State Budget 2018: All of the 34 programs that got cut

TREASURER Rob Lucas cut 34 programs in this week’s State Budget, as he tried to claw back what he said would be a near-$400m deficit. Here’s every program he cut, and what they did.

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TREASURER Rob Lucas cut 34 programs in this week’s State Budget, as he tried to claw back what he said would be a near-$400m deficit. Here’s every program he cut, and what they did.

Economic Development Board

Established in 2002 with a view to advising the Government on strategies to grow the economy. The 12-member board comprised a mix of business leaders, university representatives and public servants. Scrapping it will save $2 million a year. An Economic Advisory Council, comprising six business leaders, will replace it.

Commissioner for Kangaroo Island

Commissioner Wendy Campana was tasked with improving the management and delivery of services and infrastructure by government agencies; providing assistance to businesses and residents dealing with government agencies; and assisting in improving the local economy of Kangaroo Island. Scrapping it will save $1 million a year.

South Australian Treasurer Rob Lucas speaks to the SA Press Club a day after the State Budget was delivered. Picture: AAP / David Mariuz

Laptops for Students program

The Liberals lived up to their pre-election commitment to drop the former Labor government’s plan to give laptops to all Year 10 students at public schools. Dumping the plan will save the state nearly $70 million over the next four years.

Riverbank Authority

The authority’s job was to “set the direction for future development in the Adelaide Riverbank’’. Getting rid of it will save taxpayers $3.2 million over four years. A new stakeholder group — the Riverbank Entertainment Precinct Advisory Committee — is being set up to report to the minister responsible for the precinct.

Investment Attraction Advisory Board

Led by Crows chairman and business identity Rob Chapman, this board guided the activities of Investment Attraction South Australia, which was tasked with attracting companies to SA with taxpayer money and other incentives. With the function of the agency presumably rolled into three new funding schemes, the board is now obsolete.

Health Industries Advisory Board and Grants Program

Health Industries SA was a first point of contact for life sciences companies looking to invest in SA. It also had the job of attracting new investment to the state.

TechInSA

TechInSA was born out of BioSA, which supported biotechnology companies, but was given a wider remit to help other start-up firms. Its role will be subsumed by the new office of the Chief Entrepreneur.

Unlocking Capital for Jobs Fund

This $50 million program was supposed to offer government guarantees for businesses struggling to secure bank loans. In practice it was an abject failure with only one business taking up the chance.

Economic Investment Fund

This fund was where Investment Attraction South Australia sourced the money for grants. All such grants will now go to Cabinet for scrutiny.

Small Business Development Fund

This fund provided established small businesses, with less than 20 full-time staff, in northern Adelaide with matched funding of between $10,000 and $100,000 to grow and create new jobs.

Food Parks Tenant Attraction Grants

A $7 million grants fund was set aside to attract food and beverage processors, manufacturers, packaging and logistics businesses to a new industry hub at Edinburgh Parks.

SA Early Commercialisation Fund

This fund, managed by Tech-InSA, provided “entrepreneurs, businesses and organisations with matched funding of up to $500,000 to commercialise novel products and services’’.

Renewable technology industry development/renewable Technology Funds

We have the Renewable Technology Fund to thank for Elon Musk’s big battery near Jamestown in the state’s Far North. It was meant to have a total value of $150 million “comprising equal tranches of grant funding and other financing’’.

Digital Game Development

Grants from $5000 to $50,000 were available to help companies in the gaming sector develop and market their projects or develop their skills.

Fund my Neighbourhood

Set up by former premier Jay Weatherill in the 2017 State Budget, the scheme funded community projects, providing between $10,000 and $150,000. Labor handed out $20 million in grants, but the Government has scrapped the program’s second round, which would have allocated a further $20 million.

Automotive Suppliers Diversification

This $11.65 million program aimed to assist automotive supply chain manufacturers affected by the closure of Holden’s Elizabeth plant.

Advanced Food Manufacturing Program

This program gave grants of up to $100,000 for co-funded projects to develop new or improved food products or manufacturing processes.

SA Premium Food and Wine Credentials

The scheme provided SA food and wine producers with funding of up to $25,000 to get third-party certification and gain access to premium food markets.

Mining and Petroleum Centre of Excellence Grant

Funded projects such as the Onshore Petroleum Centre of Excellence training facility and other initiatives which supported SA’s resources sector.

Premier’s Research and Industry Fund

The fund (transitioned into the Research Commercialisation and Start Up Fund) aimed to support South Australia’s research community to compete successfully on a national and global scale.

Strategic Industry Development Fund

Companies such as Spring Gully were assisted under this program (transitioned into the Research Commercialisation and Start Up Fund) which targeted pilot projects for industry demonstration and promotion of best practice.

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Future Jobs Fund

This $200 million program, including $50 million of grants and $70 million of low-interest loans, was announced in the last budget. It sparked controversy because it was seen as a way for the previous Labor government to generate a large number of job creation announcements in the lead up to the election.

Independent Gambling Authority

The authority responsible for regulating casino gambling, poker machines, sports and racing betting and commercial lotteries will no longer operate as a stand-alone service, with the Budget folding it into Consumer and Business Services. The move was recommended by the Anderson review into gambling regulation. It will save $1.72 million across the forward estimates.

Northern and Southern Connections

Units which provided support to existing grant programs in the northern and southern suburbs will be closed.

Energy Productivity Program

The scheme allowed businesses to receive energy audits and reduce their energy consumption. The Labor Party’s $31 million initiative will not be continued after the 2018-19 State Budget. About $2.5 million of unallocated funding will still be awarded.

Dob in a Litterer

Former environment minister Ian Hunter’s flagship program, which allowed South Australians to dob in litterbugs through a smart phone app, will formally shut down this month. The Environment Department says all unprocessed reports will still be dealt with. The cut will save $650,000 across the forward estimates.

Regional Capability Community Grants

The $500,000 annual program has been scrapped, saving $2 million across the forward estimates. It supported rural and regional communities to protect themselves from natural disasters. The Budget papers say the restoration of the Emergency Services Levy remissions means it’s no longer needed.

Synthetic Playing Surface and Women’s sporting facilities

The money has been moved into a new fund, delivering sporting facilities to clubs, with a particular focus on women’s sports.

Retrenched Workers*

Jobs First Employment Project fund*

Personal Support program*

Careers Services Program*

* A range of worker and industry assistance programs have been scrapped, with some funding given to three new programs: Economic and Business Growth, worth $100 million over four years; Regional Growth Fund, $60 million over four years, and; Research, Commercialisation and Start-Up Fund, $27.9 million over four years.

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