Soccer Facilities

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (14:56): My question is to the Minister for Recreation and Sport. Minister, how is the state government supporting the increased participation in football across the state?

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) (14:56): I would like to thank the member for Florey for her question and just quickly acknowledge the wonderful work she has done as the national patron for Australian calisthenics. It was terrific to be there yesterday at the opening of the National Calisthenic Championships at the Festival Centre, which will continue on through to Saturday. It's a tremendous boost to have 400 people coming in from around Australia to take part in these national championships—

Ms Bedford: And their families.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: —and their families, exactly. Now, on to soccer. It was terrific to have lunch with Greg—

Mr Knoll interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Schubert is warned.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: It was terrific to have lunch with Greg Griffin today who is, of course, the chairman of Adelaide United—the reigning A-League premier plate and champion—to catch up on the news. He is catching up with all of his coaching staff tonight to plan out the season ahead. Let's hope it can be as successful as last season, although hopefully with a better start. I think, after not winning a game in the first eight matches, to then come home and beat the Western Sydney Wanderers at the remarkable Adelaide Oval was terrific.

I know Greg is very keen to take Adelaide United out to the regions as well. He feels very deeply about places like Port Pirie, Mount Gambier and Whyalla, and he is keen to get the team out there so they can receive the adulation of the entire state. What we know, through the success of the Matildas, the Socceroos and Adelaide United, is that soccer is seeing some unprecedented growth in South Australia. Tens of thousands of people—I think it's 40,000 people—are registered as soccer players here in South Australia, and one of the problems they have is actually being able to get out on the pitch and play.

So in the budget the Treasurer is about to deliver this afternoon there is going to be $10 million there for artificial pitches. The Modbury Jets are about to receive $500,000, and that is in the member for Florey's electorate. The Modbury Jets will receive $500,000 for a new artificial pitch as well as some new fencing. What we know about the artificial pitches is you can get three times the use out of them as you can with natural grass, so the same surface area can be used three times more than the natural grass. In the wet sort of winter that we are having at the moment, with the wettest July day in 73 years earlier this week, we need to make sure that we provide every facility we can.

The fastest growing sector in South Australian sport at the moment is women's soccer, and it's terrific to see that. Something else that's happening in the Treasurer's budget this afternoon will be $10 million for women's change rooms so that women and girls, whether they are playing cricket, soccer, Australian rules, rugby or any sport, will be able to get out there and have the same sorts of facilities that the boys and the men have.

I think that is only right when 50 per cent of our population are women and they have been left behind for far too long. Well, after today and this Treasurer's great budget, no longer will the women and girls of South Australia be left behind. They will be treated in the same way as the men and the boys when it comes to sport, and that is the right thing to do. That is the decent thing to do, and it is the very least that these great sportswomen deserve. I want to congratulate the Treasurer on what is going to be an outstanding budget.

The SPEAKER: The minister will not anticipate debate on an Order of the Day.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: No, okay. On announcements made so far in the lead-up to this budget, I would like to thank and congratulate the Treasurer for the sort of money that he is putting towards sport in this state.

Ms Chapman: He hasn't announced it yet.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: We have announced $22 million of the package so far and there is more to come. It is going to be the biggest sport budget in South Australia's history.

The SPEAKER: For the fifth time, I draw the deputy leader's attention to her being on two warnings.