Question Time AU

General Debate

Coober Pedy

House of Representatives · Tuesday 28 October 2025

Official Hansard for this day (APH) · Read this debate on OpenAustralia

At a glance

Tom Venning raised concerns about the decline of Coober Pedy, citing high utility costs, infrastructure failures, and the prolonged administration of its local council. He argued that the state government had neglected remote communities while wasting funds on other projects. Venning called for a joint taskforce to address water and electricity issues, restore local government, and support vocational training. He also highlighted broader regional workforce and housing crises in South Australia.

Summary in reported speech - not a transcript. AI-generated, so check the official record before quoting.

How the debate unfolded

Opened the debate

Tom Venning (Grey) (Liberal Party) Liberal

Venning argued that Coober Pedy was suffering from bureaucratic neglect and high living costs, with water and electricity prices three times higher than in Adelaide. Venning criticised the state government for failing to restore the elected local council, which had been in administration since 2019, and for refusing to use local TAFE facilities for opal training due to outdated equipment. Venning demanded a jointly funded state and federal taskforce to upgrade infrastructure, ensure transparent timelines for council exit, and support emergency and volunteer services. Venning also highlighted a broader regional workforce crisis, noting that 173,000 workers were expected to leave the regional labour market over the next decade, threatening $65 billion in investment.