27 Jul 2016
Business Transformation Voucher Program
The Hon. A.L. McLACHLAN ( 15:15 ): My question is to the Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation. In answer to my question on 5 July this year the minister indicated that to date there have been 64 successful applications to the Business Transformation Voucher Program. Can the minister advise the chamber how many of these successful applications came from businesses based in northern Adelaide?
The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) ( 15:15 ): I thank the honourable member for his question. He always asks very good questions. When the current Leader of the Opposition the Hon. David Ridgway furnishes his resignation, which looks like being imminent, we know that there will be quite a scrap but I am confident that the Hon. Andrew McLachlan will be one of the contenders for that soon-to-be vacant leadership position. On our side we are blessed with many potential leaders as there is much great talent on this side. Andrew McLachlan does reasonably well but he is the outstanding new talent on that side of the chamber.
The honourable member asked about the recipients of the Business Transformation Voucher Program and how many of those are within northern Adelaide. I don’t have a number of the specific geographical locations of where businesses are and how many are in particular postcodes, but what might be of benefit is that I am happy to go through some examples of the companies that have received funding under the Business Transformation Voucher Program. The honourable member, who is exceptionally diligent, which is why he is the obvious leadership contender on that side, I am sure will have a look and see where those companies are.
In fact, he is very diligent and he might know a number of these companies. They include companies such as Sunfresh Salads Pty Ltd, WBC Group Pty Ltd, Huntsman Chemical Company Australia Pty Ltd, Williams Metal Fabrications Pty Ltd, Bowe Pty Ltd, IPC Granite Pty Ltd, Precise Advanced Manufacturing Group, Mitolo Group Pty Ltd, Techno Plas Pty Ltd, Smart Fabrication—I have visited Smart Fabrication and it is located in what would be the catchment area for what most people would regard as northern Adelaide. I assume from the question that he might mean the areas that are subject to the Northern Economic Plan. Is that what the honourable member means?
Members interjecting:
The Hon. K.J. MAHER: To get that level of preciseness. He was quite precise but not quite there so I am glad I can help him out on narrowing that down. Others have included Quality Plastics & Tooling Pty Ltd, Street & Park Furniture Pty Ltd, Tucker’s Natural, Munns Lawn Company—who many would be familiar with for providing turf and lawn products—Riviera Bakery, Prancing Pony Brewery, who we have heard about. They were one of the attendees at the Beer and Cider Awards which I referred to earlier in question time.
There are other names that everyone will be familiar with, as I am sure most are familiar with Prancing Pony Brewery located between Littlehampton and Hahndorf in the Hills. There are companies like Haigh’s Chocolates that many would be familiar with. I am sure the Hon. David Ridgway is very familiar with Haigh’s Chocolates in his portfolio areas. He would come into contact with some of these premium manufacturers regularly. Mitchell & Cheeseman Pty Ltd and Udder Delights have been the recipient of a business transformation voucher. As I have said, I am going through some of the winners, and the Hon. Andrew McLachlan, I am sure, will have a look through to see the locations of some of these winners.
The Hon. S.G. Wade interjecting:
The Hon. K.J. MAHER: The Hon. Stephen Wade correctly, I think, points out that Udder Delights is located in the Adelaide Hills. This is a great example of just how far and wide these business transformation vouchers are benefiting South Australian businesses. I thank the Hon. Stephen Wade for his interjection that allows me to talk about just how far and wide these are benefiting South Australian companies right across this great state. Other companies have been included: Jedmar Pty Ltd has been a recipient; Gelista has been a recipient; and B.-d. farm Paris Creek Pty Ltd, which the Hon. Robert Brokenshire knows a lot about. This is a great example—
Members interjecting:
The Hon. K.J. MAHER: —of just how far and wide these business transformation vouchers have been of benefit. I don’t agree with the interjections that we should not be supporting things in our regional areas. I think we should be supporting companies right across South Australia.
Members interjecting:
The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I disagree with the interjections we’re hearing, Mr President. We should be supporting companies right across South Australia. Others include Jurlique International, which I think is based in Mount Barker—again, great support for areas other than in the metropolitan area—Maggie Beer Products, Peats Soil & Garden Supplies, which I think is in the McLaren Vale area—
Members interjecting:
The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Sturm’s Mechanical Engineering, Moose Industries, Cronin Fabrication Pty Ltd—I do not hear the Hon. Stephen Wade complaining, ‘Oh, you are giving stuff outside the city.’ I don’t hear him complaining about that now—Electrolux, Sentek, 4 Ways, Moo Premium Foods, Australian Fashion Labels, KJM Contractors, Kennewell CNC Machining, Krix Loudspeakers, which I have visited recently in the outer southern suburbs, providing fantastic speakers and speaker systems right across Australia and internationally into cinemas. Detmold Holdings, The Green Dispensary, Ferguson Australia, Goolwa Pipi Co, Key Tubing, Strath Pastoral, Micromet, Enzos at Home, Panda Honey, Stairlock International—these are an example of the companies that have benefited from our Business Transformation Voucher Program.
I thank the Hon. Andrew McLachlan for his well thought out, well reasoned question. When he is leader he will get to ask many more questions like this.
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