Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, $860,537,000

Administered Items for the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, $9,208,000

Membership:

Mr Wingard substituted for Mr Pederick.

Mr Whetstone substituted for Mr Treloar.

Minister:

Hon. L.W.K. Bignell, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Tourism, Minister for Recreation and Sport, Minister for Racing.

Departmental Advisers:

Ms K. Taylor, General Manager, Office for Recreation and Sport, Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure.

Mr I. Houridis, Director, Facility Development and Infrastructure, Office for Recreation and Sport, Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure.

Mr R. Mellon, Manager, Industry Support, Office for Recreation and Sport, Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure.

Mr T. Nicholas, Manager, Finance and Accounting Operations, Office for Recreation and Sport, Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure.

Mr W. Battams, Director, South Australian Sports Institute, Office for Recreation and Sport, Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure.

Mr B. Seidel, Acting Chief Finance Officer, Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure.

The CHAIR: The estimate of payments, Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure and administered items for the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, is open for examination, and I refer members to the portfolio statements in Volume 4. I call on the minister to introduce his new line-up of advisers and make his opening statement should he have one.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Thank you, Chair. Good afternoon to members of the committee. I would like to introduce the members of the department who are with me today. On my immediate left is Kylie Taylor, the General Manager of the Office for Recreation and Sport. Ilia Houridis, who is the Director, Facility Development and Infrastructure, Office for Recreation and Sport, is the next one over on the left. We also have Tim Nicholas, Manager, Finance, Office for Recreation and Sport; Richard Mellon, Manager, Industry Support, Office for Recreation and Sport; Wes Battams, Director of the South Australian Sports Institute; and Ben Seidel, the Acting Chief Finance Officer of DPTI.

The Office for Recreation and Sport is the lead agency for the state government's policy on sport and active recreation. The agency's vision is for an active state because sport and active recreation develop stronger, healthier, happier and safer communities. Every member of parliament would be aware of athletes and organisations who are working with the Office for Recreation and Sport, improving their club through Starclub, training at elite levels with SASI, or applying for funding for everything from new equipment to a new facility through one of our grant programs. The Office for Recreation and Sport regularly engages with and assists:

67 state sport and recreation peak bodies and organisations;

2,264 registered Starclubs;

seven industry representative bodies;

68 local councils;

national committees;

47 members of parliament and electorate offices; and

state government departments.

At the same time, the Office for Recreation and Sport administers nine separate grant programs, ensuring all processes are at best practice with good governance. During the past 12 months, the Office for Recreation and Sport has assessed more than 1,696 grant applications requesting more than $58.7 million in equipment, programs, facility planning and development, and organisational development. In the same period, 1,324 grant agreements were managed. During 2016-17, across a range of grant programs, $18.1 million has been approved to 697 grantees. A breakdown of this allocation is:

Active Club Program, 386 successful applicants sharing in $2.55 million;

Sport and Recreation Sustainability Program, 67 eligible organisations sharing in $2.64 million;

Sport and Recreation Development and Inclusion Program, 129 successful projects and 55 individual scholarships totalling $3.6 million. Of these, 39 projects were identified to assist with inclusion-based initiatives;

Community Recreation and Sport Facility Program, 29 successful projects sharing in $4.18 million;

Female Facilities Program, 13 successful projects sharing in $4 million;

State Facility Fund, $500,000 was shared between two projects; and

VACSWIM funding program, 10 organisations shared in $410,969. The delivery of the iconic VACSWIM program allowed for better connections at a community level and saw the program delivered across 126 locations statewide.

The Sports Vouchers program provides up to $50 every year for every primary school student to reduce the cost of club fees and participation in sport. There have now been 53,432 vouchers redeemed for a total of $2.66 million in 2016-17. In addition to grant programs, the office also made one-off grant payments to:

the Football Federation of South Australia, $10 million to invest in high-quality playing fields and facility upgrades;

Charles Sturt council, $7.5 million towards the redevelopment of the St Clair Recreation Centre;

the City of Port Adelaide Enfield, $4.7 million in support of a recreation and sports centre on the former Ross Smith school site;

South Australian Olympic Council, $1 million to support activities over the 2017-20 Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games cycle; and

Thoroughbred Racing South Australia, $3 million to increase prize money for the autumn racing carnival.

To support its performance-based investment strategy, the Office for Recreation and Sport places a strong focus on customer and industry relationships. Each funded state sport, recreation or industry body is assigned a designated industry adviser who works with the paid staff, boards and volunteers to support business improvement initiatives and ensure government understanding of sport and recreation is complete, up to date and minimises duplication.

During the past 12 months, the Office for Recreation and Sport provided 101 training and development opportunities to support the industry in the following areas: coaching, volunteering and officiating; child safe environments; governance and board-related functions; integrity; inclusion; and leadership. A range of partnerships have been developed to deliver 104 participation programs for people traditionally under-represented in sport and active recreation participation. This includes the following population groups: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, women and girls, people with disabilities, and people from a cultural and linguistically diverse background.

The Starclub Club Development Program is a key tool in this project and its overall support of grassroots sport. At 30 June 2017, 2,264 organisations have achieved level 1 status by registering with Starclub. Of these, 1,368 organisations have achieved level 2 status by submitting responses to all questions; 639 have achieved level 3—provisional online Starclub status; and 92 have achieved full Starclub recognition.

In 2016-17, the state government has continued its program to plan for and deliver excellent recreation and sport infrastructure. In association with the Local Government Association, the Office for Recreation and Sport has developed guidelines to improve the planning and decision-making processes for major community-level facilities.

Throughout this period, the Office for Recreation and Sport has assessed or assisted more than 260 proposals, applications and inquiries from across the state relating to facility planning and development, development plan approvals, master plans and partnerships between federal, state and local governments, and state sport and recreation organisations for better facilities across metropolitan and regional South Australia.

The state government provided $2 million, together with $750,000 each from the cities of Marion and Onkaparinga, to develop a UCI-standard BMX track as part of the O'Halloran Hill Recreation Park. Concept design, costing and a staging plan is well underway for this facility. Eight soccer facilities across metropolitan Adelaide are being developed through the state government's $10 million grant to the Football Federation of South Australia to deliver synthetic soccer pitches and other facility developments. Facilities at Modbury and the Parks are now complete.

The state government has provided funding of $5 million to the Port Pirie Regional Council for the redevelopment of the Port Pirie Memorial Oval multi-use sport facility. Works are well underway, and I was pleased to see those when I was up there earlier in the year. The $27 million Campbelltown Leisure Centre, built with the assistance of $3 million from the state government, is now completed and has already increased participation in recreation and sport well beyond expectation. Again, it was terrific to be out there for the opening of that facility. In an exciting project, the largest solar array on a sporting facility in the Southern Hemisphere has been installed at South Australia's Aquatic and Leisure Centre. It is expected that the panels will generate around 750,000 kilowatt hours of electricity and pay for itself in less than four years.

In the area of elite high-performance sport, the South Australian Sports Institute has excelled in the major sporting events of 2016-17. The performances of our athletes showcased the success of our pathway programs, talent identification and coach and athlete development. So far in 2017, 43 South Australian athletes have been selected for junior and/or senior world championships. Of those who have competed so far, five South Australian athletes have won seven world championship medals. Many of the remaining athletes are yet to compete and SASI is optimistic of further medal success.

At the 2016 Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games, 50 South Australian athletes were selected to the 2016 Rio Olympic team across 14 sports, and nine SASI athletes were selected to the Paralympic team across six sports. Cyclist and four-time Olympian, Anna Meares, was announced the Australian team captain and flag bearer for the opening ceremony. Anna won a bronze medal in the women's keirin to take her overall Olympic medal tally to six, making her the most successful Australian cyclist of all time.

Young swimmer Kyle Chalmers debuted at Rio. His Olympic campaign began with a bronze in the men's 4 x 100-metre freestyle relay. He then went on to swim an amazing 100-metre freestyle final to claim Olympic gold. Kyle then anchored the 4 x 100-metre medley relay team to a bronze, bringing his total medal tally to three. As a government, we are very proud of all our athletes at all different levels.

Since the corporatisation of the racing industry in 2000, the state government has not sought to interfere in the day-to-day management of the racing industry. The government's dealings with the racing industry since then have revolved around major policy issues of local and national significance. The government has continued to acknowledge the importance of the South Australian racing industry and its economic and social contribution to South Australia.

The CHAIR: Do you have any statement, or is it straight into questions, member for Mitchell?

Mr WINGARD: Straight into questions, please. I refer to Budget Paper 4, Volume 4, page 179, half way down the page, Sport and Recreation Fund. There was $3.5 million in 2017-18, $3.5 million estimated in 2016-17 and $3.5 million actual in 2015-16. Minister, can you please confirm the balance of the Sport and Recreation Fund as at 30 June 2017?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: The balance at 30 June 2017 was $3.3 million.

Mr WINGARD: What are the budget inflows into the fund in 2017-18 and each of the years in the forward estimates?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: I will just get Kylie Taylor, the head of the Office for Recreation and Sport to answer that.

Ms TAYLOR: The standard balance has been $3.5 million but, with the lease from the Stadium Management Authority for Adelaide Oval commencing the last financial year for the first time, $200,000 extra, rising by $200,000 each financial year, up to $1 million. So each year it will rise by $200,000.

Mr WINGARD: Up to $1 million and then it will be $1 million more in the fund?

Ms TAYLOR: Up to $1 million and then it will be $1 million indexed.

Mr WINGARD: Is that $1 million a year extra that goes into the fund?

Ms TAYLOR: That is right.

Mr WINGARD: Fantastic. What are the budgeted outflows for the fund from 2017-18 and in each year of the forward estimates?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: In 2017-18, the funding will provide $2.75 million to the Active Club Program, $500,000 to the state facilities fund, and $650,000 to the Sport and Recreation Development and Inclusion Program.

Mr WINGARD: Have any commitments been made on the fund in 2017-18 or in any year of the forward estimates?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: That was the 2017-18 figure.

Mr WINGARD: Is there anything in the forward estimates? They are the only commitments from the fund?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: It will be the same commitment from the fund for all those three things, except $200,000 will be added each year to the Active Club Program. So $2.75 million becomes $2.95 million and then it goes up in those increments.

Mr WINGARD: And that will grow to what?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Until it reaches the end, which is the $1 million additional into the fund.

Mr WINGARD: Are there any provisions made on funds allocated from the fund in 2017-18 or in any year of the forward estimates other than those you have just mentioned? There are no others?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: No.

Mr WINGARD: Are you able to provide, perhaps on notice, budget inflows and outflows for the programs that are funded by the sport and recreation fund in 2017-18 and in each year of the forward estimates?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: We have just gone through all that, if I understand your question right. It is $2.75 million to the Active Club Program, $500,000 to the state facilities fund and $650,000 to the Sport and Recreation Development and Inclusion Program.

Mr WINGARD: I meant to say the different lines, but I will come back to that in a second. My apologies. That is what is happening with the Active Club Program; we know that there is a growth in that, and that is very good. Again, none of the growth in those grants, the $200,000 growth each year that you talked about, has been allocated in forward estimates as yet?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: As I mentioned, that will be added to the Active Club Program.

Mr WINGARD: What I am asking is: none of those allocations have been made in advance to anyone?

Ms TAYLOR: No.

Mr WINGARD: They will just roll around year on year. Thank you, that is the clarification I was after. If we can go to Budget Paper 4, Volume 3, page 83, the table shows that in 2016-17 there was $786,000 in other expenses. In 2017-18, it is $18.375 million. Can you explain the $18.375 million?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Netball has the option to buy the Priceline Stadium for $1. This is in there as a provision if they do that and we have to write down that $17.6 million.

Mr WINGARD: Have they decided to take up that option?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: We have not been advised at this stage.

Mr WINGARD: Do you know when the deadline is for that?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: It will be soon.

Mr WINGARD: If they choose not to buy it for $1 and lease it instead, what then happens to the $18.375 million?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: It is not appropriated. We will wait to see what the decision is from Netball and then work out what happens from there.

Mr WINGARD: If they decide not to buy it and just continue their lease for $1, you then have $18 million sitting in there that you can distribute?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: No, we would have to go to Treasury to ask for that money.

Mr WINGARD: So Treasury keeps hold of it, so to speak?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Yes.

Mr WINGARD: I will go back to the total expenditure, the $77 million. If you take out the $17.6 million for the stadium, it means that there has been no growth in expenditure for recreation and sport, with $63 million being the estimated spend last year. It probably comes in a little bit under that. I want to go through each of the programs to get clarification on how much has been spent on the programs and what is budgeted in the forward estimates from the Active Club Program. Can you tell us how much was spent on the Active Club Program last year and how much is budgeted to be spent in the coming year and then the forward estimate years after that?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: In 2016-17, it was $2.55 million; 2017-18, $2.75 million; 2018-19, $2.95 million; 2019-20, $3.15 million; and 2020-21, $3.35 million.

Mr WINGARD: Can I ask the same question about the Community Recreation and Sport Facilities Program: how much was spent last financial year, this financial year and in the forward years in estimates?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: For 2017-18, it is $4.283 million; 2018-19, $4.38 million; 2019-20, $4.49 million; and 2020-21, $4.6 million.

Mr WINGARD: Can I check the figure for 2016-17?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: It was $4.187 million.

Mr WINGARD: There is no projection to get back the figure for this program in 2014-15, which was $7,085,000?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: We are putting record amounts of money into recreation and sport. I think anyone who looks at the budgets of the past two years will see that the amount of money that we are spending on recreation and sport has never been achieved in the past. It is not which lines in the budget you put the money into: it is the overall amount of money that we are putting into the budget, and this is at record levels.

Mr WINGARD: Given that, looking back at the budget figures from 2011-12 to 2014-15, there is an underspend of $14.2 million in your budgeted spend and actual spend over those four years. Can you confirm that figure?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Chair, I was not the minister in 2011. We are dealing with this year's budget. As I said, record amounts are being spent on recreation and sport.

Mr WINGARD: I will take that as a yes. What is the 2016-17 spend for the Sport and Recreation Development and Inclusion Program and the budgeted spend in the forward estimates?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: That is $3.388 million for 2017-18 and the same in 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21, that $3.388 million figure.

Mr WINGARD: And for this year?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: The same: $3.388 million.

Mr WINGARD: So it is the same each year through forward estimates?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Yes.

Mr WINGARD: I will backtrack a little bit to the Active Club Program, the Community Recreation Sport Facilities Program and the Sport and Recreation Development and Inclusion Program. Are they all ongoing programs? Am I correct in saying that? They are not being wound up or anything like that?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Yes, that is correct: they are ongoing.

Mr WINGARD: The next is the Sport and Recreation Sustainability Program. What are the figures for this financial year and the forward estimates, and can I have confirmation that it is an ongoing program?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: That is $3.1 million each year ongoing.

Mr WINGARD: Was it $3.1 million this year, just to clarify?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Yes.

Mr WINGARD: I note that the Female Facilities Program is new. Is that an ongoing program? Can you give me the breakdown of the commitment?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: We had $4 million in there in 2016-17, $10 million in 2017-18 and $10 million in 2018-19.

Mr WINGARD: And no spend beyond that? That finishes at that point, at 2018-19?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: At this stage it does. We have a three-year commitment, and it is record spending on female participation. We are a government that absolutely backs in women and girls in sport. Historically, their facilities have not equalled what the men and the boys have had, so this is something we have taken on.

We came out with a pledge in last year's budget, and as soon as we went to find out what sort of interest there was we realised that it was even bigger than anyone had contemplated before, which meant that in this year's budget we put another record amount in to improve facilities for female change rooms and other facilities. We will keep looking at that on a year-on-year basis.

Mr WINGARD: Can I just clarify so that my understanding is right: unlike the other ongoing programs we talked about, at the moment this one is not?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Yes, and they are big chunks of money. It is $10 million this year and $10 million next year to try to get as many of these facilities up to grade as quickly as possible.

Mr WINGARD: Have you done an assessment? Obviously these facilities were allowed to run down, or were not supplied over a long period of time. Have you done an assessment and/or any modelling to say, 'This is how much we need to spend to catch them up,' if they are falling behind?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Yes. What we know is that in that first call for applications we had 100 applications worth $24 million. That was the first call, so we will deal with those most in need. That is not necessarily all those 100, but that was the first 100 who were in that first call for expressions of interest to receive this money.

What we are also attempting to do is to work with local government as well and sporting organisations to see if we can leverage even more money now that we have a clearer idea of the demand out there. The first year we rolled this out we said, 'We won't make it contingent on dollar-for-dollar funding by the sporting organisation or council because we just want to get the money out there,' but I think a lot of councils are reporting back that they are seeing the benefits as well. While we have put this $24 million up over the three-year period, it is hoped that we will also get some extra funding from local government.

Mr WINGARD: Is there any commitment on this funding that it is dollar-for-dollar funding, or is this all grant funding and there is no commitment to match funding on any of these projects?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Yes, it was not required in the first round when we put it out. In the second one, if other partners can contribute then obviously the money can go further. It was not a requirement at all in the first round, but in the second round, if clubs or local government can make a contribution, that would be welcomed.

Mr WINGARD: Just for my clarification, does that mean that they will be looked on favourably? Is it the best deal you are looking for, or—

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Yes, it will be considered, but it is basically needs based. We go around the state, and I have been to the Dudley netball club, which was one of the first to get some money over on Kangaroo Island. They had a tiny little room where they had two showers, but only one worked, and it had only one toilet; both teams had to squeeze into that little space. For their rub-downs and their strapping, they had to lie out on the one massage table that was available. That was out in the open, and when I saw it it was covered in pigeon poop. We are seeing these absolute needs right around the state, and I am sure you would see it in your local area, and the member for Chaffey would see it in his local area as well.

There are clubs that are in dire need. We have heard the stories of girls and women getting changed in their cars, behind bushes, in offices and all of that sort of stuff. It really has to be based on need. I have spoken to some people in my own local area who have said, 'We have a bit of money and we would like to put that towards women's change facilities,' so they are going to put in a grant application on that basis. It will be absolutely a case-by-case scenario.

Mr WINGARD: I understand the dire situation of some of these facilities and that they have been let go they have. Have you done an audit on facilities across the state so that you can do some modelling and work out where the greatest needs are and when there might be a completion date?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Yes, I guess what we are doing is that by putting out the calls for interest that information is coming to us. It is not even just about stuff being let go: it is about stuff that has never been built in the first place. Again, you would know from your own communities the explosion in growth around women's Aussie Rules, women's soccer and other sports. We are seeing unprecedented numbers of women and girls flooding into these sports. It is actually changing all the time.

In the Great Southern League, I think we had six teams in the competition. We had women's teams this year and now Yankalilla is looking to put a women's team in and the McLaren Eagles are looking to put a team in, so it is just going to keep growing and growing and growing. We do not know where the end of this is going to be, but what we do know is that there is a huge demand out there and this $24 million will go a long way to helping secure that. Any additional funding that local councils can provide will be welcome.

Mr WINGARD: Just to confirm, no audit as such has been done.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Individual sports associations, like Football Federation South Australia, do their own needs base, and councils do as well, and they feed that information in to us, so it is a real collaborative exercise. The number one thing is that you recognise that there is an issue here. The second thing is that you put funding towards it. The third thing is that you monitor it to make sure that enough is being done in those areas, and the fourth is getting back to the collaboration, identifying and then working together on funding sources.

Mr WINGARD: Can I just get back to my other line of questioning from before and get a breakdown on how much was spent on the VACSWIM SA program this financial year, how much is planned in the forward years and does that have an end date, or is it an ongoing program?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: It does not have an end date. It is ongoing and it is $430,000 a year.

Mr WINGARD: Was that this year as well?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Yes.

Mr WINGARD: And every year on—

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Yes.

Mr WINGARD: For the SASI individual athlete program, can you give me that breakdown again? Do not let Wes get in your ear. He will want extra, that is all.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: The standard budget for that fund is $135,000 a year, but last year we put some extra money into it to take it up to $150,000, which funded 55 athletes.

Mr WINGARD: Fantastic, so $155,00 last year—

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Sorry, it was $150,000 last year, but in the normal run of the mill it is $135,000.

Mr WINGARD: So it is going back to $135,000 each year of the forward estimates after that?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Yes, it is usually $135,000. Last year, an Olympic year, it got a few more people and some assistance and it was boosted with $15,000.

Mr WINGARD: I appreciate that. Just to confirm, it is $135,000 again next year and every year of the forward estimates and it is an ongoing program as well. For the vouchers program, again, can I get the breakdown on that—the money for the vouchers in the last financial year and the estimated money for vouchers in the years going forward?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: This has been an enormously successful program. It is the best in Australia. Other states and territories have put this out there. In many cases, they have introduced very complex and complicated systems to do it. We have made it pretty easy for people, as there is no means testing on it. You do not have to have a certain card or anything to be able to qualify because what happens then is that your administrative costs just go through the roof.

We have it available to all primary school children in South Australia. They have to be part of a bona fide club or some sort of program, like Auskick. It is terrific to see the uptake, particularly in country South Australia. I think Mount Gambier is still leading the charts. Every member of parliament can go online and a live portal tells you which sports are the most successful in terms of the vouchers that have been claimed. You can also look at which council areas and state electorates are claiming the sports vouchers and for which sports and activities they are claiming them.

Getting around to local sporting clubs in my area, I know that it is $65 for the Auskick program and parents are getting $50 back per child, so it is only $15 and it is teaching those kids so many skills that are far more important than just basic footy skills. It is teaching them to get on with other kids, it is teaching them a bit of teamwork, it is teaching them some coordination and life skills and, really importantly, it is getting them out of the house.

I was down at the McLaren Eagles Auskick six weeks ago and the number of kids there was incredible. Really importantly, a large number of girls were participating. The McLaren Eagles are an interesting club. They have this huge rivalry with Willunga. Willunga had three women's teams in the competition this year. I said, 'With all these girls out here, are some of them playing for Willunga?' Because the rivalry is so strong, the McLaren girls are all going to Strathalbyn, which is a much farther drive, to go to play for Strathalbyn, rather than play for Willunga. That is just a little bit of anecdotal feedback. Willunga did really well, and they have Courtney Cramey as their number one women's ticketholder. I know that she has been down to the Willunga footy club and is doing a lot down there.

Getting back to the sports vouchers, if we go back to just after the election, the original commitment was $1.08 million in the first year, $2.18 million in the second year, and, in the third year, $2.2 million. For 2017-18, it was $2.249 million. We always said that we hoped that it would be more successful than the money that we had allocated and that we would meet any additional funding we needed to. The total budget for 2017-18 is $3.2 million. We have actually topped that figure up by $737,000 in 2016-17, and $1.917 million in 2017-18, taking the total amount of money we have spent on sports vouchers to—we are just doing a little bit of arithmetic here and we will get that figure to you.

Mr WINGARD: While you do that, maybe we will get back to the question: how much was spent last financial year and how much do you have budgeted for next year and each year of the forward estimates? Again, is it an ongoing one as well? You do not have an end date on that?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: That was an election commitment for four years, but it is something that we will look at strongly. It has been so successful that we will continue to look at it into the future.

Mr WINGARD: Can I just get clarification on what commitments there are within these budget papers for that program?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: In 2017-18, it is $3.2 million.

Mr WINGARD: And there is no commitment for 2018-19 as it stands?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: As it stands, that is right.

Mr WINGARD: How much in 2016-17 was spent on this program?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: About $2.9 million.

Mr WINGARD: So $2.9 million in 2016-17?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Yes.

Mr WINGARD: What was budgeted to spend on this program in 2016-17?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: It was $2.214 million.

Mr WINGARD: So we have gone over a little bit.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: We whacked an extra $737,000 in there, and this year we have put in an extra $1.91 million.

Mr WINGARD: Again, just to confirm, that technically finishes at the end of 2017-18?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Yes.

Mr WINGARD: There are a couple of grants I was going to ask you about, but you did touch on a few. Can you outline how much was spent on the state's facility fund in 2016-17 and what is budgeted going forward?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: That one is $500,000 a year ongoing.

Mr WINGARD: Ongoing?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Yes.

Mr WINGARD: And that does not go up; it just stays at that fixed level?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: It just stays at $500,000, yes.

Mr WINGARD: Have the Port Pirie Regional Council and Marion council grants ended?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Yes, they were one-off grants. I must say, on the Marion council and the Onkaparinga council and the Sam Willoughby international BMX track, again that is just a great example of two councils—obviously the facility can be in only one council area—which have a big pool of young people who are looking for really elite facilities and which are working together with $750,000 each, and then we put in money as well. The more collaboration we can see across local government and state government, and where possible federal government, the better.

Mr WINGARD: The YMCA of SA and the YMCA Aquatic and Event Services in 2014-15 both got just over $1.5 million, and in 2015-16 they got $1.4 million and $1.3 million. Did they get any funding along those lines in 2016-17? Do they have any going forward in forward estimates; if so, when does it end?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: When it comes to the YMCA, the figure changes each year depending on the contractual arrangements we have with them. In 2016-17, the grant for operations was $806,000, and in 2017-18 the grant for operations was $497,018.

Mr WINGARD: Are there any more commitments in the forward estimates, or is that the end of the support for that?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: For the next three years there is, because that is the length of the contract they have with us to run the Aquatic and Leisure Centre.

Mr WINGARD: Those figures you just gave me were all for the Aquatic and Leisure Centre?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Yes.

Mr WINGARD: The other one here is the Parks Community Centre. Just to clarify, with the Aquatic and Leisure Centre there are three more years of the contract to run. Can you just outline those numbers again for the three years of that contract? Then it is finished at the end of that contract?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Sorry, I do not want to mislead you. The $806,000 figure for 2016-17 and the 2017-18 figure of $497,018 were all for the Aquatic and Leisure Centre.

Mr WINGARD: And then it finishes after—

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: It has three years to run. Did you ask about the Parks as well?

Mr WINGARD: Yes.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: For 2016-17, $852,000 is budgeted there, and for 2017-18, which is the last year of that contract, it is $873,000.

Mr WINGARD: Thank you. The Pathways program, is that an ongoing program? If so, how much was spent in the last financial year and what is budgeted going forward, or is it a finished program?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Do you have a reference for that one?

Mr WINGARD: The actual recreation and sport budget line has $77 million in total expenses, and we understand that $18 million of that is potentially for the netball stadium that may or may not be sold or leased. Of that $77 million, how much goes to the Pathways program? How much was spent last year? How much of the $77 million will be spent on that program going forward? The delivery of sports pathways, development coach, education workshops? In 2015-16, $132,000 was spent on it.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: It is not a grants program. That is part of the Office for Recreation and Sport, so someone manages that area and then there are costs associated with it each year, and it varies each year.

Mr WINGARD: So it is an ongoing project?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Yes.

Mr WINGARD: I have a few more and you can give me an answer if you can, or if you want to take them on notice that would be great. There are just a few programs that fit within the sport and recreation budget that I want to get clarification on. I am presuming there was just a one-off grant for the Modbury Bowling Club, but if you could either answer or look at that one, that would be great.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Yes, that was a one-off grant that the member for Florey campaigned hard for.

Mr WINGARD: There was $120,000 for special purpose grants in 2015-16 for planning, establishment and improvement of sport and rec facilities. Is that an ongoing project?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Sorry, whereabouts is that one?

Mr WINGARD: Special purpose grants. It is all part of the sport and rec budgeting, which fits into the $77 million for the next financial year. I just want to know if there is an allocation there for special purpose grants. There was $120,000 that went into special purpose grants in 2015-16. Did any go in in 2016-17, and will any go into that in the forward estimates?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: That was a one-off funding agreement because we saw something that was outside the grants programs that deserved funding, and it was funded through that one-off payment.

Mr WINGARD: Will you come back to the house and let us know what it was?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: It was for Pathways.

Mr WINGARD: Sorry, I asked about the Pathways program before. These are the special purpose grants.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: We do not have a reference for what you are talking about, so it is making it a bit hard for us to identify.

Mr WINGARD: I understand. It fits in under the sport and rec budget as part of the programs. It was outlined in Hansard on 29 November 2016 that there was a special purpose grant of $120,000 through recreation, sport and racing, in the expenses. I am asking you then, if $120,000 was spent on it under this budget line in 2015-16, was any money spent on it in 2016-17 and/or is it an ongoing program? There was a special purpose grant for planning, establishment and improvement of sport and rec facilities.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: It is not a program: it is just an ad hoc way to deal with those sorts of things that do not fall within any of the existing grant programs but are worthwhile doing. Sports need it—maybe several sports at once or maybe one sport—so it is something that can be applied out of the general pool of money in the Office for Recreation and Sport.

Mr WINGARD: Fantastic, thank you. Another one outlined in that was Water Polo Australia, high performance and talent pathways program for Water Polo SA, $70,000 in 2015-16. I am guessing that was only a one-off program, not an ongoing program. Is it still going, or has it been completed?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: That was a one-off payment when we transitioned water polo out of SASI to be a standalone sport.

Mr WINGARD: Field sports officers, $52,000 in 2015-16. Is that an ongoing, internal program?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: That is not a set thing year by year. It is just based on needs, and that is support to Starclub Field Officers.

Mr WINGARD: That funding comes from?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: The program budget within the Office for Recreation and Sport.

Mr WINGARD: There was an incentive payment of $20,000 in 2015-16 to support the further marketing and promotion of VACSWIM. Was that just a one-off, or is that an ongoing investment?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Yes, that was a one-off.

Mr WINGARD: The SANFL, also in 2014-15, had a $35,000 commitment to support the SANFL to develop a regulatory framework to protect the integrity of football at all levels in SA. Was that $35,000 just a one-off?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: That was a one-off as well.

Mr WINGARD: The other one is the City of Playford, implementation of Playford's Football Leadership Alliance program in 2014-15, $25,000.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: That was a one-off program in response to need.

Mr WINGARD: And Australian Baseball League to assist with the Australian Baseball League's championship series. I imagine that was a one-off as well of $10,000 in 2014-15.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Yes, that was a one-off as well.

Mr WINGARD: Back in 2014-15, there was a Netball SA loan subsidy of $220,000. Was that loan repaid?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: They got four years of $220,000 to allow them to pay down their outstanding loan and that is all completed now.

Mr WINGARD: Was 2014-15 the last year of that loan?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Yes.

Ms WORTLEY: First of all, I would like to say how well received the female-friendly facilities have been, and people in the community are very keen for that to continue. I have a fantastic—

Mr Pengilly interjecting:

Ms WORTLEY: —yes, I do have a question—football team in my electorate, as do many of you on the other side, I know. Everyone is out there wanting their women to receive that upgrade. My question is related to the new funding for netball and football, and to support our elite athletes.

Mr Pengilly: Volume and page?

Ms WORTLEY: It is Budget Paper 4, Volume 3, and it refers specifically to pages 83 to 85.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Some of my favourite pages there. Thank you very much, member for Torrens, and I would like to acknowledge your commitment to your local sporting organisations. It is great to hear the feedback about the women's and girls' change facilities; they have been very well received right across the state.

There has been a significant investment made to support sport at the grassroots to elite levels. Two of Adelaide's top netball facilities, the Netball SA Priceline Stadium and the Parklands netball hub will be supported through an injection of $8.8 million to upgrade infrastructure. Netball SA received $1.136 million through the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure for assistance with remediation work at Priceline Stadium and a further $4.5 million through the 2017-18 budget for improvements to the facility.

The investment will enhance the Priceline Stadium complex to ensure that it maintains its competition standards and provides a comfortable and welcoming environment for the 300,000 people who use it on an annual basis, ranking it as one of the state's most frequented sporting venues. The funding will contribute to upgrading indoor stadium lighting; the public address system; scoreboards; electrical, mechanical, fire and hydraulic services; and upgrades to player facilities.

Wikaparntu Wira, which is home to 20 community netball courts in the south-west Parklands, will receive $3.2 million from the Planning and Development Fund to revitalise the precinct. The upgrade includes resurfacing of the existing 20 courts, new seating, new community courts, a new lawn area and play space, and improved lighting walking trails.

Anyone who has ever driven past there will know the amazing number of attendees who are out there. Games are constantly being played out there, so this is a really important upgrade. The works will create approximately 12 local jobs and will support the maintenance of the existing 86 full time, part time and casual employees of Netball SA at the venue into the future.

Football in South Australia continues to grow at a remarkable rate. In recognition of this, the government is investing $13.5 million into grassroots facilities. Football Federation SA received $10 million for six facility projects, four in metropolitan Adelaide, one in the Adelaide Hills and the other in regional South Australia. The additional six projects were identified from Football Federation SA's Football Facilities Development Plan 2018-2022. The North Eastern MetroStars are receiving $1.4 million for an artificial pitch and floodlighting at Klemzig. Is that in your area, member for Torrens?

Ms WORTLEY: Yes, it is, minister.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Congratulations, well done. White City is receiving $1.4 million for a pitch upgrade and floodlighting at Seaton Park Primary School. Cumberland United at Clarence Gardens is receiving $1.1 million for an artificial pitch. Mount Barker United at Mount Barker is receiving $2.5 million for two artificial pitches and a building, and I would like to congratulate Rebekha Sharkie, the federal member for Mayo, on the great work that she has done there, along with Mount Barker Mayor Ann Ferguson, a couple of very strong advocates for their local area—formidable women to whom I was too scared to say no. It was great to be up there about five or six weeks ago—kicking a soccer ball around; none of us was that good at it but it made a nice picture for the local paper—to announce that $2.5 million. Again, Rebekha Sharkie was advocating very strongly for her local area.

The City of Marion is receiving $2.5 million for two artificial pitches and a building. The Adelaide Comets Football Club received a $3.5 million grant for the development of new clubrooms and change rooms at Ellis Park. This funding is being provided from the state government's Planning and Development Fund as part of a $20 million commitment to fund a series of projects that demonstrate the different elements of the Parklands' vision.

The Adelaide Comets Football Club and the Western Districts Athletics Club will both benefit from the new facility. The clubs share Tampawardli (Ellis Park) in the Adelaide Parklands and are welcoming the construction of a community building comprising clubrooms, change rooms, a kitchen, community space, a first-aid room, a gym and public toilets. The clubs have a combined membership of more than 800 people, supported by many spectators, family and friends.

The facility will also benefit the wider community, including the various schools and community groups who already use Ellis Park. The new building will replace the existing clubrooms, with works due to start before 20 April 2018. The projects align with the Adelaide Park Lands Management Strategy 2015-2025, which recognises the need for purpose-built sports infrastructure for all year-round soccer, athletics and school activities. Tampawardli, or Ellis Park, is located adjacent to the Adelaide High School in the West Parklands.

Finally, the government is committed to seeing our elite athletes thrive on the international stage, with the South Australian Olympic Council receiving a $1 million grant to assist with the South Australian representation on the commonwealth, Paralympic and Olympic Games teams during the next four-year period.

Mr WINGARD: I refer to Budget Paper 5, Budget Measures Statement, page 64, autumn racing carnival prize money injection. Is this just one-off funding and is anything budgeted beyond 2017-18 for the autumn racing carnival prize money injection?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Not at this stage. This is funding for a two-year period. We will see how it goes. South Australia was the only mainland state without a million-dollar race, so we thought it was very important to help Thoroughbred Racing SA and the SAJC to boost their prize money to try to attract horses and trainers from around the nation to come to Adelaide for the autumn carnival. We saw some success this year and we hope that the racing industry will be able to build on that next year.

I think it was really important from a number of different perspectives. I had some great feedback from owners and trainers in South Australia who said that it was wonderful that instead of having to float their horses all the way interstate to compete for this sort of prize money they could do it at the local level.

From a tourism point of view, the South Australian events team worked with Thoroughbred Racing SA and the SAJC, and I think they did a pretty good job of coming together. I think it pointed out to them that there was even more scope to improve things for next year. They have already started working on ways to incorporate more fashion shows around it and things like that. We have food and wine and all those really good strong things that South Australia does so well that we can incorporate in racing so that it is a real day out for people who might not go to the races week in, week out.

As Melbourne does with the Spring Carnival, we can make it an occasion, drawing local people down to Morphettville in big numbers. We can have a more attractive offering for trainers who want to come over here and for people who want to come and see the best horses in Australia compete.

It is a busy time of year. We know that the Brisbane carnival and Sydney carnival are on at the same time, and we need to have that sort of prize money to ensure that we get some of the best horses and trainers in the country coming to Adelaide. We would like to see it continue in the future (a) if the money is there and (b) if the support is there and we see improvements in attendances and other results at next year's meeting.

Mr WINGARD: In Budget Paper 4, Volume 3, page 83, the table in the middle of the page shows that grants and subsidies for 2016-17 are estimated to be $41.2 million. For 2017-18, it is $38.7 million, which is about a $2½ million reduction in grants and subsidies. Which areas did those reductions come from?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: The money stays the same for all the grant programs, but there are some one-offs that pop up from time to time with individual clubs or associations needing some funding that we fund. That varies from year to year but, overall, all the grant programs have stayed the same.

The CHAIR: The time having expired for the asking of questions, I declare the examination of the proposed payments adjourned and referred to committee B.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Can I take the opportunity to thank—

The CHAIR: Of course you can. It is not going to take 15 minutes?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: No. I thank the members of the committee who have been here throughout the day. Thank you for all the great questions. To the people from PIRSA, the Office for Recreation and Sport and the South Australian Tourism Commission, thank you so much for all the hard work you have put in in preparation for estimates. To my advisers, thank you for the hard work you have put in.

There are some people, who Neil Diamond might refer to as the 'tree people,' sitting back in the office who tune into these proceedings via the interweb. A big hello to all of you, and I hope you appreciate that there are no questions on notice again this year. Thank you for the really hard work you do. You are great contributors and you really care about all the portfolios we have.

I would like to single out Ruth Sibley, who has been my Chief of Staff since I became a minister. It is her last day in the job today. Ruth has done a tremendous job. I picked her up from John Hill's office when she was the media adviser to the minister for health. She did a tremendous job, and I love the way she always had John Hill's back, so when I became a minister I asked Ruth to take on the role of Chief of Staff. I am very grateful and thankful that she said yes.

She is going to work in an area that she holds very dear, and that is the Festival Centre, where she will take up the role of external engagements with government and other places. Ruth, thank you from the bottom of my heart for 4½ fantastic years. I know that you love the theatre and, for once, the only drama you will see will be played out on the stage rather than in our office. Thank you very much.

At 15:33 the committee adjourned to Tuesday 1 August 2017 at 09:00.