CHANNEL 9 YOUNG ACHIEVER AWARDS

Ms THOMPSON (Reynell) (14:30): My question is to the Minister for Youth. Can the minister inform the house about the results of the 2013 Channel 9 Young Achiever Awards?

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light—Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (14:30): I would like to thank the member for her question and also acknowledge her contribution and interest in youth in her electorate.

The Young Achiever Awards have a long and proud history of recognising the achievements of young people in this state. I was pleased to attend the Channel 9 Young Achiever Awards gala night with the Premier and members from the opposition on Saturday, 16 March. The young achievers gala night was a showcase of our state's youngest and brightest people through their individual achievements in making South Australia a better place to live.

I was impressed to see the high calibre of the finalists in each of the categories who were all well-deserving in their own right. It was also good to see the number of friends and family that turned out to show their support, as well as the different organisations and businesses who sponsored individual awards and the event.

The Office for Youth sponsored the Aboriginal Achievement Award, which I was pleased to present to Ms Kristal West. Kristal is a remarkable young person. Despite her personal hardship, she has volunteered in many capacities to help others improve their lives. She is also the first Indigenous Australian to be a cadet with the South Australian Ambulance Service and is now studying for a Bachelor of Paramedic Science.

Other category award winners were: Daniel Kiley for the Hostworks Online Achievement Award; Quentin Angus, the Coffee Club Arts Award; Allan Ball, the Adelaide Airport Limited Community Leadership Award; Tavia Rankin, VIP Home Services Small Business Achievement Award; Daniel Spencer, Flinders Ports Environment Award; Edwin Kemp Attrill, Proteus Career Leadership Award; Annette Edmondson, Worldwide Online Printing Sports Award; and Dr Stephen Warren-Smith, University of Adelaide, Faculty of Sciences, Science and Technology Award.

Kate Gunn was awarded the Premier's Channel 9 Young Achiever of the Year and was also the category winner for the Rural Doctors Workforce Agency, Rural Health Award. I would like to congratulate her on her amazing achievement. The young people I have just mentioned, along with their category finalists and all other participants in the Young Achiever Awards, are to be commended for their hard work and dedication in their fields of endeavour. These young people are certainly innovators and future leaders of this state, and I wish them well for the future.