A proposal to relocate the Gawler, Elizabeth and Salisbury Offices of Families SA onto the old Smithfield Plains High School site is unlikely to go ahead in the form announced in the State Budget, following intervention by local Member of Parliament Mr Tony Piccolo.
Last week during the budget debate in State Parliament, Mr Piccolo raised concerns about the potential adverse impact the proposal could have on Families SA clients in the Gawler and surrounding districts. Mr Piccolo told Parliament,
“In the area of social services, it is been mentioned that some money has been put aside to consolidate a number of offices for Families SA.” “On this point, I have a slight difference of opinion with the minister and I have conveyed that to the minister's office,” Mr Piccolo said.
“I certainly support the view put by my Families SA that they should remain in Gawler.”
“I understand that the minister has given very sympathetic consideration to those issues and I thank her for considering that, given that Gawler is a very separate community.”
“They certainly view themselves as a separate community to northern Adelaide—not a better community, just a different community.”
“I have been supporting the staff and also the client base in my community to have that decision reviewed.”
Mr Piccolo said he was quietly confident that, at the very least, the proposal would be modified to exclude the re-location of the Gawler Officer.