The South Australian Government has published a major update to the state’s Strategic Plan.

 

The plan was updated after an extensive consultation process with over 9,200 South Australians contributing to the update.

 

The 2011 plan contains 100 targets - 21 of them new - that all fit under new categories – Our Community, Our Prosperity, Our Environment, Our Health, Our Education and Our Ideas - which have been informed by direct community input and recommended by the Community Engagement Board.

 

A number of targets have been removed after their completion, including the five biodiversity corridors goal.

 

Minister Assisting the Premier with South Australia’s Strategic Plan, Tom Kenyon, said achieving all 100 targets will rely on community effort.

 

“Governments can do many things to encourage people to drive safely, eat healthy food, take a bike ride and moderate their alcohol intake, but these choices rely on individual effort and partnerships,,” Mr Kenyon said.  

 

“Other important targets cover issues like social inclusion, multiculturalism and caring for the environment and these can be helped by communities, business and non-government organisations taking up the challenge and working together.”

 

The new targets are as follow

  • Urban spaces: Increase use of Urban spaces
  • Cycling: Double the number of people cycling by 2020
  • Violence against Women: A significant and sustained reduction in violence against women through to 2022
  • Repeat Offending: South Australia has the lowest Australian rate of repeat offenders over the period to 2020
  • Bushfire Preparedness – increase the number of households in high bushfire prone areas that are prepared for a bushfire by 30 per cent by 2020
  • Social participation – Increase the proportion of South Australians participating in social, community and economic activities by 2020
  •  Support for people with a disability – Triple the number of people with a disability able to access self managed funding by 2016
  • Food industry – Grow the contribution made by the South Australian food industry to $20billion by 2020
  • Ageing workforce participation – Increase the proportion of older South Australians who are engaged in the workforce by 10 percentage points by 2020
  • Apprentices – Increase the number of apprentice completions in trade occupations by 20 per cent by 2020
  • Online business – Increase the proportion of businesses that receive orders online from 24 per cent to 40 per cent by 2014 and continue growth each year to 2020
  • Climate Change adaptation – Develop regional climate change adaptation plans in all state government regions by 2016 
  • GreenPower – Purchase renewable energy for 50 per cent of the government’s own electricity needs by 2014
  • Emissions intensity – Limit the carbon intensity of total South Australian electricity generation to 0.5 tonnes of CO2/MWh by 2020 
  • Urban development – By 2036, 70 per cent of all new housing in metropolitan Adelaide will be being built in established areas
  • Nature conservation – Increase participation in nature conservation activities by 25 per cent by 2015 
  • Recycled storm water – South Australia has the system capacity to harvest up to 35 GL of storm water per annum by 2025
  • Recycled wastewater – South Australia has the system capacity to recycle up to 50GL of wastewater per annum by 2025
  • Alcohol consumption – Reduce the proportion of South Australians who drink to risky levels by 30 per cent by 2020
  • Health care standards – By 2013, 90 per cent of patients presenting to a public hospital emergency department will be seen, treated and either discharged or admitted to hospital within four hours. 
  • Science, technology engineering and mathematics qualifications – increase the number of domestic students completing undergraduate qualifications in specified science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields of education by 15 percentage points to 3600 students per annum by 2020

 

The key updates to the plan are:

  • Cultural vibrancy – arts activities:   There has already been an enormous increase in attendance at arts activities (a rise of 89 per cent from 2004) so this target has been boosted to a 150 per cent increase by 2020.
  • Housing for people with a disability:  Expanded to include a much broader range of housing options, including community based accommodation.
  • Statewide crime rates:  The target to reduce statewide crime rates by 12 per cent has been exceeded so a new target has been set aiming for 38 per cent reduction from the 2002-03 level by 2014.
  • Greater Safety at Work:  The previous target of a 40 per cent reduction in juries by 2012 is on track to be achieved so a target of a further 50 per cent reduction by 2020 has been set.
  • Volunteering:  Informal volunteering has been included in the target and the proportion of the community involved has been increased to 70 per cent.
  • Early childhood – birth weight:  A new specific target to halve the proportion of Aboriginal low birth weight babies by 2020.
  • Minerals exploration and Minerals production and processing:  A stronger commitment to increase the expenditure on mining exploration to $200 million per annum; and the value of minerals production and processing to $10 billion by 2020.
  • Jobs:  A new ambitious target to increase employment by 2 per cent each year from 2010 to 2016.
  • Employment of people with a disability:  This target has been expanded to include employment of people with a disability in the private sector.
  • Renewable energy:  Building on success in this area, we have increased our target from renewables forming 20 per cent of the states electricity production by 2014 to 33 per cent by 2020.
  • Zero Waste:  A strengthened target to reduce waste to landfill by 35 per cent by 2020.
  • Sustainable Land Management:  The target has been extended to include strategies for improving the conditions of pastoral lands.
  • Healthy South Australians:  To increase healthy life expectancy by at least 5 per cent by 2020 and  Increase the proportion of South Australians at a healthy body weight.
  • Science, technology, engineering and mathematics qualifications:  A new target which aims to increase the number of students completing undergraduate qualifications in these fields by 15 per cent.
  • Public research and expenditure:  The updated target aims for 1.2 per cent of gross state product to be spent in this area.

 

The full plan can be viewed here