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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-09-02 Daily Xml
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Enabling Infrastructure Program

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (15:24): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Will the minister update the chamber on the new round of funding through the Enabling Infrastructure Program and its new guidelines?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:24): I thank the honourable member for his question. This week I was delighted to announce the latest round of funding opportunities for the popular Enabling Infrastructure Program. The Malinauskas government's $5 million program is a key component of the Thriving Regions Fund supporting regional communities, with grants of up to $1 million available for shovel-ready projects.

We have also listened to feedback from past rounds and to help get more projects investment ready and into the pipeline for future funding for regional communities we are now extending the guidelines to include planning grants. The Enabling Infrastructure Program is about enabling communities to develop and deliver projects to make a real difference into the future and to grow, diversify and thrive through targeted investment.

This year, the Enabling Infrastructure Program is being offered with two distinct streams. The first one, stream 1, is infrastructure for investment-ready projects, with grants ranging from $50,000 to $1 million, which is consistent on the whole with previous rounds. But we have also introduced stream 2, planning to support needs assessments, feasibility studies, risk and cost-benefit analyses, stakeholder engagement, business case development and implementation planning, with grants available between $10,000 and $75,000. This change to the guidelines will ensure that more projects are investment ready and can contribute to delivering lasting benefits to our regional communities.

When I became minister about 3½ years ago, I was very conscious of the barriers for small organisations and small councils in applying for grants. Most grant programs require a 50 per cent co-contribution, and that can be a significant barrier for smaller organisations. Because of that, in the earlier rounds those smaller organisations, local governments, charities, incorporated bodies, etc., needed to provide only a 30 per cent co-contribution, and that was very well received.

However, it became clear that there were also opportunities to further lift opportunities for smaller organisations because sometimes they haven't had the resources to invest in the planning and feasibility studies that would actually make them competitive for grants, whether it be these Enabling Infrastructure grants or other grant programs from federal or state governments or elsewhere. So, as a result, we have now introduced stream 2.

I encourage applications for projects that address key regional challenges. That might include child care, aged care, key worker accommodation and digital connectivity, as well as other proposals that enhance regional outcomes. The Enabling Infrastructure Program has provided funding to 17 projects across South Australia's regional areas over three funding rounds. Previous funded projects include accommodation for workers in critical seasonal roles, expansion of childcare facilities, health and education centres, and upgrades to community facilities.

I would particularly like to thank Tony Piccolo, member for Light and the candidate for Ngadjuri, who was instrumental in providing some of that feedback on behalf of his communities in regard to the barriers for smaller organisations and small councils. Being able to access grant funding for community groups that do not necessarily have the funds available to get past that first hurdle of project planning is really key to how we are now continuing to strengthen this program.

The Thriving Regions Fund is a $15 million commitment per annum to support projects that enable regional industries to grow jobs and to strengthen regional communities more broadly. It has demonstrated outcomes that improve quality of life for regional communities, sustains regional communities that attract and retain people to live and work, and acts as a pipeline for regional leaders, providing a voice for their regions and creating job opportunities and improved career options by capitalising on regional growth potential and stronger regional economies.

Applications are open now for the Enabling Infrastructure Program and they close on Monday 13 October at 5pm. Further information and instructions on how to apply can be found on the PIRSA website. I am excited to see what projects this new funding round will bring. I also encourage people to get in contact with PIRSA's regional advisers. They are people who are on the ground in our regional communities. They are able to provide advice and information on things such as these grant programs and they are also, I think, a really important resource to both those who might be potential applicants and also to the government because they are able to provide advice on the sorts of things that might be creating barriers.

In this case, we have been able to address some that have been raised by people such as the member for Light, as well as give information back to those communities, back to individual organisations that may perhaps not be able to be successful in grant programs without that additional advice. We really do appreciate the hard work that they do. They are spread across the state within PIRSA offices. I look forward to seeing the range of applications that we might get through in this next round of the Thriving Regions Fund, the Enabling Infrastructure stream, and I am sure they will continue to benefit areas across our state.

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