Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (11:23): I rise to address this motion that has been brought forward by the member for Frome. I rise as someone who has been involved in agriculture all my life and also the minerals industry, when I worked in the Cooper Basin from March 1982 to March 1984. That by no means makes me an expert in mining, and I would never vouch to be an expert in agriculture, but I have been involved in both fields. Certainly, in regard to access regimes, yes, we do have to have best practice, and I applaud the work the Minister for Energy and Mining has been doing with his department in not only getting the mining bill—which we debated in this house recently—through to an act but also working very hard on the regulations and especially around access.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (16:17): I rise to resume my contribution to the Fire and Emergency Services (Governance) Amendment Bill. Previously, I was quoting the vital assistance of CFS volunteers and people with private units in combatting bushfires, and I now want to go to more detail on the bill.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (12:46): I rise to support the Fire and Emergency Services (Governance) Amendment Bill. I say this as an active member of the Country Fire Service, and I applaud not only everything the Country Fire Service and all our emergency services do, particularly in this difficult time of COVID-19, but also all those people who choose to deploy in farm fire units. I want to discuss, as part of my contribution on this bill, some of the recent fires or mopping-up operations I have been involved in. One was on 19 November, the Yumali-Netherton fire, which did not get a lot of media because there was something else in the news, a pause with COVID.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (15:37): I rise today to talk about a terrible event that happened in my local area 13 days ago, on 19 November 2020—the Yumali-Netherton fire, which started about 10 kilometres from my home and farm at Coomandook. It was started by a powerline falling into the crop, affected 15 properties and ran for almost 30 kilometres. In fact, it was such a big fire that, talking to many experienced farm firefighters and CFS firefighters, it was the worst fire they had fought locally in 50 years.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (21:00): I rise to speak to the Appropriation Bill that we have before us for the budget running in 2020-21. I must say that I am so pleased to see this massive infrastructure spend of $16.7 billion coming into the state so that we can build our way out of the issues raised by COVID-19. I really do commend the Treasurer, the Hon. Rob Lucas in the other place, because it certainly is not in his nature to spend money like this. I know that from advocating for projects in my electorate, where we have worked hard to make sure we get funding, so I know how fiscally responsible the Treasurer is. He also knows that we need to do something to bring this state out of the issues raised by COVID-19.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (16:11): I rise to say a few words after we have had the budget speech today, the biggest budget in this state's history. I just want to talk about a project that I worked on as an election commitment pre the last election in 2018 and that is the new emergency department at the Murray Bridge Soldiers' Memorial Hospital.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (12:39): I rise to make a contribution to the Statutes Amendment (Local Government Review) Bill 2020. I note there has been plenty of discussion at a range of levels and plenty of discussion inside the Local Government Association as to this review. I certainly understand that locally in my councils and across the state a bill that enhances the ability to manage behaviour better internally in councils will be widely welcomed.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (12:10): I rise to speak to this motion that was introduced by the member for Flinders:

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (11:24): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have not had the opportunity yet, but I congratulate you on rising to that esteemed position in the chair. I know that you are doing and will do a fantastic job for the parliament in this state.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (11:16): I rise to make a brief contribution and reiterate all the remarks by the member for Heysen and the member for Kavel, the Chair of the Public Works Committee, in regard to the report of the Public Works Committee, entitled Strathalbyn Residential Aged Care Facility Expansion. I note that I did look after Strathalbyn directly between the years of 2006 and 2010. As I understand it, I have something like 120 addresses attributed to Strathalbyn, so some of my people are obviously directly affected by this.