20 March 2025
The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (15:15): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before addressing a question without notice to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development on the topic of food production areas.
Leave granted.
The Hon. R.A. SIMMS: On Monday, the Malinauskas government announced their plans to allow agricultural land to be developed by amending the environment and food production area. Yesterday in question time the Minister for Regional Development stated that only 1 per cent of the Greater Adelaide food production area would be impacted by the government's plan. It has been noted, however, that some of the land is South Australia's prime agricultural land.
According to PIRSA data, primary industries and agribusiness contributed $7.78 billion to South Australia's gross state product and supported 78,000 jobs in 2022-23. The field crop sector represents 42 per cent of total state revenue for the year. My questions to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, therefore, are:
1. Can the minister indicate what a 1 per cent loss of prime food production land in Greater Adelaide would mean in dollar terms?
2. What impact would this have on the state's gross state product?
3. What would be the total impact over the 30 years of the Greater Adelaide Regional Plan?
The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:16): I thank the honourable member for his question. I think it is important, again, to reiterate the need to get a balance between addressing the very significant housing crisis that we currently have and the number of people who are unable to find housing or affordable housing and the production of our vital food supply. They are areas that can work together that can be complementary; notwithstanding, there are obviously tensions when we are looking at the usage of land.
However, I think the fact that it is less than 1 per cent of the agricultural land within the Greater Adelaide area is significant in that it is an opportunity to increase housing supply very significantly, and it is an opportunity to work closely with primary industries around how best to manage those, working closely together, side by side.
It is also important to emphasise that whilst the Greater Adelaide plan and the proposals before parliament will enable that land to change—that less than 1 per cent—there is still a lot to go through. There needs to be the code amendments and the other processes that are an important and essential part of any changes, and of course no-one will be forced to sell their land. Farmers won't be required to sell their land.
So in terms of the impact, until we know which landowners will take up the opportunity to have their land changed in use and sold, we can't guess at what the impacts in terms of value will be.
The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (15:18): Supplementary: has the minister done any estimation of the economic impact of this plan, and, if not, why hasn't she or her department done any modelling before announcing such a plan?
The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:19): I thank the honourable member for his supplementary question, or his additional question, as the case may be. There has been a huge amount of work that has gone into developing the Greater Adelaide Regional Plan. There was a draft plan released, and the Minister for Planning was involved with a great deal of consultation, as was his department. That consultation included, of course, other government departments, as well as peak bodies and many more.
I think there needs to really be a strong emphasis on how we can move forward together, both agricultural industries and housing. They are both important and I am very pleased that we have had a number of productive meetings talking about how to best move forward. I am surprised, I must say, that the honourable member seems to be implying that we don't need additional housing. He is saying that it is not important. I did hear him on the radio recently.
Members interjecting:
The PRESIDENT: Order!
The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I did hear him on the radio recently saying that there should be—
Members interjecting:
The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Simms! The Hon. Ms Girolamo!
The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I did hear him on the radio recently, and whilst obviously I can't remember the words verbatim, it was along the lines of there should be more high rise. They should be living in high rise or medium density here in the city.
The important part of our housing plan going forward is that we are able to offer choice to people. It may well be at certain times in one's life that living in an apartment in the CBD might well be an appropriate choice. When people are then partnered and have children they may not wish to live in an apartment in the CBD. So I think it is important that we have a variety of housing styles. We are constrained at the moment and I think anyone in this chamber should be concerned about those people in our community who are finding it incredibly hard to find housing.