Pedal Prix

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (15:15): The 2016 Adelaide International Pedal Prix HPV Series finished, as the member for Hammond said, at the beautiful Rural City of Murray Bridge with the 24-hour endurance race. He did omit to say that I was there, I think, this time.

Mr Pederick: Sorry, I did omit that.

Ms BEDFORD: Normally you don't do that, but there you go. Mayor Brian Lewis was very nice and came up and said hello, and a lot of his councillors were also there.

Ms BEDFORD: Over 200 teams competed in what is, as the member for Hammond said, the premier event of the series, and he did go on to tell you a bit about the races; some of them are eight-hour races, some of them are six-hour races, and they help the teams get ready for this one event on the weekend, which is always held in Murray Bridge. The University of South Australia Super Series is a competition where teams race human-powered vehicles on a closed controlled circuit.

There was a new lap formation this year, which cut out a corner at one end and made it slightly longer, and I thought that was terrific and a really good new improvisation. The series consisted of four rounds staged in South Australia, with the extra events, as mentioned, in Busselton and Mount Gambier. Western Australia is beginning to pay a great deal of attention, and plans are progressing for an additional event to be held in New South Wales as early as next year. The Mount Gambier race was the eight-hour event and Busselton, was a six-hour event.

As naming rights sponsors for the series, the University of South Australia has recognised that the series encapsulates many of their core values around education, the development of sustainable communities, healthy lifestyles, communication, team work and research and innovation. It was great to catch up with Vice Chancellor, David Lloyd, and his son, Hugo, at the start of the race. UniSA is to be commended for its foresight in fostering this type of race, and the community links that go with it, and its continuing sponsorship of the event.

Many sponsors, along with UniSA and the City of Murray Bridge, are involved: the District Council of Loxton Waikerie, district councils of Mount Gambier, Grant, and Busselton in WA. Curtin University plays a role, as does the RAC and many more sponsors are listed at www.pedalprix.com.au.

While the usual Aurora and Trisled racing teams led the way, overall there were some very pleasing results for the Florey teams. We can claim a first in category 1, and that team was 45^th overall, which is an amazing result for the East Para Primary School Crank Crew, with 439 laps. We can also claim the last overall in category 1, with The Heights Quasar completing 146 laps. I can only assume some sort of catastrophic gear or equipment failure contributed to this result.

Every year in what has become a tradition, I deliver Haigh's frogs to all pits for schools in my area prior to the start of the race. These are for the long night hours ahead, when it is cold and miserable towards dawn, which is a real test on so many levels for everybody involved. East Para Primary School won its category. This was the little school that could and did again, for it was placed first last year. We also had the Ardtornish School Ard-Rockets, who came 47^th overall in their category; The Heights School had several teams; Modbury High have teams in every single category and have been strong promoters of Pedal Prix and supported the WA team there this year.

We had St Paul's College at Gilles Plains, and we also had Valley View Secondary School in for their first time this year, and they finished a very credible 20^th in their section, and I have taken Endeavour College under my wing because the kids from Good Shepherd Lutheran School go on to Endeavour College. I have just realised, having seen some of the parents and kids this year, that I need to give them frogs as well, so it is a very big day for frogs.

As I walked the course again on Sunday, I was very impressed by the work that goes into this every year. There are innovations at the pits: new timing, new carpets, new chairs, new bikes. It is just amazing what they come up with. The planning that goes into it must be a logistical nightmare of military proportions. Thanks must go to all the team directors and the people involved in every aspect of putting a bike on the track. The fitness people, the catering people, the technical people, teachers and parents and all the students themselves put such commitment and dedication to Pedal Prix, which is now in its 31^st year.

Thanks also to Andrew McLachlan and his team, all involved in the AIPP Board, the race day team, and dozens of volunteers who make up the Pedal Prix family, especially course announcer Paul and the comms team. Pedal Prix unites students, schools, principals and governing councils, families and supporters with the wider community in an event that truly promotes so many great skills, abilities and attributes that will stand all who participate in good stead throughout their lives.