Sports Vouchers

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (14:42): My question is to the Minister for Recreation and Sport. Minister, can you update the house on how the sports vouchers program has fared in 2015?

The SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey is called to order. Minister.

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) (14:42): I thank the member for Kaurna for the question and acknowledge the great advocacy and the role he plays for the sporting groups in his electorate. He does a terrific job. He still hasn't been able to get a flag for the Aldinga Sharks, but it is early days. We are hoping that these sporting vouchers will help get more young people into sporting clubs, including the Sharks. I notice that Auskick, this year in South Australia, has seen a 10 per cent increase in membership right across the state. So, that's a good result. We have seen some other increased membership right across the state. We are still trying to work those figures out so that, hopefully, I will come back to the house in the new year to explain just what sort of increase we have seen.

In the member for Kaurna's area, the Moana Surf Life Saving Club, one of four life-saving clubs in the seat of Kaurna, their Mini Moes (which is age 5 to 7) $125 membership fee, with a sports voucher, is reduced to $75. The under 18s at the Southport Surf Life Saving Club, $100 is reduced to $50 with a sports voucher. The Port Noarlunga Tennis Club, the $100 membership fee is reduced to $50 with a sports voucher. So, this is a way that we as a government are assisting families and sporting clubs at the same time. We came up with this as an election commitment in March of last year and we started rolling out the first of the vouchers in March of this year.

I want to congratulate all of those people in the Office for Recreation and Sport and all of our clubs as well for the way they have worked together to make sure that this scheme has been rolled out very quickly and very efficiently, but most importantly, in a really cost-effective manner because we want to deliver as much as we can of these valuable taxpayer dollars straight to the clubs and straight to the families concerned who have primary school aged children.

So far, we have helped 35,500 people claim the sports voucher, which is an outstanding achievement. If we look at the other states and territories that have done this—Western Australia, Queensland, Northern Territory—

Mr Whetstone: How much have they paid?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: I'm glad you asked. We ask the dixers here, mate. I'll tell you. We add all those three states and territories together and 35,500 is more than what those three states and territories did in their entire first year, so I thank you for your interjection, member for Chaffey. Keep on going.

The SPEAKER: The member for Taylor will desist from her reeling in gesture—yes, that gesture—and is called to order. The minister.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: This was a commitment over four years and I want to thank the Treasurer for standing by this commitment. We have allowed $7.7 million over four years for the sports voucher system, which is open to any primary school aged student who wants to be involved in club sport. It is $7.7 million over four years and $1.7 million has been spent so far this year and, as I said, 35,500 children have claimed the voucher already.

We encourage people that, if they haven't claimed them, they can still do so until 31 December. The really good news is that we are going to stand by this commitment for the next three years, at least, because it is a good system. It helps ease the pain and financial hardship on families and also helps create more membership in clubs around the state.

While I am on sports clubs, thank you very much to the Glencoe footy club for hosting us last week for the community cabinet. It was a fantastic spread of food. My Auntie Margaret's cream puffs went down a treat with the Premier. Angela Tweedle, my cousin, made great scones.

The SPEAKER: A supplementary from the member for Morphett.