Appropriation Bill 2026
Tuesday 18 August 2026
S.E. ANDREWS (Gibson) (11:54): I, too, rise to speak on the Appropriation Bill. This bill gives us an opportunity to move beyond individual budget lines and consider the priorities of our government, the investments being made across South Australia and, importantly, what those investments mean for the communities we represent.
When the government set out its priorities for this term, four principles stood out to me: the power of education to unlock opportunity, access to world-class health care, the security of a roof over one's head and a determination to seize South Australia's economic opportunity.
In Gibson, education is one of the clearest examples of that. I have been proud to advocate alongside the community at Brighton Primary School for a new hall. I was so pleased to see that $8 million is being provided for that in the budget. This is a project that the school community has been asking and advocating for for a couple of years now, and ultimately we had over 600 people sign my petition for it. It will provide students and staff much better facilities in which to learn, gather and participate in school life and will give the school community a facility that is appropriate for the growing school and its future.
Importantly, at the moment, the school hall only fits half of the school in it at any one time, so there are no opportunities to have a whole school assembly—which can really foster a positive school culture—unless you go out and sit in the quadrangle. Unfortunately, once you do that, you are outside and open to the elements, which makes it very hard for the students who are deaf and hard of hearing to be able to participate equally in those gatherings.
I have been in school assemblies when half of them have been in the hall while the older students have been Zooming from their classrooms, and they have had that cut completely from them. This is a big opportunity for the school to foster a much more positive culture and one that the broader community can also participate in. The idea that it is going to be located on the edge of the school grounds rather than right in the middle, where it is now, means that other community groups and other sports groups will be able to use it, making it open to even more members of our community.
This commitment sits alongside our government's broader commitment to make education more accessible and affordable. From 2027, public school students will no longer face a range of school fees and charges, while year 7 students will be able to attend a school camp without the additional cost falling on their families. We are also expanding sporting and music opportunities for young people and continuing to invest in the facilities, teachers and programs that help children make the most of their education. These are important investments because the circumstances into which a child is born should not determine the opportunities available to them.
That is also true of health care. Health remains one of the essential responsibilities of government because nothing matters more than the wellbeing of South Australians and the strength of the services they rely on when they need them most. This budget continues to invest in hospital capacity, with new beds at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Noarlunga Hospital and Modbury Hospital as well as additional mental health beds at the Women's and Children's Hospital.
We have also seen record levels of elective surgery being delivered through our public hospitals, and that is important because behind every waiting list number is a person who has been living with pain, unable to work or care for their family or simply get on with their life. There is still more work to do, but these investments demonstrate the government's commitment to building a health system with the capacity to meet the needs of South Australians.
Housing is another area where the government has recognised that we need to act with both urgency and ambition. A roof over one's head should not be an aspiration reserved for those who happen to have the greatest financial means. We need to build more homes, increase the supply of affordable housing and make sure that new communities have the infrastructure they need.
The government has set an ambitious target for housing supply and is continuing to accelerate land release, invest in essential infrastructure, support strategic infill and expand public and affordable housing. In the southern suburbs, the South Beach development at the former Port Stanvac site is an example of the scale of opportunity that comes with getting this right. It will deliver thousands of new homes alongside employment, land, significant open space and public access to the coast. It is the kind of development we need as South Australia grows: homes, jobs, infrastructure and open space considered together rather than in isolation.
We are also supporting people who are already in the housing market through measures such as stamp duty relief for eligible first-home buyers and downsizers and expanding pathways into home ownership through initiatives such as rent-to-buy.
Cost of living, of course, is connected to all of these issues. For many South Australians the pressure on the household budget is not an abstract economic discussion. It is whether they have enough money left at the end of the week after paying the mortgage or the rent, the electricity bill, the groceries, school costs and transport.
In our first term this government invested more than $1 billion in practical cost-of-living relief. This term continues that work, with measures including expanded Seniors Card eligibility, free public transport for eligible seniors, the abolition of public school fees, expanded sports and music vouchers and more support for families through out-of-school-hours care.
The state government cannot control every price that South Australians face, we cannot set supermarket prices or interest rates, but we can make choices about the costs that are within our responsibility and we can provide targeted assistance where it will make a real difference, and that is particularly important for older Australians. Expanding Seniors Card eligibility to an estimated 80,000 additional people aged over 60 gives more South Australians access to free public transport and a range of other concessions and discounts. It is a relatively simple measure, but for someone on a fixed income the ability to save money on transport and everyday expenses makes a genuine difference.
The budget also recognises that South Australia's future depends on more than simply managing the pressures of today. We have an extraordinary economic opportunity in front of us, whether through renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, defence, critical minerals, technology, tourism or the arts and creative industries. As Assistant Minister for Arts I particularly value the recognition that our creative industries are not peripheral to South Australia's economy or identity; they are a source of employment, innovation, tourism, community connection and they contribute to the character and liveability of our state.
We should be ambitious about the future we are building while making sure that growth translates into opportunities for South Australians. That is also why infrastructure investment matters so much at a local level. When we secure improvements to a school or a sporting facility, a road or transport connection, or a community space, we are not simply completing a project, we are investing in the infrastructure that allows people to participate in their communities and for those communities to flourish.
The projects I have advocated for in Gibson include improvements to local sporting facilities, school infrastructure, transport connections and community spaces—all part of that broader picture. They are a tangible expression of what government investment can mean at a local level.
Moving to the estimates committees process, estimates provides members with an important opportunity to scrutinise government spending decisions, ask questions on behalf of their communities and seek greater detail about the outcomes being delivered, and that scrutiny is an essential part of our parliamentary democracy. Members should be prepared to ask difficult questions and ministers should be prepared to answer them and the public should have confidence that public money is being spent responsibly.
The important thing for me is that we do not lose sight of the people behind those budget figures. The $8 million for a school hall represents students who will use it; new hospital beds represent patients who will receive care; housing investment represents families looking for somewhere to live; and cost-of-living measures represent people trying to make their household budget stretch a little further. That is ultimately what the budget is about. It is about creating opportunity through education, providing security through housing and essential services, strengthening health care, easing some of the pressures facing households and investing in the economic and cultural opportunities that will shape South Australia's future.
I am proud to represent Gibson in this parliament and I am proud to advocate for the communities that make our electorate such an amazing place to live. However, this work does not end when a budget is passed, it continues through to the delivery of these projects, the scrutiny of our spending and, most importantly, through continuing to listen to the people we represent, making sure their priorities remain part of our decisions in this place. That is the responsibility that comes with this parliament and one I take seriously. I commend the bill to the house.
