Fund My Idea

Mr HUGHES (Giles) (14:08): My question is to the Minister for Regional Development. Can the minister provide an update on the Fund My Idea program?

The Hon. G.G. BROCK (Frome—Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Local Government) (14:08): The Fund My Idea initiative is a very successful small grants program that is run alongside country cabinet committee meetings that we have out in the regions. Over the last few days, I had the pleasure of notifying the successful applicants for Fund My Idea, associated with the country cabinet meetings in the Limestone Coast and in the Barossa, Light and Lower North. I am pleased to have the opportunity to announce these winners now.

Mr Knoll interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Schubert is right on the edge.

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: In the Limestone Coast—

Mr GARDNER: Point of order, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

Mr GARDNER: The minister is identifying that he is planning on making an announcement of winners at this point. Isn't this more usually done, by convention, under a ministerial statement rather than in a question?

The SPEAKER: The point of order is misconceived. On this occasion I won't require the member for Morialta to withdraw, but if I get another point of order so thoroughly misconceived I will have no choice but to act. The minister.

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: Thank you, Mr Speaker. In the Limestone Coast, $30,000 has been awarded to Gener8 Theatre for a program that works with disadvantaged youth to raise awareness about the drug ice and the harm it can cause, and $20,000 will go towards establishing a memorial wall in Naracoorte, which pays tribute to volunteers who have lost their lives while fighting bushfires around South Australia.

The Kind Hearted Kitchen, a wonderful initiative that provides nutritious meals to people doing it tough in the Barossa community, will receive $20,000 to purchase new kitchen equipment. An amount of $30,000 will go towards a partnership between South Australian tourism identity Cosi and the Light Regional Council to plant roadside trees to beautify tourist routes in the region.

I also inform the member for Giles and the member for Stuart that excellent community projects like these will be supported in the Port Augusta and northern Flinders Ranges region following the recent country cabinet. Applications for this round close at 5pm tonight. Fund My Idea invites communities to put forward their ideas for projects that will run locally. People then vote on ideas, helping to decide which will share in the $50,000 available each round.

To date, the program has supported 19—I repeat, 19—community-driven projects that may not have secured funding through other means. The great thing about Fund My Idea is that we see the creativity and the passion of people living in regional South Australia come to the fore. I look forward to informing the house on the continued success of this program through the four country cabinet events being held each year.