Brock leads list of van Holst Pellekaan challengers in Stuart

VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: One of biggest challenges facing Stuart is attracting the people we need to take up all the employment and development opportunities that exist in our area. Even during COVID, SA's economy is the fastest growing in the nation and regional SA has seen huge benefits in agriculture, tourism, resources and infrastructure, but we need more people working in these and others sectors, like health.

BROCK: Health is by far the biggest challenge in Stuart, this together with the lack of doctors. The number of visiting specialists is also of grave concern, as people requiring their services have to go to Adelaide or Whyalla if the service is available there.

WRIGHT: The lack of quality and reliable regional services from the availability of specialist medical practitioners and other health services, to mental health and addiction support, to affordable housing, childcare services and policing - right down to tourism amenities to attract visitors to our regions.

STONE: Stuart ticks the regional, rural and remote boxes like only one other electorate in SA and this in itself is a major challenge - ensuring good services and governance in remote communities, keeping down the costs of living and doing business and ensuring our key industries like agriculture, tourism and mining continue to thrive.

SHORT SURVEY: SA State Election - Have Your Say

What do you see as the major issue affecting SA agriculture? How would you rectify this?

VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: The ever-increasing cost of inputs into agriculture puts additional and often very unpredictable pressure on producers, even when markets are good for their outputs. Seemingly more unpredictable weather every year is another significant challenge for weather-dependent primary producers.

BROCK: Resource companies contacting landowners to get access to their properties can at times cause undue stress and financial stress on owners and their families. I attempted to have an inquiry into the processes that the state has in place to ensure that practices were the best process, however the Mining Minister indicated at the time that he would consult further after the Mining Bill was legislated and then put in practice any improvements that might be required. I believed they should have consulted further before legislation was passed. When the composition of the Parliament changed, with some disgruntled Liberal Members coming to the crossbench, I was able to establish a Select Committee into Land Access by resource companies onto agricultural land, with six great recommendations being presented to the Parliament for these to be considered by the government of the day.

WRIGHT: I think the huge contribution that agriculture makes to our state economy is often overlooked. Agriculture faces a number of major challenges, from drought resilience to the increased costs of fertilisers and fuel, workforce issues, roads and decline of services to small towns. We need to better promote the variety of jobs in agriculture and make sure there are opportunities for people to be trained into those jobs. Better health services to support our regional communities will also help to retain people locally.

STONE: The big one for Stuart is the need to overhaul pastoral leases. The state government started well on this issue, but they seem to have dropped it after criticism from environmentalists, with legislation stalled. Our pastoralists are some of the best people we have to look after the land because it's their livelihood and this should be recognised by extending their leases and getting rid of the green tape that's holding them back.

Do you think enough funding is being directed to regional infrastructure, eg roads and health facilities?

VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: There has never been more state government investment in regional infrastructure than during the past four years. Road upgrades and other productive infrastructure investment are well under way with positive outcomes already evident. Our government has invested $70 million into regional health infrastructure and facilities in our first term, which is five times the investment in Labor's last term in office. Any of my opponents who say our government does not prioritise regional health funding is being deliberately and disgracefully misleading.

BROCK: While the Minister spruces about the large amount of money being spent on regional roads, we must remind people that 80 per cent of these funds come from the Commonwealth and 20pc from the state. Our hospitals appear to have 'lip service' given with regard to improvements, while metropolitan facilities appear to have received massive amounts of money.

WRIGHT: Our region is incredibly important to the future of SA, yet our country health system is in crisis. There is a severe lack of GPs, problems with accessing specialists and big problems with ambulance wait times. People don't want to hear a blame game - they want to hear what will be done to fix the crisis. A Labor government will cancel the $662m city basketball stadium, with at least $100m of that money to be spent on country health including a $12m upgrade to the Port Pirie Hospital emergency department, an $8m upgrade to Port Augusta Hospital. We will also fund 30 additional paramedics and ambulance officers and four new drug rehabilitation beds in the region.

STONE: I believe spending on infrastructure and health needs to keep up with change. People in Stuart have been calling for major upgrades to the Augusta Highway for years but little to nothing has been done. I think we could use more resilient infrastructure in remote areas - recent floods have shown how easily these vital routes can be cut and how remote communities can be isolated for weeks.

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