Hon Iain Evans MP

The former Liberal Government made significant and measurable progress in overcoming the serious challenges facing South Australia at a time when the State faced the most severe financial crisis in its history and a severe lack of business and consumer confidence.

It was the former Liberal Government that ensured that the AAA credit rating that was lost by Labor during the State Bank fiasco was within reach by 2002. The Liberals:

• Reduced Labor’s 1993 net debt from $11.6 billion to $3.2 billion in 2001. This freed hundreds of millions of dollars per annum to spend on government services and initiatives instead of interest payments.
• Turned Labor’s cash and accrual deficits into cash and accrual surpluses – there was no Budget blackhole. 
• Put in place a long-term plan to fully fund unfunded superannuation liabilities.

The Liberal Party has a strong track record in managing the State’s finances – one that South Australians can have confidence in.

The former Liberal Government was deeply committed to preserving South Australia’s unique environment for future generations.  The Liberal Government believed that environmental management must focus on sustainability – identifying new ways to use our natural resources while ensuring an equitable future for the environment.

To this end the former Liberal Government:

• Permanently protected the Gammon Ranges National Park from mining;
• Outlinined a plan for the establishment of South Australia’s first Marine Protected Areas;
• Expanded South Australia’s container deposit legislation;
• Unveiled the $30 million Parks Agenda; 
• Established the Gawler Ranges National Park; 
• Created Adelaide’s second generation of parklands; 
• Added 2105 hectares to the Coorong National Park; and
• Completed a $1.3 million upgrade of the Innes National Park on the Yorke Peninsula and a $7.6 million upgrade of the Rocky River Visitor Centre at Flinders Chase National Park.

Encouraged and assisted by the former Liberal Government, South Australian producers more than doubled exports.

During the eight year term of Liberal Leadership, South Australia was the nation’s best performer with an average 11.7 per cent per annum increase in exports compared to the Australian rate of 8.4 per cent.   South Australian exports increased from $3,890 million in 1993-94 to $9,104 million in 2001-02. 

Since March 2002, South Australian exports (annualised) have fallen by 13.3 per cent compared with a national increase of 8.4 per cent.

South Australia is now the worst performing state in the nation. We have effectively gone from ‘top of the class’ to bottom.

The former Liberal Government recognised the importance of Primary Industries to the South Australian economy and our regional communities.

The former Liberal Government embarked on the State Food Plan and set the ambitious target of increasing the size of the food industry from $5 billion to $15 billion within 12 years. It invested in the plan and South Australian food producers saw huge growth. By 2002 we had exceeded the target revenue for that year by $1 billion.

The former Liberal Government pioneered South Australia's aquaculture industry in the early 1990’s by introducing the Farmed Seafood Initiative (FSI).  The former Liberal Government also implemented the Aquaculture Act in 2001.

The former Liberal Government worked collaboratively with industry to identify, fund, build and efficiently use critical infrastructure. This incorporated housing, power and water assets.

Between 1994 and 2002, completed the following major projects:

• Adelaide to Darwin Rail-link;
• Virginia and Christies Beach reclaimed water projects;
• Berri Bridge;
• Heysen Tunnels;
• Southern Expressway;
• Loxton Irrigation Area Rehabilitation Scheme;
• South East Drainage Scheme; and
• Extension to the Adelaide Airport Runway.

Following strong support by the former Liberal Government via the Targeted Exploration Initiative South Australia (TEISA), that Government established the Mineral Resources Taskforce which reported on strategies to shape the future of the industry.

In responding to the taskforce the then Liberal Government committed to the nine main findings of its report and made appropriate budgetary commitments to underpin those findings.

Through its initiatives and staunch support for the minerals sector the former Liberal Government laid the foundations for mineral exploration to occur in South Australia.

The former Liberal Government sought to formally recognise the valuable contribution of volunteers and in an Australian first Iain Evans was apppointed the Minister responsible for volunteering and a permanent Office for Volunteers was established.

It introduced legislative reforms to provide greater protection to volunteers and good Samaritans and was also the first State Government in Australia to appoint a Volunteer Roundtable.