agencies to support individuals, communities, primary producers, businesses, wildlife and the environment.

It is essential that our tourism operators are able to recover as rapidly as possible so that the growth momentum this sector has achieved can continue.

Accordingly, the Premier has taken the tourism portfolio to drive support across government and a senior government role has been created to coordinate the rebuild of the Kangaroo Island and Adelaide Hills economies and communities.

To further assist our farmers and their families with their ongoing challenges, a dedicated Drought Support Program has been created with the injection of $21 million.

Through its Growth State Plan, my Government will help to improve the productivity of our primary industries with a $7.5 million Red Meat and Wool initiative and support for the adoption of AgTech solutions by our farmers to enhance resource use, reduce costs and boost production.

Our state is reaching out to farming communities beyond our borders as well.

My Government's historic agreement with the Commonwealth to bring into use the Adelaide Desalination Plant is supporting drought affected farmers across our nation in their time of great need.

My Government is also playing an active and constructive role in the delivery of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

This Plan is critical in striking the balance between delivering water to those communities relying on the Basin and ensuring the future health of the Basin environment.

Further far-reaching support to our primary producers will be provided through two bills to be introduced during this session.

The laws governing the state's pastoral lands will be repealed and rewritten to support the production of livestock and the growth of the pastoral industry.

Existing legislation providing for biosecurity will also be modernised to address challenges presented by increased international movement of people, increased trade of goods and services and climate variability.

During the first session of this Parliament, there was insufficient time to complete consideration of a bill to increase penalties for those trespassing on agricultural land with the intention of interfering with and disrupting the normal activities of our farmers and food producers.

The legislation will be re-presented in this session.

To further protect our livestock industry, rebuilding of 1,600 kilometres of the Dog Fence in far northern South Australia will begin later this year to prevent wild dog incursions.

Honourable Members,

Worsening and more extended drought and bushfire conditions cause us all to be concerned about the sustainability of our environment and our economy.

South Australia's climate is changing, and my Government believes further change is inevitable.

My Government insists this provides great opportunity for South Australia and must not be a cause for community division or despair.

It believes the best response to public concern is the implementation of practical measures that secure emissions abatement without increasing energy costs and reducing jobs.

My Government is continuing to prioritise the delivery a of modern energy system to provide clean, affordable and reliable power for consumers.

It is very strongly supporting the fast-tracked establishment of an interconnector between South Australia and New South Wales as well as the development of grid scale storage so that renewable energy better serves consumer needs.

During this year my Government will focus on accelerating access to consumer bill reductions by helping to deliver more equitable access to solar and battery storage.

This includes the largest home battery rollout per capita in the world through the Home Battery Scheme and creation of the world's largest virtual power plant from the provision of batteries to Housing Trust homes.

In acting now to mitigate climate risk, South Australia can be an international leader in successfully harnessing current and emerging opportunities for economic growth through the development of new climate smart services and industries.

These include:

Hydrogen fuel and biofuels

The transition to electric vehicles and low emissions transport

Climate resilient agriculture

Innovations in waste and recycling

My Government's Growth State Plan is already supporting significant progress in taking our state into the emerging international hydrogen economy.

Later this year, an electrolyser facility being established at the Tonsley Innovation District will begin supplying more than 700 nearby homes with a blend of renewable hydrogen in natural gas delivered through the existing gas network.

It is our nation's first demonstration project of this scale and size.

As well as continuing to roll out its Hydrogen Action Plan, this year my Government will also launch an Electric Vehicle Action Plan.

These initiatives will demonstrate that our state's entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem has the capability to design and support climate smart solutions.

Innovation hubs such as Tonsley and also Lot Fourteen are bringing together research and education institutions, established businesses and start-ups.

They are fostering climate smart entrepreneurialism and supporting the take-up and commercialisation of innovation.

During this year, my Government will release its Climate Change Strategy for South Australia.

The Strategy will build on the recently delivered Directions for a Climate Smart South Australia.

This sets a framework for climate smart action and planning across government.

The Strategy will contribute to national efforts to evolve climate policies to do more.

It will allow South Australia to aspire to reduce emissions by more than 50 per cent by 2030 from 2005 levels, potentially contributing twice as much to the national target as other states.

My Government is already implementing a Blue Carbon Strategy which identifies opportunities for carbon sequestration and abatement from protection and restoration of our coastal ecosystems.

The resilience of our metropolitan coastline to better cope with rising sea levels will be improved through a major external sand dump onto West Beach and building a sand pumping pipeline to deliver a long-term, sustainable solution to sand loss.

Honourable Members,

My Government's determination to enhance the sustainability of our economy and our environment extends beyond its response to climate change.

Through its Growth State Plan, my Government will pursue a unique opportunity to harness the potential of our precious natural environment to grow the economy by reinvigorating our parks system.

Our parks help make our state one of the most liveable places in the world.

They improve the resilience of our environment.

They exist for public benefit and enjoyment while conserving biodiversity, landscapes, cultural and historic sites.

They are central to the lives of South Australians and the experiences of visitors to our state.

Parks and heritage places also provide an opportunity to leverage private investment in nature-based and heritage tourism and deliver economic growth, particularly in our regions.

Carefully targeted investment can support biodiversity and boost tourism and recreational experiences, delivering both conservation dividends and increased job opportunities.

The need for such investment has become even more pressing following the damage to some of our parks caused by the bushfires.

My Government is actively participating with all other jurisdictions across our nation in identifying measures to reduce the risks and impacts of bushfires in the future.

This also provides an opportunity to identify projects that can enhance the sustainability of our parks system while repairing the damage done by the bushfires.

In the coming months, my Government will work closely with communities and potential investors to identify sensible, exciting opportunities to create some world-class nature and wildlife experiences through ecologically sensitive developments that complement park management.

In extending our parks network, during this year my Government will open Glenthorne in our southern suburbs as metropolitan Adelaide's second national park.

My Government believes this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to preserve and revitalise a significant portion of open space and turn it into a thriving environmental and recreational precinct across more than 1,500 hectares of land.

Seven reservoirs will also be opened up to provide further recreation opportunities and to deliver economic benefits for local communities and our regions.

An expanded parks network and public access to reservoirs will provide more ways for South Australians and visitors to our state to engage with the natural environment and make our state an even better place in which to live.

Following passage of the Landscape South Australia Act during the first session of this Parliament, my Government's priority for the management of natural resources will be decentralised decision-making and back-to-basics land management.

An important element of this reform is the establishment of the Green Adelaide Board.

Green Adelaide will drive the rapid greening and cooling of our capital city and build a strong connection between Adelaide residents and their natural environment through initiatives that adapt the urban landscape to our changing climate.

Honourable Members,

For more than 40 years, South Australia has been recognised as our nation's leader in waste management and resource recovery.

My Government believes it is now time to redouble our efforts to support the sustainability of our environment and to provide further economic opportunity.

Global resource recovery markets are changing rapidly while there is growing public awareness of the impact waste is having on our environment.

My Government will extend South Australia's leadership by establishing our state as the national epicentre for the waste and resource recovery industry.

There will be a focus on developing remanufacturing of recycled materials, growing our organics waste industry and educating our community about how it can contribute to our state's leadership in waste management and resource recovery.

The first business in our state has already officially gone plastic free under my Government's plan to eliminate single use plastics.

Following extensive consultation with communities and businesses, a bill will be presented to you to ban single use plastic items like straws, cutlery, beverage stirrers and polystyrene cups and bowls.

My Government's plans for improving the natural environment require effective cooperation with Local Government.

During this session, my Government will introduce comprehensive legislation to reform our Local Government sector.

This will help reduce red tape and costs and improve member conduct and public confidence in our councils.

The legislation will be guided by recommendations my Government is considering from the Productivity Commission following its inquiry into local government costs and efficiency.

In full cooperation with councils across the state, my Government is also delivering on the final stages of a new planning system.

The new system will:

Increase consultation

Reduce the regulatory burden and the time taken to make planning decisions

Improve opportunities to value add in regional areas, especially in farm-grown produce

Extend opportunities to grow the tourism sector by opening up land to create new experiences for visitors to regional South Australia

As my Government provides for better planned communities, it is also looking to expand mobility within and between local areas.

A trial of on-demand bus services has commenced at Mount Barker and in the Barossa Valley.

More e-scooter and ride share options are also being provided, including deregulation of ride share and opening up this mode of personal transport to regional South Australia.

Honourable members,

Mining is one of South Australia's great traditional industries.

Its future potential is being enhanced by highly sophisticated exploration and recovery methods to help the earth share more of its secrets while mitigating environmental impacts.

We remain a very prospective state for commodities like copper and iron ore.

My Government is completing the regulations required to support implementation of the legislation passed last year to modernise our mining laws.

It will continue to encourage improvements in interactions between landholders and resource proponents through further reform of the regulatory framework.

It is important to maintain community support for the responsible development of our state's resources.

This must include new discoveries which my Government is encouraging through the Advanced Discovery Initiative and the Explorer Challenge.

My Government is supporting those enterprises looking to expand their exploration and production in the Gawler Craton.

This is one of the most prospective copper regions in the world.

Recognising the important role that natural gas plays for key industrial users and in power generation, my Government is ensuring South Australia continues its contribution to national supply.

Honourable Members,

My Government firmly believes South Australia offers a blend of economic and environmental opportunity which is highly attractive to businesses that can harness new technologies, ideas and knowledge while offering their employees a lifestyle that is second to none.

As South Australia pursues economic opportunity from the changing climate, so can our state place itself firmly on the global map by becoming the leading centre in the Southern Hemisphere for other future industries and entrepreneurship.

Lot Fourteen in the Adelaide CBD is developing as a microcosm of what South Australia's future can be—of how our state can build on the strengths we have and the new opportunities we can pursue.

In this seven-hectare neighbourhood, the dynamism and vibrancy of innovation are being unleashed as it attracts people to share spaces, experiences and most of all, ideas.

Companies at the cutting edge of technology wanting to benefit from its unique collaborative culture are locating on the site.

Development of a world-leading Innovation and Startup Hub is well advanced.

It is already the home to more than 35 start-ups, encouraging the next generation to get involved in innovation and entrepreneurship.

Led by the Chief Entrepreneur, Mr Jim Whalley, my Government is establishing a new model for entrepreneurship.

It is called the Future Industries Exchange for Entrepreneurship—or FIXE.

This is equipping South Australians with the tools, mechanisms and resources to start and grow successful businesses.

Other activities now well underway at Lot Fourteen include the establishment of the Australian Space Agency while by July, the Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre will be fully operational.

The Centre includes a cyber range, training facilities and space to enable collaboration between government and business in the testing of equipment, training the cyber workforce and responding to cyber challenges.

Other core elements of this thriving new community in our CBD will include an International Centre for Food, Hospitality and Tourism Studies and an Aboriginal Art and Cultures Centre.

Honourable Members,

As well as helping to deliver a modern and stronger economy, my Government remains committed to encouraging a better educated and healthier South Australia.

The education and health portfolios account for 50 per cent of my Government's operating expenses—close to $10 billion annually.

Lot Fourteen is linking South Australia to a globally and culturally connected world driven by creativity, innovation and entrepreneurialism.

This means that more than ever, school education must deliver strong foundation skills in literacy and numeracy.

Following the election of my Government, South Australia became the first state to require all Year 1 students to complete a phonics check.

Screening checks show continuing overall improvement, demonstrating that my Government's focus on phonics is lifting literacy outcomes and learning in our schools.

Through the Entrepreneurial Learning Strategy developed by my Government, specialist programs will begin this year in our state's five entrepreneurial high schools with opportunities extended to students from other schools through industry forums and sharing of resources.

To enhance and sustain the learning environment, my Government has committed investment of $1.3 billion in buildings and other school infrastructure.

This includes work to begin this year on new schools in Whyalla, Aldinga and Angle Vale.

Infrastructure planning for education accommodates our state's long overdue move of Year 7 to secondary school.

By mid-2020, our schools will have the best internet connection in the nation when my Government completes its partnership with Telstra to deliver internet infrastructure.

My Government is also continuing capital investment support to the non-government school sector.

The biggest overhaul of Vocational Education and Training in a generation has been initiated by my Government, delivering on its commitment to provide employers and students with more opportunity and choice through a contestable training system.

Major reform is restoring the value and true purpose of VET pathways for school students, particularly by recalibrating courses to match industry needs and the potential for long-term, high skilled, high paying employment.

During 2019, record numbers of students included VET as part of their South Australian Certificate of Education.

The take-up of apprenticeships and traineeships has increased by almost 20 per cent following more than 13,000 commencements during the first year of my Government's Skilling South Australia initiative jointly funded with the Commonwealth.

My Government has also worked hard to reform and rejuvenate TAFE SA.

This has resulted in the Australian Skills Quality Authority reaccrediting TAFE SA for seven years—the highest possible accreditation.

Honourable Members,

In its first two budgets, my Government allocated an additional $1.8 billion over the forward estimates to our health system.

As a result, the reactivation of the Repatriation General Hospital site continues.

Capacity constraints at the Flinders emergency centre are being addressed.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital is being redeveloped.

The Modbury Hospital is being upgraded to increase surgical capabilities, ease pressures on the emergency department and boost patient care.

Long overdue maintenance and other work in our regional hospital network is being funded.

My Government continues to plan and set aside funds for a new Women's and Children's Hospital.

To help take the pressure off hospital emergency departments and deliver better care, an innovative program is embedding mental health specialists in paramedic response vehicles.

So far, this program has enabled more than half of the patients engaged to be diverted towards more appropriate services in the community.

My Government's focus on the health of our children will continue.

During this session, legislation will be introduced to implement the next stage of the No Jab No Play program.

This will protect children, childcare workers and the wider community by requiring every child attending an early childhood facility to have up to date vaccinations or be barred from attendance.

To assist the treatment of epilepsy in children, a pilot will be established to trial the use of medicinal cannabis.

Compassionate access to the medicine will be provided for children who are not responding to other treatment options.

At the same time, the pilot will add to the evidence base for use of medicinal cannabis products.

My Government continues to encourage collaboration with the private healthcare sector in health research.

To maximise the benefits, legislation will be introduced to allow the collection of data from private healthcare providers.

This will lead to greater research benefits and greater transparency in healthcare reporting.

From its first day in office, my Government has been addressing longstanding deficiencies in governance and administrative arrangements in SA Health.

The Independent Commissioner Against Corruption recently publicly reported that these arrangements exposed SA Health to exploitation by corrupt practices.

My Government also notes the Commissioner advised that nothing in his report should be taken to suggest that the level of clinical care is not of the highest order.

Our public health system is staffed by 39,000 people.

The vast majority are hardworking and honest, but my Government will not resile from its responsibility to ensure any who aren't, are identified and made accountable.

While maintaining the highest level of clinical care, my Government will ensure standards of governance in SA Health which taxpayers and patients are entitled to expect.

Major governance reforms were initiated immediately following the election and my Government has always been clear that effective outcomes will require sustained effort over a substantial period.

During this session, legislation will be introduced to continue the devolution of governance in health, away from a centralised and top-heavy bureaucracy down to local boards, giving local decision-making powers to local communities.

In supporting a healthier South Australia, my Government is providing funding to build additional grassroots sport and recreation infrastructure and encourage more people to participate more often.

This includes the provision of family-friendly facilities and sports change rooms catering for male and female teams, while clubs whose facilities have been damaged by the recent bushfires will receive grants to kickstart the rebuilding process.

My Government's doubling of the value of sports vouchers for primary schoolchildren has resulted in the take-up of the vouchers increasing by more than 40 per cent.

Honourable Members,

My Government is implementing a Housing and Homelessness Strategy to deliver more than 20,000 affordable housing outcomes over the next decade.

The Strategy, worth more than half a billion dollars, will modernise and reform the state housing system to meet the future needs and aspirations of South Australians.

With one in five South Australians reporting they live with a disability my Government has delivered our State's first Disability Inclusion Plan to foster inclusion and accessibility.

To keep pace with the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, legislative reforms are under consideration.

These may include protections and safeguards in the areas of restrictive practices and accommodation.

My Government is also looking to refine and simplify worker screening requirements.

The aim will be to ensure arrangements in South Australia minimise the regulatory burden while remaining consistent with national requirements and providing appropriate protections for children, people with disability and other vulnerable members of our community.

My Government is committed to growing family-based care so it can continue to provide safe, stable and nurturing environments for our most vulnerable children and young people.

A pilot program now being delivered will enable more children and young people identified as at risk to remain safely with their families through family group conferencing.

My Government has also developed a new early intervention program for families at risk of having children enter the child protection system.

This program will engage families and children who will be given face-to-face in-home contact by specialist support staff using evidence-based intervention approaches.

My Government continues to take action to combat domestic and family violence.

The appointment of our state's first Assistant Minister for Domestic and Family Violence Prevention is ensuring a strong focus on delivering a range of policy initiatives.

Two regional safety hubs have been established to provide single point access to services such as police, social housing, legal aid and social workers.

Peak body funding has been secured.

A personal protection app has been developed.

Additional crisis beds have been opened.

A Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme has been trialled.

Tougher penalties for perpetrators have been legislated.

Communication with victims has been improved.

While these measures are helping to improve the safety of women and children, my Government realises there is much work still to be done.

Honourable Members,

In overall community safety, one of the new initiatives of South Australia Police in 2020 is the implementation of the Security Response Section.

Members of this Section will be specially trained to prevent and respond to terrorism-related incidents, domestic events of a violent nature and to ensure safety at major public events.

Front-line policing is also changing with the introduction of District Policing Teams to work alongside the new Response teams.

These initiatives will improve response times and increase the focus on crime prevention and reducing recidivist offending.

My Government has provided resources to SAPOL to continue its relentless attack on organised crime and the devastating impact of methamphetamines.

During 2019, more than 100 lives were lost on South Australian roads.

This is entirely unacceptable to my Government.

Throughout 2020, police will be targeting dangerous road users and reminding people that road safety is the responsibility of everyone as SAPOL continues its new role of promoting road safety.

In response to the rising level of death and injury from motorcycle accidents, legislation will be presented to make significant changes to the Graduated Licencing Scheme.

This will include raising the minimum age for obtaining a learner's permit from 16 to 18 and night-time restrictions on learner riders.

My Government has committed to the largest infrastructure build in our correctional system in a generation, with $200 million allocated to the upgrade of the Yatala Labour and Adelaide Women's prisons.

This expansion will include 270 high security beds at Yatala and 40 new beds at the Women's Prison.

At the Adelaide Remand Centre, 160 cells have been upgraded to a safe cell compliant standard following a four-month renovation project.

This is a major milestone in establishing improved management arrangements for the Centre which will result in annual operating savings of about $8 million.

My Government has provided funding for a new Emergency Services Command Centre to be established at Keswick.

For the first time, executive and senior management teams of the Metropolitan Fire Service, Country Fire Service, the State Emergency Service and the South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission will be co-located with more than 300 employees as well as volunteers.

This will considerably enhance our State's emergency response capability.

During the last session of Parliament, legislation was introduced to modernise the arrangements under which our fire and state emergency services operate.

This included incorporation of the Country Fire Service and State Emergency Service volunteer charters in the legislation.

The legislation was subject to extensive review by a Select Committee of the House of Assembly and accordingly, was not able to proceed through the Legislative Council.

It will be reintroduced during this session.

Honourable Members,

Following extensive consultation with the Aboriginal community, my Government has completed a scoping study for the planned Aboriginal Art and Cultures Centre at Lot Fourteen.

The study has been publicly released and is now guiding delivery of the next stages of this highly significant project, including design of the Centre, the curatorial vision and governance arrangements.

This Centre will enable South Australians and visitors alike to learn from the practices and attachment to Country of the world's oldest civilisation.

The South Australian Museum's collection of Aboriginal ancestral remains is the largest held by any collecting institution in Australia, representing over half of the total remains held in all Australian museums.

Of 4,600 ancestral remains at the Museum's temporary keeping place in Netley, approximately 800 are Kaurna ancestors, 1,200 Ngarrindjeri and 500 River Murray Mallee people.

The Museum has adopted a new policy to empower Aboriginal communities to make decisions about their ancestral remains.

To support this policy, my Government has provided funds for a two-year pilot project to repatriate Kaurna remains to Country in the Kaurna Smithfield Memorial Project.

Through the Commissioner for Aboriginal Engagement, my Government is continuing to discuss with Aboriginal leaders and their communities, more effective means of engagement between Aboriginal People and government.

Further announcements will be made later this year about a new engagement model to involve the Parliament as well.

Legislation will be introduced to enshrine the position of the Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People under the Children and Young People (Oversight and Advocacy Bodies) Act.

South Australia continues to benefit, economically and socially, from the rich diversity of our multicultural society.

During this session, my Government will introduce legislation to modernise multicultural policy to ensure it reflects the changing needs of our community and supports the continuing development of culturally responsive government services.

Honourable Members,

Further law reform will be proposed for your consideration during this session.

This will prioritise community safety, efficiency in our justice system and important social reform.

My Government will introduce legislation expanding its election commitment to transparency by modernising freedom of information laws.

The changes will touch all areas of government and put an emphasis on accountability and information sharing.

Comprehensive reform to succession law and estate administration will be proposed.

This follows a large body of work undertaken by the South Australian Law Reform Institute relating to various aspects of these laws that are most in need of review.

An independent review into sentence discounting has recommended legislative changes to prioritise community safety.

Following community consultation on the proposed changes, amending legislation will be presented for your consideration.

This reform will reflect on discounting changes previously made to seek a balance between community expectations and the operation of our justice system.

It will be complemented by legislation enabling the District Court, in addition to the Magistrates Court, to deal with bail applications.

When they were introduced nearly 50 years ago, South Australia's abortion laws placed abortion in the criminal code.

During this session, a bill will be put before you to make abortion a regulated medical procedure under health legislation and policy rather than continuing to be dealt with under the criminal law.

This follows extensive public consultation about the current legal arrangements and a major independent report from the Law Reform Institute which considered bringing the law into line with current clinical practice.

The legislation will be proposed as a conscience issue for all members.

At the conclusion of the last session, consideration of some key proposals had not been finalised.

Accordingly, legislation to substantially lift existing restrictions on reporting of sexual offences coming before the courts will be restored to the Notice Paper.

Amendments to the labour hire licensing scheme will also be presented again for consideration.

These amendments will specifically target high-risk industries where workers are more vulnerable to exploitation, rather than capturing industries beyond the scheme's intent and burdening them with an unnecessary layer of red tape.

Honourable Members,

All of the programs my Government is implementing depend on the committed contribution of a highly motivated public sector workforce.

To support our public sector employees, a new workplace culture program is being delivered to more than 100,000 staff.

Honourable Members,

Since my last address in this place, I record with regret the passing of four former members of this Parliament.

Mr Steve Condous passed away in June 2018.

Mr Condous was elected to the House of Assembly in 1993 and served two terms as the member for Colton.

He was also a member of the Legislative Review Committee.

Before his election to Parliament, Mr Condous had been Lord Mayor of Adelaide for six years.

He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2004 for his service to the South Australian Parliament, Local Government and the community.

Mr Sam Bass also died in June 2018.

Elected in 1993, Mr Bass was the member for Florey for four years and also served on the Economic and Finance Committee.

In August 2018, the Hon. John Cornwall passed away.

He served in the Legislative Council for almost 14 years between 1975 and 1989.

Dr Cornwall was a Minister of the Crown in 1979 and again from 1982 until 1988.

In 2019, Dr Cornwall was awarded the medal of the Order of Australia for service to the Parliament and to the community.

Mr Bryant Giles also died in August 2018.

He was the member for Gumeracha between 1968 and 1970 and during that time also served on the Parliamentary Committee on Land Settlement.

We acknowledge the contributions to our state made by these former members and we offer our sincere condolences to their families and friends.

Honourable Members,

I now declare this second session of the Fifty-Fourth South Australian Parliament open and trust that your deliberations will be guided by Divine Providence to the advancement of the welfare of the people of this state.

The Governor retired from the chamber and the Speaker and members of the House of Assembly withdrew.

The President read prayers.

The PRESIDENT: We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Islander peoples as the traditional owners of this country throughout Australia, and their connection to the land and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to the elders both past and present.

Sitting suspended from 13:34 to 14:45.

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