AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS ARTS FOUNDATION AWARDS

Ms THOMPSON (Reynell) (14:31): My question is to the Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts. Will the minister inform the house of South Australia's outstanding success at the recent national ABAF awards?

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (14:31): I am very happy to answer the member's question; and I acknowledge her great interest in the arts. I should explain that ABAF stands for Australian Business Arts Foundation. The ABAF annual awards were held on 26 October. I was pleased to be there for the announcements in Sydney, and I am pleased to inform the house that, once again, South Australian businesses, arts organisations and individuals were successful at these awards, this year winning three of the 12 awards handed out on the night.

The first of those was to BHP Billiton and South Australian Youth Arts Board. They won the Australia Council Arts for Young People Award, which recognises BHP Billiton's outstanding commitment to youth arts by providing $1 million over four years to enable the South Australian Youth Arts Board to expand its activities in regional centres, remote communities and disadvantaged schools through the BHP Billiton Youth Arts Fund. The fund will have a direct impact on thousands of young people in Adelaide and key priority areas such as Roxby Downs and the Upper Spencer Gulf region (Port Pirie, Port Augusta and Whyalla). It will be directed initially towards five specific areas: the Artists in Schools program; the Playfull-Live Performances in Schools program; the Odeon Theatre at Norwood; the biennial Come Out Festival; and the annual workshop program of D'Faces of Youth Arts based at Whyalla. It is a unique partnership and I congratulate BHP Billiton and SAYAB.

A unique partnership between the Port Adelaide Football Club and the Come Out Festival was recognised with the National Australia Bank Small to Medium Enterprises Award, which celebrates partnerships between small to medium enterprises and arts organisations. Come Out to the Power brought the club and the festival together. Building on their shared interest in young people, the partnership involved substantial cash sponsorship to Come Out. A highlight was a competition in which schoolchildren were invited to design a guernsey with a special Come Out and indigenous theme for the Power. The winner, Troy Andrews, and his classmates from Waikerie Primary School were able to join the players as they ran onto the oval and to form a guard of honour at the match in May this year at which the players wore the guernsey. I congratulate Port Adelaide and Come Out. These awards certainly demonstrate South Australia's leadership in youth arts, and members will note that both awards were in the youth arts area.

I am also delighted to announce to the house today that for the first time a South Australian won the prestigious Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Cultural Leadership Award—and that person was our own Greg Mackie, Executive Director of Arts SA. It is also the first time the award has been presented to a person from the public sector. The award recognises 'a person who through their leadership, practice, advocacy and example has made an exceptional contribution to Australia's cultural life'.

The Hon. K.O. Foley: Nominate me!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: I will do that. It is a fitting tribute to Greg Mackie's exceptional generosity of spirit and his passion and commitment to the arts; and I am sure members join me in congratulating him.

Greg has been a cultural leader in this state for many years, across many levels of government, business and the community alike: through his own business, Imprints Booksellers, which is a great bookshop, as the member said; by chairing Adelaide Writers' Week and creating the Festival of Ideas; as a member of the Australian International Cultural Council; as co-founder of Art Zone Inc.; as a member of the Adelaide West End Association; and during his time on the Adelaide City Council. We are very lucky to have him working in government.

Greg Mackie brought this history of cultural activism to the government when he became Executive Director of Arts SA in 2003, with a responsibility for engineering the government's vision and strategy for the arts. He has revitalised the agency with his passionate commitment to the makers of art and to growing opportunities for all South Australians to participate in the arts.

As a consequence of Greg's relationship with the media, the arts and arts achievements receive strong and positive media coverage in South Australia. His enthusiasm is felt all around Adelaide, among art makers, presenters, collectors, sponsors and promoters. So, it is marvellous that Greg Mackie's contribution has now been recognised at a national level.