Bright Electorate

Mr SPEIRS (Bright) (15:32): Last Wednesday 16 September I was invited by the Go Green Team at Brighton Primary School to view their environmental programs and nature play spaces. Three students—Hannah, Ashleigh and Scarlett—with the help of outdoor education coordinator Katie Dixon, spent an hour with me guiding me through the many environmental projects which are making the school a leader in environmental education in South Australia.

The first stop was the battery collection point, where students are encouraged to bring old batteries from home which are then tested to see if they can be used around the school or, if they are flat, donated to Battery World for safe recycling. As we walked around the school, Hannah, Ashleigh and Scarlett pointed out a multitude of recycling bins with educational signage letting students know what rubbish to put where. Dotted around the school were many empty two-litre milk bottles tied to bins and fences where students are encouraged to place hard plastic bottle tops which can then be recycled together rather than disposed in the general waste.

I would like to congratulate the Go Green Team on their 'nude food' initiative, which is seeing parents encouraged to provide kids with non-wrapped food for their lunches and snacks, bringing food instead in containers which can be re-used. This will take some time to build into the school's culture but is definitely worthwhile pursuing. This is not only an environmentally friendly initiative, but also 'nude food' tends to be healthier and so must be commended.

Hannah, Ashleigh and Scarlett then showed me through their nature play areas and told me of plans to improve and expand these, including replacing the worn grass area with additional nature areas. I was then taken to the school's garden, where compost made on site from the school's food scraps is being used to create nutritious, healthy soil where fruit and vegetables are grown and then sold to family and friends of students at a weekly market stall. It was a pleasure to see what the Go Green Team has achieved to date and hear of their impressive commitment to environmental sustainability. I look forward to getting along to the school's Garden Fun Fest on Sunday 18 October where all this work will be showcased to the wider public.

I would also like to take the opportunity this afternoon to congratulate the Brighton Lacrosse Club, also known as the Brighton Bombers, on their recent success in winning the 2015 South Australian lacrosse premiership. I had a great afternoon on Saturday 5 September when I was invited to the Brighton Lacrosse Club down on Highet Avenue at Brighton to watch the state championship grand final, with the Bombers taking on Burnside. I had never watched a lacrosse game from beginning to end before, so I learned a lot that afternoon as some experienced former players guided me through what was happening on the field. It was an exciting game and at times it was looking like Burnside might pull off an upset win, but justice prevailed and Brighton took the premiership title.

Congratulations to the winning team, which included Matt Fuss, Brad Badolato, Toby Raymond, Lachie Pridham, Ross Hamilton, Eben Lok, Clint Barker, Tom Freeman, Yoshidi Eto, Tyler Leeming, Doug Shinnick, Matt MacKenzie, Jack Woodford, Leigh Perham, Jake Rosenthal and Byron Pridham, as well as coaches Mark Mangan, Paul Freeman and Kevin Humphrys, and trainer Dave Mack.

Brighton Lacrosse Club is the most successful lacrosse club in South Australia, originally formed in 1929, and has established a great presence in the Brighton community. It is a close-knit club with an excellent sense of camaraderie and I have appreciated the incredibly warm welcome I have received each time I have visited the club. Its leadership team is headed by club president Jason Webb, with Kevin Humphrys as club operations manager, Beth Barga as the Treasurer and Annie Baker as the honorary secretary. I wish to put on record my appreciation of the voluntary work that these people and other committee members contribute to the club and our community. Again, I congratulate the Brighton Lacrosse Club on winning the 2015 South Australian title.