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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-04-02 Daily Xml
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Regional South Australia

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (15:35): Why is it that when people talk about resilience, they appear to only speak about the regions? How did we get here? Yes, regional communities are famously resilient; it is a badge of honour for many of us, and rightly so, but why is it that regions are constantly asked to demonstrate this resilience at a level far beyond what is expected of metropolitan areas? Why is it acceptable for rural towns to endure substandard infrastructure, limited services and economic neglect while Adelaide thrives with the advantages of constant investment and development?

Distance is the reality of regional life, no-one disputes that. Not every town can or should have every service available; however, every region deserves access to a reasonable standard of essential services. For too long this has been treated as an unattainable luxury rather than the basic right of the people who keep this state's agriculture and resource sectors alive.

Take health care, for example. I was shocked to discover that Mount Gambier hospital does not have ICU beds. How is it that the second largest city in our state, which happens to be in regional South Australia, cannot support its own critically ill patients? Furthermore, the absence of general practitioners in rural areas is not just inconvenient, it is a threat to public health. The same can be said for aged care and mental health services, essentials that underpin a community's well being.

What about schools? Time and time again, regional families are expected to settle for underfunded and understaffed schools with fewer resources than their urban counterparts. Then there is the shrinking presence of banks in country towns, leaving residents and businesses struggling to manage their finances, and for those families wanting to access childcare the wait lists are often endless. Supermarkets, when they exist, often carry fewer choices at higher prices, a bitter irony for communities surrounded by farmland that feeds the state. Even something as simple as maintaining quality roads can seem out of reach in regional South Australia, as patchwork fixes and neglect leave residents wondering why taxes do not stretch beyond Adelaide city limits.

What I find especially frustrating is the sense of being overlooked, even as we know that, without a doubt, regional South Australia provides so much for this state. From the paddocks of Eyre Peninsula to the vineyards of the Coonawarra, regional communities drive economic output in ways that Adelaide relies on but rarely acknowledges, yet time and time again they are last in line for investment, development and opportunities to grow.

It is not just about fairness; it is well past time to call for regional equity, because it is about sustaining these communities for future generations. It is about futureproofing our food and fibre security, it is about galvanising over 50 per cent of this state's export product, it is about ensuring the bulk of our economy continues to tick over. If schools, health care and infrastructure continue to fall short, regional areas will not just lose people, they will lose the vibrant social fabric that makes them worth living in. Families will move closer to the city in search of better prospects, draining the countryside of its lifeblood. Without policy intervention to address these inequities, the regions risk being left to wither.

Yes, regional South Australians are tough, but why should we always have to be? Why should resilience be treated as an excuse for neglect and why does regional South Australia always seem to miss out? It does not have to be this way. Regional equality means recognising that these communities deserve investment and opportunity commensurate with their contributions to the state. It means ensuring every region has access to good schools, reliable health care, essential services and the infrastructure to not just survive but to thrive. It is about valuing the regions not just as an afterthought but as an integral part of South Australia's future. Our regional towns deserve more than admiration for their resilience, they deserve the respect of meaningful support and let's make sure they get it.

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