Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-08-27 Daily Xml

Contents

Flood Recovery

368 The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) ().28 August 2024). Can the Minister for Climate, Environment and Water advise:

1. Has Green Industries South Australia surveyed flooded residents who did not register for demolition and ask why they chose not to do so?

2. Can Green Industries South Australia please provide the communication schedule informing residents of how to register?

3. What number of properties were demolished by Johns Lyng Group or Disaster Management Australia as part of the flood recovery?

4. What number of properties did Green Industries South Australia inherit that were still to be demolished when they received the returned contract from Johns Lyng Group or Disaster Management Australia?

5. In addition to the spending on Johns Lyng Group or Disaster Management Australia, how much has Green Industries South Australia spent on the recovery and clean-up program?

6. How much of the supplies and services expenditure within the program summary was allocated towards the River Murray Flood Waste Clean-Up Program in 2023-24?

7. How much of the supplies and services expenditure within the program summary is allocated towards the River Murray Flood Waste Clean-Up Program in 2024-25?

8. Was there a fee to be paid to Johns Lyng Group or Disaster Management Australia (JLG/DMA) for completing the flood recovery work? If so, how much was that fee? Was some or all of that fee paid despite the work being incomplete upon handover to Green Industries South Australia? If so, how much was paid?

9. Did JLG/DMA provide any financial undertakings or performance guarantees under the contract?

10. Did JLG/DMA achieve completion under the contract? What is the status of the undertakings?

11. For any outstanding undertakings, what timeline is the completion expected?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector): The Minister for Climate, Environment and Water has advised:

1. No. GISA's case management team has supported the 1,934 property owners who registered for services offered under the program, including demolitions. The availability of services under the program was widely communicated to flood-impacted communities.

GISA has not surveyed residents who did not register for assistance and therefore have not provided their contact details. GISA is not able to comment on whether residents or property owners were flood impacted if they did not register under the program.

2.

Action Description Date
GISA website Regular updates, FAQs and factsheets Ongoing
Recovery Hotline (1800 302 787) Call scripts via state government call centre to encourage people to register for the clean-up program when they enquired about other assistance From late 2022
Community Recovery Coordinator (Alex Zimmermann) The Coordinator encouraged and referred impacted individuals to register for assistance. January 2023– June 2024
Community Recovery Meetings GISA attended and presented at 13+ recovery meetings held in regional and city locations outlining government support and how to register From February 2023
Free waste disposal vouchers Vouchers were an incentive for property owners to initially register February-July 2023
Flood recovery BBQs Small community events held in the region to outline services offered and advise how to register for assistance 8 July 2023 and 26 August 2023
Posters/flyers Displayed on community notice boards and used as handouts for field staff From February 2023
5 VMS boards (digital roadside signs) Deployed in the Murraylands and Riverland displaying the phone number and encouraging property owners to register 1 September 2023 – 13 October 2023
SA Power Networks text message Message sent to their customers who had their power disconnected. Encouraged recipients to register for clean-up assistance and provided the 1800 phone number to call. February 2023
SA Power Networks text message Message sent to their customers who had their power disconnected. Advised recipients registrations were closing 13 October 2023 and provided the 1800 phone number to call to register. September 2023
Printed roadside signs Signs installed in flood affected communities to promote the clean-up program and encourage property owners to register for assistance. September – October 2023
Mid Murray Council mailout Letter sent to ratepayers and included a registration factsheet. September 2023
River Murray Community Newsletter 32 issues of community newsletter which promoted the clean-up program and encouraged property owners to register for assistance up until the closing date February 2023 – March 2024
Radio appearances Multiple appearances on radio promoting the clean-up program and encouraging property owners to register Multiple: January 2023 onwards
ABC Riverland Assistance and registration promoted via ABC e-newsletter and online article content provided to ABC Riverland website Multiple: February 2023 – June 2023
Relief and Recovery Centres Drop-in centres for the impacted community to visit and provide case management support January 2023—February 2024


3. Johns Lyng Group oversaw the demolition of 196 properties prior to conclusion of its management of clean-up operations.

4. Green Industries SA did not receive a returned contract from Johns Lyng Group.

5. As at 30 June 2024, in addition to the $38.864 million spent with Johns Lyng Group, Green Industries SA has spent $10.3 million.

6. The 2023-24 supplies and services estimated result of $53.295 million includes $49.125 million allocated to the flood program. Of this, $23.946 million was unspent funds carried over from 2022-23.

7. The 2024-25 supplies and services expenditure budget does not include funds allocated towards the River Murray Flood Waste Clean-Up Program. All flood program expenditure in 2024-25 is subject to carryover of funds unspent at 30 June 2024.

8. No. Johns Lyng Group were engaged on a cost-plus basis and were hence paid only in relation to actual work completed on the project.

9. Under the contract, Johns Lyng Group provided to GISA two bank guarantees with a total value of $1.5 million to be released as $1 million upon project completion and $0.5 million on expiry of the defects liability period (nine months following project completion).

10. Johns Lyng Group has completed its operations under the contract and $1 million of the bank guarantee has been released by GISA. The remaining bank guarantee is scheduled to be released on expiry of the defects liability period under the contract, expected January 2025.

11. As per above at point 10.