SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SPORTS INSTITUTE

The Hon. M.J. WRIGHT (Lee) (15:11): My question is to the Minister for Recreation and Sport. Can the minister provide details on the status of South Australian Sports Institute's rowing and associated programs and the impact they have on the outstanding performances of our high-performance athletes?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson—Minister for Tourism, Minister for Recreation and Sport) (15:11): I thank the member for Lee for his question and his great involvement in sport throughout his time as opposition sports spokesperson and then as the minister for sport and recreation. In fact, we can give thanks for the great results that we are getting in rowing and sprint canoeing to initiatives that were put forward during the member for Lee's time as minister for sport.

The South Australian Sports Institute rowing, canoeing and kayaking programs are based at the AM Ramsay Regatta Course at West Lakes, which is also the home of Rowing SA and many of our top rowing clubs. In 2007, the state government announced $2.4 million in funding to upgrade the course to national standard. All major works were delivered by 30 June 2009. The upgrade resulted in an enhanced training and competitive environment for high-performance athletes with installation of a new lane cabling system and starting and finishing pontoons. The upgrade also saw a safety improvement for recreational users by way of a fully buoyed course.

It is now used frequently as a training base for national crews in both canoe sprint and rowing. It contributes to the high-performance rates of our athletes, together with the development of coaching and support staff. SASI is presently hosting national crews in both canoe sprint and rowing in preparation for the European summer and world championships. SASI head coach, Nathan Luce, last week hosted the Olympic gold medal-winning men's K4 for a training camp at West Lakes. He was the coach of the crew at the 2012 Olympic Games and performs the dual role of national team coach and SASI head coach.

The camp at West Lakes is a critical part of their preparation for the forthcoming European world cups and world championships. SASI sports science staff have been working with Luce and the K4 crew, monitoring training responses and helping finetune the athletes' preparation. SASI's head rowing coach, Jason Lane, is also coaching two senior national team crews at West Lakes in the lead-up to the world championships to be held in Korea in August. Lane is coaching the men's pair, made up of two SASI athletes, Bryn Coudraye and James McRae. This team won the national championships in Sydney and are the first SA pair to win the national title in more than 30 years. They won silver in the world cup held in Sydney and are now in training for the world cups in Eton and Lucerne.

As someone who lived in Lucerne for a couple of years, I can say that this is one of the big sporting events in Switzerland each year and that the Australians have always done very well there. It is always a great hit-out before the world championships, and I am sure that the work that they have put in down at West Lakes will serve them well by the time they get to Europe for the summer competition over there.

SASI is presently hosting the women's quad, for which Lane is the national team coach. This crew is stroked by young South Australian Olympia Aldersey, and includes three athletes from interstate. The young quad crew won gold at the World Cup in Sydney, and they are ambitious to secure team selection and medal-winning potential for the Rio Olympic Games in 2016.

The SASI and West Lakes rowing course combination are world-class. South Australia continues to shine in a number of sports, and our very best wishes go with these young people, who so proudly represent their state and country on the world stage. I am sure that everyone here, by the time the Olympics come around in 2016, will be tuned in to their televisions to cheer them on, but, all the while, we will be watching for a couple of weeks—

The SPEAKER: I think the minister has offered more than enough information, thank you. Member for Heysen.