YOUNG ACHIEVERS

Mr PICCOLO (Light) (15:32): Today I rise to speak about some impressive young achievers who I have been fortunate enough to meet in recent weeks. First, I would like to bring to the attention of the house 18-year-old Aaron Bain from Gawler who won the 2011 Young Rural Ambassador Award for South Australia on 15 July.

Representing the Gawler Show and the Northern Show Association, Aaron is currently undertaking a graduate program at the Ahrens Group after previously completing a Certificate III in Business. Aaron is heavily involved with harness racing as a driver and is the Harness Racing SA Media Liaison Officer. Within the community he plays football and cricket, he is a member of the Xavier College board, and has exhibited poultry at the Gawler Show. It is great to see that he is heavily involved in his community.

As part of his major prize, Aaron will be a special guest of the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society during the 2011 Royal Adelaide Show, when he will spend a weekend with the Rural Ambassador state finalists. I would like to commend the Agricultural Societies Council of South Australia for coordinating this award, which is sponsored by Primary Industries and Resources SA and other corporate partners. Aaron Bain is a remarkable community leader for a person of such young age.

On Tuesday this week (26 July) I also had the pleasure of representing the Premier at the launch of the Royal Society for the Blind Young Business Leaders program, of which the Premier is patron. The program challenges young people to develop both professionally and personally as leaders, and engenders the importance of being socially aware and community minded. Supported by major sponsor in-business magazine, all participants who complete the business improvement project and community involvement project and achieve their Diploma of Management earn the title of Young Business Leader finalist.

The diploma is accredited by the Australian Institute of Management, another corporate sponsor of the program. From communications to risk, even management and, importantly, financial management, these young leaders will venture outside their comfort zones and gain an indepth understanding of every facet of running a business. This year there are 18 participants in the program aged between 23 and 35.

As part of the community involvement project the participants must raise a minimum amount of $4,000 for the Royal Society for the Blind. In fact, many raise much more than that. The community involvement project pushes them out of their comfort zone and really stretches them personally. For many it changes their lives forever. They come out different people. Certainly their business skills have improved but they have also become greater community minded people. Participants are exposed to the Royal Society for the Blind through visits to sites, contact with clients and undertaking sighted guide training, where they get a feel and touch of the charity.

Over the next 10 months, participants will be also be exposed to challenging situations and be forced to make tough decisions which is what leadership is most about. I was very impressed with the high calibre of young men and women involved in this program including last year's winner, Tish Naughton, who spoke about her rewarding experience over the past ten months.

All of these young people are tomorrow's leaders. Everyone, especially members of this house, have a role to play when it comes to nurturing leaders, whether it be by mentoring them, supporting them, or simply leading by example.