Supply Bill 2022 – Second Reading speech
Wednesday 1 June 2022
S.E. ANDREWS (Gibson) (17:19): I rise to indicate my support for the Supply Bill presently before the house. I would like to take this opportunity to discuss what we look forward to achieving following our election commitments to the people of South Australia.
Mr Acting Speaker, please allow me to start small and start locally. The Malinauskas government has committed to a new self-cleaning toilet block at Ballara Park Reserve. The reserve is co-located with a kindergarten and, as such, has high use by young families. Those of you who have cared for very young children will know that when a child needs a toilet, they pretty much need it now. This work will be in addition to the upgrade of the park by the Marion council and the recently elected Albanese Labor government.
The election of a Malinauskas state government and Albanese federal government also enables the funding delivery for the upgrade of the Warradale Park Tennis Club. This funding will support the Warradale Park Tennis Club to improve its venue facilities as well as ensuring the clubrooms meet occupational health and safety requirements. The club will be in a great position to continue to meet the needs of its members and its guests, grow the club, and maintain and foster close community ties.
An important aspect of the Warradale Park Tennis Club is that it is not exclusively for the use of tennis players and their families but also welcomes other community groups to utilise its facilities. The upgrade project will also enable the club to be sustainable in the future by enabling it to increase its revenue base by hiring out the proposed all weather multiuse first floor, which I might add has beautiful views across Warradale and to the Hills.
A much larger project to be delivered in partnership with the federal Labor government is the on/off ramp at Majors Road, a project that the previous Liberal government was paralysed by. Congestion on Brighton Road has long been a concern for the residents of Gibson, an issue which the previous government was unable to deliver a solution for. The on/off ramp is a critical piece of infrastructure that the member for Davenport, our federal member for Kingston, the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, and I are pleased to support. The ramp will make an enormous difference to the residents of the southern suburbs.
A key priority for this government is to deliver greater capacity in our healthcare system. The Flinders Medical Centre services the people of Gibson, so the joint commitment between our state government and a federal Labor government for a significant upgrade is most welcome. The much-needed $400 million expansion includes:
136 beds;
an upgrade and expansion of mental health facilities at the Margaret Tobin Centre;
a brand-new eye surgery clinic;
expanded medical imaging services; and
an expanded intensive care unit.
This extra capacity of beds and additional nurses and doctors will help to reduce ambulance ramping, which goes hand in hand with our commitment for a long overdue upgrade to the Marion ambulance station.
Another hot issue, which has been raised with me time and time again throughout my campaign and during my first months as the member for Gibson including at a planning meeting I attended just last Wednesday night, is planning. Adelaide is consistently ranked among the best places in the world to live, but without a bold vision and strong planning laws in place, we risk losing the character of our streets and neighbourhoods.
Good planning and urban development are about finding a balance between growth and livability. When a three-storey apartment block is built over your back fence with windows overlooking your yard, and it means you no longer feel comfortable enjoying the garden you spent years cultivating, then it has gone too far. When the beautiful old gums are cut down and you have lost your lovely vista and the possums and black cockatoos are forced to find a new home, it has gone too far.
This government will repair the damage caused by the previous Liberal government's failed implementation of the new Planning and Design Code. We will commission an implementation review of the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act and the Planning and Design Code to ensure planning decisions encourage a more livable and sustainable long-term growth strategy for greater Adelaide and our regions.
It will address key concerns identified in our consultations with industry groups and local communities, including protecting the character and heritage of our local communities; ensuring greater tree canopy coverage and green open space; providing certainty to business, industry and communities by implementing appropriate design standards; and improving the e-planning system and processes.
The poorly managed rollout of the Planning and Design Code by the Marshall Liberal government cut short public consultation with residents, business, industry and local government. As a result, the character of our established suburbs is being erased with an increase in urban infill as poor designs infiltrate our streets. On-street parking increases and the loss of green space creates heat spots in our neighbourhood. I have heard over and over the safety concerns of residents about the increase of on-street parking. I have literally felt the temperature differences in the streets and driveways as I have doorknocked areas of Gibson with high levels of urban infill.
This Labor government will ensure future developments provide a minimum of one off-street car park for every dwelling and two car parks for dwellings with two or more bedrooms. The pressure of urban infill impacts our streets and our neighbourhoods, making urban infill synonymous with congestion and inconvenience. We need urban infill to meet the demands of our growing population, but development must not compete with community; it must serve our community.
In addition, this Labor government will work with the Green Adelaide Board to prioritise projects that actively green our neighbourhoods. This will support biodiversity as well as quality of life for families who should not have to travel to enjoy the outdoors. We will ensure we have Australian best practice for tree loss regulation and a targeted plan for tree planting. From small projects in our local parks to upgrading our sporting facilities, to reducing congestion on Brighton Road, as well as thoughtful planning, I look forward to the upcoming budget and seeing this Malinauskas government improve the lives of South Australians, in particular the people of Gibson. I commend the bill to the house.
