The Malinauskas Labor Government has scrapped the Liberals’ unfunded Crystal Lake election commitment, notifying the owner of the Highbury Quarry that the deed for the purchase of land by the former government will be terminated.

The deed provided for the sale of the land and was signed on the eve of caretaker provisions by former Environment Minister David Speirs.

There will be no cost to the taxpayer associated with the termination of the deed.

The announcement lacked any planning work, funding or community consultation, and was ultimately just a thinly-veiled campaign video paid for by taxpayers.

The Liberals’ election pledge was financially reckless considering the cost of similar projects interstate have run into the tens of millions of dollars.

Crystal Lake was a costly pipedream trotted out by a desperate Liberal Party on the eve of the state election, exposing South Australian taxpayers to millions of dollars in costs.

Minister for Climate, Environment and Water, Dr Susan Close, cancelled the deed to protect South Australian taxpayers and to provide quarry owners Holcim with certainty going forward.

Crystal Lake was typical of the former Liberal governments’ failure to prioritise what is important to South Australians.

Quotes

Attributable to Minister for Climate, Environment and Water Susan Close

While I value the benefit of creating open spaces, the Crystal Lake election commitment was a reckless and rushed policy idea that would have cost taxpayers millions of dollars.

It was one of a number of rushed and thoughtless commitments made by the former government in its final days.

Our government is prioritising fixing the ramping crisis and investing in health, not flights of fancy like this lake.