Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today I rise to speak about an announcement that was made in my electorate only yesterday by the state Labor government. It was a very pleasing announcement of something that I have advocated for a very long time, and that is the Brown Hill Creek and Keswick Creek flood mitigation program. Yesterday, the state Labor government agreed to contribute the final dollars needed to get this project up and running. This is an area, within the Brown Hill Creek and Keswick Creek catchment, where the residents and business owners have faced risks of flooding and property damage, and worse, for years now.

The electorate of Hindmarsh is on the Adelaide Plains. When it rains in the Adelaide Hills, the water, obviously, comes from the higher areas of Adelaide down to the lower areas, producing a massive risk of flood. The biggest risk is in the electorate of Hindmarsh. As I said, I have been campaigning for years to safeguard these communities. I am really pleased that it has finally come to fruition.

Federal Labor, during the last election campaign, committed $44 million towards the project. Unfortunately, the Turnbull government has repeatedly refused to assist or help and therefore $44 million was pumped into the gap yesterday by the state Labor government. I sincerely thank the state Labor government and the five local councils in the Keswick Creek and Brown Hill Creek catchment. They have come together in an attempt to finally resolve the problem for Adelaide's most at-risk flood area.

I want to stress that it is simply not right that the federal government did not pitch in their fair share. In fact, it is a slap in the face for South Australians, especially considering that the catchment area takes in Adelaide Airport, a piece of nationally important infrastructure on federal land. We continually hear the federal government talk about economic growth and jobs. Therefore, you would think they would be jumping at the prospect of assisting to fund a project that will yield more than $240 million in community economic benefit and reduce the flood impacts on Adelaide Airport and the surrounding areas. The cost impact to Adelaide Airport would be from $15 million in damages in a small flood to $56 million in damages in a larger flood.

The program will create approximately 80 full-time jobs during construction, it will reduce average home and contents insurance for those residents who live nearby and pay a premium for living in a flood area, and it will increase certainty for future industry investment across the catchment. I am very proud of the role I played in bringing together all of the councils earlier in 2016, along with the state government, to ensure that we could come to an agreement to fund this fantastic project. This is a vital project that will deliver significant long-term benefits to the South Australian economy. (Time expired)

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