STATE Government agencies can now choose to advertise notices online and not in regional newspapers, after parliament passed a range of reforms last week.

The Statutes Amendment and Repeal (Simplify) Bill proposed 40 acts aimed at reducing “red tape”, 27 of which removed the legal obligation for government agencies to advertise notices, such as public consultation advertisements, in local publications.

The bill was debated in the Lower House last Wednesday whereby Labor tried to pass amendments that would retain the government’s obligation to advertise in regional newspapers, but they were defeated.

The government will now have the option of only advertising notices online, potentially locking older regional residents out of accessing government announcements.

Shadow treasurer Stephen Mullighan called the decision “cruel penny pinching” from the Steven Marshall-led Liberals.

“Local newspapers are a vital part of the fabric of local communities,” he said.

“This cut to government advertising will cut a significant revenue source local newspapers rely on, meaning they’ll have less money to invest in local news.

“More importantly, it robs local communities of information which is vital to them, delivered in a way they can easily access.

“How many people are likely to regularly check departmental websites?

"Far more are likely to pick up their local newspaper.

“This is simply cruel penny-pinching from the Marshall Liberal Government, which will hurt local newspapers and more importantly hurt local communities.”

Regional MPs such as Member for Schubert Stephan Knoll, Member for Narrunga Fraser Ellis and Regional Development Minister Tim Whetstone voted against Labor’s amendments.

Skills Minister David Pisoni, during debate on Wednesday, said he didn’t believe the bill would bring “any disadvantage” to local communities.

“The government does not support these amendments because the amendments are not necessary for the advertising to continue in regional newspapers,” he said.

“We have shown that we are committed to regional newspapers.

“There is no legal requirement, as far as I understand, for this government to use regional newspapers, but our record, just in our very first year, shows our commitment to regional South Australia by using those regional newspapers.”

Provisions for online-only advertising of notices could also be adopted by local councils, with Mr Knoll’s Local Government Reform Discussion Paper including a clause to “review the requirements for councils to publish notices”.