South Australia hits record $48.6m government advertising spend
South Australia's government spent a record $48.6 million on advertising last financial year, bringing its four-year total to nearly $200 million.
The South Australian government's advertising spend hit a record $48.6 million in the year to June. This was up nearly 15 per cent from the previous year.
Over its first four years in office, the Malinauskas government has now spent nearly $200 million on campaigns. Spending covers public safety messages on bushfires and roads, smoking and gambling prevention, promotions for events and festivals, and recruitment drives for police, health and early childhood workers.
Critics say some campaigns, including a nearly $1.5 million health system campaign and a $763,000 housing campaign, are really government self-promotion rather than genuine public information. Opposition Shadow Treasurer Ben Hood called it wasteful spending on "self-congratulatory advertising" at a time when hospitals are struggling.
Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis defended the spending, saying governments have always invested in community messaging and pointing out that the spend is a smaller share of the state budget than in previous years.
- $48.6 million
- Last year's advertising spend
- Nearly $200 million
- Four-year total
- Nearly 15 per cent
- Year-on-year increase
- Nearly $1.5 million
- Health campaign spending
Why it mattersVoters need to know how their tax dollars are being spent on government messaging, especially when the government is also facing criticism for struggling public services.
AustraliaSouth Australian taxpayers are funding these campaigns, and the debate reflects broader questions about how state governments use advertising budgets.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 h ago
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