House of Assembly Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1) 53 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Port Pirie Sports Facility Port Pirie Sports Facility Mr WHETSTONE House of Assembly Chaffey Port Pirie Sports Facility Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (15:09): My question is to the Minister for Local Government. Can the minister confirm how much the state government has committed to build the Memorial Oval sports facility in Port Pirie? The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL House of Assembly Mawson Minister for Agriculture Minister for Forests Minister for Tourism Minister for Recreation and Sport Minister for Racing Port Pirie Sports Facility The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson—Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Tourism, Minister for Recreation and Sport, Minister for Racing) (15:09): We have been having discussions with the former mayor of Port Pirie and the council. They came to us about a month ago, about five weeks ago. It was first brought up at an LGA meeting that I was at at the Crowne Plaza hotel, I think earlier this year or the end of last year, and the mayor asked me a question about it at the time. I said, 'The first thing you need to do is go and talk to the Office for Recreation & Sport about what it is you want to do.' He came and saw me a few weeks ago here at Parliament House with the CE and they said, 'Here is our big plan.' It was like $15 million. I said, 'Have you been to see the Office for Recreation & Sport?' He said, 'That's right. You told me to do that, didn't you?' He is not the mayor anymore. I will be happy to have discussions with the new mayor. We want to support sport and recreation in all our regions. There is a great development at Port Augusta in the member for Stuart's electorate with $5 million from the state government, $5 million from the federal government and the balance which is I think a lot more than $5 million now from the— An honourable member House of Assembly An honourable member: Seven or eight. The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL House of Assembly The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Seven or eight—from the local council in Port Augusta, so we want to work with councils and organisations right throughout the state to make sure that people in our regions get access to top quality sporting infrastructure.