Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games

Ms HILDYARD (Reynell) (12:11): I move:

That this house wishes well all Australian athletes, particularly those from South Australia, competing in the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. As others have also done this morning, can I thank you very much for your enduring and very fabulous efforts last night. I rise today to speak on what was an exciting moment for our global community and to wholeheartedly congratulate our Olympic and Paralympic athletes who travelled to and competed at Rio. It does seem some time ago now, but I think it is worth placing on the record our congratulations to them.

The Olympics and Paralympics represent, of course, the highest level of sporting competition, an opportunity to traverse the pinnacle of sporting achievement and an enduring way for nations around the world to come together to support their athletes in a spirit of cooperation and camaraderie. It is an incredible honour to represent your country at this level. Our Olympians and Paralympians are not just the most outstanding of athletes, they are exemplary ambassadors for our country.

This Olympics, our Australian Olympic team rallied itself around its One Team motto. Our athletes worked together, supported one another and represented a united front to the world, clearly representing the very best of what we have to offer. Similarly, our Paralympian team rallied itself around the motto We Believe. Working together, believing in one another and believing in their abilities produced an amazing result, with an impressive fifth place on the medal table.

As the Minister for Recreation and Sport expressed prior to the departure of our athletes, South Australia fielded an impressive number of athletes to these games. Our commitment to investment in sport and sports infrastructure has ensured excellent dividends through the make-up of our national teams. I certainly felt an immense pride when I learnt that our Olympic committee selected our flag bearer for the opening ceremony to be a woman we claim as a South Australian, the outstanding Anna Meares.

Anna is a perfect sporting role model and an inspiration to aspiring young cyclists everywhere. She is one of the greatest track riders in history, winning two Olympic and 11 world championship gold medals as well as five Commonwealth Games titles. In typical fashion, Anna was humble in speaking about her achievement. She stated:

For me, a country girl, a coal miner's daughter, to become the second cyclist in history to be flag bearer for this country leaves me very emotional and proud.

When you look at history, there have been very few Olympians, fewer Olympic champions and again, fewer flag bearers.

I dreamt of being an Olympian, of being an Olympic champion but never contemplated being a flag bearer.

Of all of things I have achieved and I have done, carrying the flag for Australia is the greatest honour.

Also with gratitude and, again, humility after the London Olympics, Anna took the time to personally respond to every single letter of the hundreds that she received—a great stateswoman in every sense.

Anna became just the seventh woman to carry the flag for Australia at an Olympic Games, and I for one cheered her on when she entered the stadium in Rio with the world looking on. Just a few weeks ago, Anna announced her retirement from professional cycling. I thank her for her leadership, leadership that has made a difference to women in sport across the globe. I look forward to seeing how Anna will continue to lead the way long into the future.

This Olympics was also particularly special because the International Olympics committee nominated a refugee team who competed under the Olympic flag. About this team, IOC President Thomas Bach said:

These refugees have no home, no team, no flag, no national anthem. We will offer them a home in the Olympic Village, together with all the athletes of the world. The Olympic anthem will be played in their honour and the Olympic flag will lead them into the stadium. This will be a symbol of hope for all the refugees in our world, and will make the world better aware of the magnitude of this crisis. It is also a signal to the international community that refugees are our fellow human beings and are an enrichment to society...These refugee athletes will show the world that despite the unimaginable tragedies that they have faced, anyone can contribute to society through their talent, skills, and strength of the human spirit.

This incredible statement about the power of sport to bring people together, and together to promote compassion, hope, kindness and inclusivity will not be forgotten. Sport is many things to many people, and above all else it is a great equaliser. Sport has the potential to deeply explore, embrace and promote diversity, and I know that our government's work, and the work of governments and sporting peak bodies and other supporters around the country, has helped a number of women athletes to aspire to and achieve their wildest sporting dreams. These women will in turn inspire our young girls to also dream big and reach for whatever sporting goals they have.

There are many teams and individuals to mention in this regard, but I want to mention in particular our beloved Matildas, who competed again at this Olympics after a short hiatus. They and their success, amongst other teams, have helped to transform support for women's sport and sheer excitement about it. I felt their pain when they did not progress after that amazing game against Brazil—the heartache of that penalty shootout! We are all so proud of everything this team has done to raise the profile of women in sport. Amongst their players was a 16 year-old Ellie Carpenter. I know that she, along with many other players, will help many young girls to be inspired to pull on their soccer boots and start playing a sport that not that long ago was considered a sporting domain mostly for men.

Fifty South Australian athletes, including 34 current South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) scholarship holders, competed in Rio and made an impressive contribution to Australia's 29 medals. Before their departure to the Olympics, our excellent Minister for Sport and Recreation rightly listed a number of our outstanding South Australian athletes who were named amongst the competitors. In cycling, they were Alex and Annette Edmondson, Jack Bobridge, Glenn O'Shea, Callum Scotson, Matthew Glaetzer, Stephanie Morton (a proud member of our southern community), Patrick Constable, Rohan Dennis, Anthony Dean and Anna Meares.

In athletics, they were Jess Trengove, a member of our Women in Sport Taskforce; Jared Tallent; and Tanya Holliday. In badminton, it was Leanne Choo. In shooting, they were William Godward, Jack Rossiter and David Chapman. In swimming, we have Kyle Chalmers and Joshua Palmer. In tennis, it was Thanasi Kokkinakis. In trampoline, it was Blake Gaudry. In volleyball, they were Louise Bawden; Taliqua Clancy, an outstanding young Aboriginal athlete; Nicole Laird; and Maria Fe Artacho del Solar. In hockey, they were Georgie Parker, Karri McMahon, Jane-Anne Claxton and Gabrielle Nance, to name just a few.

Our South Australian athletes brought home an impressive 11 medals, meaning again that as a state we have punched well above our weight. Kyle Chalmers' efforts were spine-tingling and captured the heart of his school, Immanuel College, and indeed all of our community, with his gold medal swim in the men's 100 metre freestyle. This was followed up with bronze in the 4 x 100 metre freestyle and 4 x 100 metre medley relay.

I was very proud to see Jared Tallent win silver in the 50 kilometre walk, making him a medallist in that event at three consecutive Olympics. We could all see how much he was hurting over that last kilometre, and it is that grit and determination that defines our fine athletes. Rowing and cycling have always been an area of strength for our Olympic team. Our congratulations go to Jack Bobridge, Alex Edmonson and Callum Scotson for winning silver in the men's team pursuit. In the rowing, we saw silver medals go to Alexander Belonogoff and James McRae in men's quadruple sculls, and there was more silver for Alexander Hill in the men's coxless four.

The Hon. T.R. Kenyon interjecting:

Ms HILDYARD: A silver rush, indeed. It was Australian Olympic team flag bearer, Anna Meares, who I would like to congratulate again. Her bronze medal in the women's keirin means that she is now Australia's most decorated Olympic cyclist. She is a true inspiration.

A number of sensational SASI athletes also took part in the Rio Paralympics. This included 11-time Paralympian Libby Kosmala and several first-time Paralympic team members, including swimmers Liam Bekric and Jesse Aungles. Their stories of courage are moving and motivational, and they inspired all of us when we watched them compete in Rio. In the Australian Paralympic team there were nine South Australians who proudly brought home four medals. In the long jump, there was a gold medal performance from Brayden Davidson, and Sam von Einem clinched a silver in table tennis in his very first Paralympic appearance.

In closing, I want to mention a very special friend of mine, Katrina Webb-Denis. Katrina is a multiple gold medallist at the Paralympics, an incredible advocate for the Paralympics and women in sport—

Mr Pederick: Hear, hear!

Ms HILDYARD: Indeed—and a motivator and friend to many. Katrina performed outstandingly as a commentator at the Paralympics, and I could not have been more proud when I saw her on our screens and heard her on our airwaves. I again offer my hearty congratulations to all team members, medal winners or not, for their dedication and commitment to being their best in their chosen sport. I know that many of these athletes started their journey in our local clubs and schools in communities across South Australia, supported by their families, friends and training partners. I offer my thanks also to all of those people.

It is a testament to the effort of these individual athletes that they competed at the highest level, but it is also a testament to the support provided to them by grassroots sporting organisations in our community and the many volunteers within them, and it is a testament to all of the people who love and support these athletes. I will continue to recall, with great fondness, cheering on our incredible athletes in both the Rio Olympics and Paralympics. I thank them for their courage, determination and commitment, for what they brought and continue to bring to our community in terms of their athletic prowess, for the role modelling they provide to our youngest athletes, and for the deep pride that they instil in all of us.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey.

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (12:20): Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I would just like to compliment you on your Muriel Matters outfit, the colours that you are wearing today. It is very fitting.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, that's really kind of you. I have my Muriel Matters badge on.

Mr WHETSTONE: I, too, rise to support the motion wishing the South Australian athletes well at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio this year. Obviously it has taken a bit of time for this motion to reach the debate stage and, as a result, the Olympics and Paralympics have well and truly gone. It is always a proud moment for any South Australian sports followers to watch our local heroes on the track, in the pool, in the velodrome, wherever it may be, performing at the elite level and trying to achieve the ultimate, and that is to bring home a personal best. The bonus is that some of our athletes came home with medals.

They have been widely reported and recognised, and I think we need to recognise any athlete that achieves at that elite level. Just to be selected in the team and to be able to compete at an Olympic level is truly an amazing achievement—not that I have achieved Olympic greatness, but I have represented Australia, and it is a great honour to have that opportunity. There were 50 South Australian athletes selected for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, with almost all of them being current South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) scholarship holders, or having been supported by SASI during their career. This is the largest number since the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

Making up 12 per cent of the 2016 Australian Olympic team, our local athletes contested across 14 sports including athletics, badminton, basketball, beach volleyball, cycling, diving, equestrian, hockey, rowing, shooting, swimming, tennis, trampoline and water polo. SASI athlete and dual gold medal winning cyclist Anna Meares—there is not much more that I can say about Anna Meares—she is a true champion and a great ambassador for sport. She was recognised for that by being named the captain, but she was also given the great honour of being the flag bearer for the opening ceremony. I think that was very fitting. As she has since announced her retirement, I wish her all the best in her life after competitive sport. I am sure she will go on to be, again, a great Australian and a great ambassador for the country. I wish her well in whatever career path she chooses.

Twenty-four of our athletes had a combined 55 Olympic Games appearances between them, including 11 Olympic medallists, although for 26 of the athletes it was their first time in the Olympic Village. Debutant Kyle Chalmers, who competed in the 100-metre freestyle and the 4x100-metre freestyle relay, was South Australia's youngest Olympian at 18 years of age, and he turned out to be our most shining star at the games. Much has been said about Kyle's performance and much has been said about his last 10 metres in that 100 metres. His power and his ability to come home stronger than any other swimmer at the games was truly noted and admired by anyone who watched the footage that was played time after time. I was just as proud the first time I watched it as I was the last time I watched it. It was a truly outstanding achievement.

Prior to the games, I noted that expert SASI analysis suggested that as many as 29 South Australian athletes might bring home medals, including 11 who were in serious contention for the coveted gold medal. Seven athletes (four cyclists and three rowers) were first identified through the SASI community talent search program, with talent search locations set up to uncover our next Olympic hopefuls. South Australia had a contingent of 27 coaches and officials selected to support the 2016 Olympic campaign.

I would like to pay tribute to Wes Battams for setting up our SASI facility at Kidman Park. Wes has been around a long time, and he is no spring chicken, but he comes with a wealth of knowledge and he really is a great support to the SASI program and to those athletes. I would like to lobby for Wes that the Kidman Park facility is long overdue for receiving government monetary support.

Recently, I went to Western Australia and visited their new Western Australian sports institute facility, and it is world-class. Western Australia is now starting to poach some of the Australian Institute of Sport programs, and if South Australia does not watch out they are going to have some pressure put on them to lose programs here. Again, I urge the current minister, I urge the Premier, and I urge the Treasurer—I urge all South Australians—to support this SASI facility. The SASI program is up for a refurbishment; it is up for renewal, and I think that is worthy of mention in the debate on this motion.

In the end, South Australia had nine medal-winning athletes bringing home a total of 11 medals. As I have said, 18-year-old Kyle Chalmers won three medals: a gold medal in the men's 100-metre freestyle and a bronze in both the 4x100, and the 4x100 medley relays—only the fourth Australian to win that event. Jared Tallent won silver in the 50 kilometre walk making him a medallist in that event at three consecutive Olympics—an outstanding athlete. Jack Bobridge, Alex Edmondson and Callum Scotson won silver medals in the men's team pursuit. The Australian Olympic team flag bearer, Anna Meares, won the bronze medal in the women's keirin. Of course, in rowing silver medals went to Alexander Belonogoff and James McRae for the men's quadruple sculls, and Alexander Hill in the men's coxless four.

I would like to mention Alex Edmondson. I made a presentation to him as a young junior cyclist when he came up to the Riverland where he participated in the Tour of the Riverland and won the number 1 jersey. He was a shining star back then, and he is going from strength to strength, as is his sister. I would like to pay homage to the hundreds of fans who turned out in Adelaide's Victoria Square. There was also a reception at the Adelaide Oval to welcome home the Australian Rio Olympic athletes, and it really was a great event. It is always great to pay tribute to athletes who have given up their life, given up a huge amount of personal gain to be an athlete, who come home and make us proud. It was the same for the homecoming of the Paralympians who competed and did us proud.

Speaking of the Paralympics, South Australia had nine athletes in a range of sports including athletics, canoeing, cycling, shooting, swimming, and table tennis. One of the notables, Kieran Modra, competed at his eighth Paralympic Games. I think it is an outstanding achievement for any athlete to have competed at eight games. It is simply outstanding. He also represented Australia in athletics, cycling and swimming, so he is an outstanding athlete when it comes to the games. Brayden Davidson won a bronze medal at the 2015 IPC World Championships in the long-jump event (T36), and was always a medal chance at Rio. He did not win a gold medal, but he certainly was in the mix.

Michael Roeger won the bronze medal at last year's World Championships in the 1,500 metres and competed in his third Paralympics—another outstanding achievement. The other South Australian athletes are Elizabeth Kosmala (shooting), who competed in her 12^th Paralympic Games; Gabriel Cole competed in the 100 metres (T47) at his second Paralympic Games; debutantes, Jesse Aungles and Liam Bekric (swimming); Jocelyn Neumueller (canoeing); Sam von Einem (table tennis); Alex Hill, who has very proud parents, Michelle and Peter, up in the Riverland; and Kyle Chalmers, a great young South Australian.

I had lunch with Kyle before he went to Rio and I caught up with him afterwards, and nothing has changed. He did not wear his medals at the homecoming because he said that they were just a bit too heavy. That is the kind of guy he is. Jess Trengove ran the marathon and did an outstanding job. I met with Jane Claxton, a Hockeyroo, another great South Australian.

Well done to all of the South Australian athletes who represented our great country on an impressive Rio campaign and the state, I am sure, would be with me in saying how extremely proud we are, and I am certain the state will continue to produce many impressive athletes. Job well done.

The Hon. T.R. KENYON (Newland) (12:32): To add my voice to this motion brought by the member for Reynell, I would like to congratulate all of the athletes who represented Australia, especially those from South Australia; disproportionately represented by cyclists, of course, as you would expect with the cycling program here. A wonderful result for them; even just to be there. I have often wondered what sport I might possibly play to get me to an Olympics.

Mr Whetstone: Table tennis?

The Hon. T.R. KENYON: No, I am not anywhere near good enough for table tennis. I am not good enough at skiing. I actually think maybe shotgun shooting might be my only chance—clay target shooting.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. T.R. KENYON: Trap, thank you—not skeet, definitely trap. Anyway, I am never going to do that. I always liked the idea of being at the Olympics, so to actually get there is an immense achievement by the athletes who did. I particularly take this moment, as others have before me, to acknowledge the sporting contribution of Anna Meares. She is a wonderful role model. I particularly thank her for the example she has given to my daughter.

I remember that in 2012 I had taken my family on a ski trip to Mount Hotham and Anna was racing in London. On one of the nights, my daughter, Rachel, got up at four in the morning and came upstairs in the ski lodge to watch her race because she was such a big fan. Happily, for all of us, she was able to get a gold on that occasion.

Anna has always shown tremendous courage, right throughout her career, with her silver medal in 2008, of course—I think her best medal, coming back from that back injury. That was absolutely amazing. She has been a wonderful ambassador, not only for her sport but also the Olympic sports in Australia. Thank you to her.

Thank you to all our Olympians and congratulations to all the staff who prepare them: the coaches and the managers. There is a tremendous amount of work that goes on at the various institutes of sport around Australia, most particularly at SASI. I congratulate all of them in their contribution in getting our athletes ready for Rio. I would like to congratulate the Paralympians as well. The SASI effort that goes into paralympians is quite extensive and should be highly commended. Congratulations to the athletes, congratulations to the coaches and managers and we are all very, very proud of them.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (12:34): Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and I, too, will acknowledge your marathon effort in the last day or so. Well done. I would like to acknowledge the motion from the member for Reynell that this house wishes well all Australian athletes, particularly those from South Australia, competing in the Olympics and Paralympic Games in Rio. Certainly it has been outlined that many of the Olympic athletes came from South Australia, and we do have a very good quota of them, and I commend them for everything they do, whether it is at the Olympic level or the Paralympic level.

I am certainly pleased that in latter years the Paralympics has gained much more coverage and the coverage that they deserve. Sometimes it is people you would probably never expect to be competing in a Paralympics but, when they get the opportunity, they grab it with both hands and get right into it. Some of the sports you watch, especially with the wheelchairs, are pretty ferocious, and I commend them for the way they take to their sport and compete on the international stage.

I want to talk a bit about James McRae, an Olympic rower from Murray Bridge. It was a privilege to catch up with James and his mother, Chris, the other night in Murray Bridge at a combined Rotary Club dinner, where they both talked about James, his Olympic dreams and aspirations and what he has managed to do over the years. It was extremely inspiring. I had the privilege of sitting right next to him and I said, 'Are you going to keep going?' He replied, 'Yes', and I said to him, 'Well, you need one more for the boxed set.' He said, 'That's right,' and I said, 'No pressure, mate, no pressure,' because the one he is missing in the box is the gold.

He is 29 years of age. He grew up in my electorate in Murray Bridge and completed all his schooling in Murray Bridge before commencing a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree at the University of Adelaide in 2007. He did say to me that it was nice to get away from rowing for a moment because, as with every Olympic athlete, it consumes your life—as it has to, so that you can be competitive on the world stage. He said, 'It's just nice to do something that I've trained for, that I've been educated for, to have the opportunity to do that.' He certainly has not lost his spirit or his keenness to row, he is certainly keen to do that, but he said that it was just nice to be able to do something else for a very short period of time.

His siblings Jessica and Anna are also Australian rowers with various South Australian Sports Institute scholarships and Australian titles, along with international competitions. James had a major involvement with the Murray Bridge Rowing Club and was coached by Adrien David, a former international oarsman. In 2009, he was awarded life membership of the Murray Bridge Rowing Club, and this was awarded to him for being the club's most successful rower and the club's first Olympian since the Murray Cods, who competed in Paris in 1924.

Anyone who is not aware of the Murray Cods' story needs to have a look at it. It is about blokes who had been off to war and who returned and formed the eight for the Murray Cods and competed in Paris. They had to borrow boats and a whole range of things, but they improvised and still competed on the world stage. It was such an achievement for back then in 1924.

Along with his sisters, James McRae is also a South Australian Sports Institute scholarship holder, and from 2008 to 2016 James was part of the South Australian men's eight. In both 2007 and 2011 James was chosen to contest the interstate men's single scull in the President's Cup, and in 2011 he won this event and rowed in the open men's quad scull, which won the national title. He is a very proud Murray Bridge and South Australian world rowing champion, three time Olympian and a medal-winning rower.

Before he won a medal they were a close fourth in Beijing in 2008, then he won a bronze medal in the Olympics in London in 2012 and in the Olympics just gone, the Rio Olympics, he got the silver. I think it was six international races that the Australian quad scull team competed in, and the only one they lost out of that six was the Olympic race in Rio. He said it was just one of those days and it is just what happens. Even though there is a fierce rivalry—and I think their main competitors were the Germans, who won the race—he also said that there is a great camaraderie between the teams because obviously they see each other in many places around the world. As he said, 'Look, on the day the Germans were the better team.'

James is keen to keep training for Japan in 2020. As I said, he needs to get the boxed set; that will be a fantastic achievement, but that does not deny what he has already done. He has put in a great effort for Murray Bridge, for South Australia and for Australia. It is great to see this favourite son of the rowing club do so well, especially as the rowing club is looking at their major expansion works.

They have managed to receive some grant funding. They are attracting schools up to Murray Bridge, where they will have new facilities that they will lease out to various schools, and obviously they will have a bay for themselves. I congratulate the Murray Bridge Rowing Club on its foresight. Craig Christian and Stacy Seidel, as two of its lead people, are doing so much work to move this rowing club into the future.

In talking about Rio, I did say to James, 'What's with all the media you get about how rough Rio is?' He said, 'They do it every time. There's always a story from an Olympics; it doesn't matter where it is.' Obviously, we saw the media reports of how supposedly dangerous Rio was. He said, 'Look, it was fine.' He said that he actually did not stay in the village. They got some accommodation because they were a fair distance away. I think it was something like an hour or further from the Olympic village to where they had to row, so they managed to get some other accommodation with some other people who were doing water sports, close to the water where they had to compete. He said that was pretty good. He said negotiating with Kitty Chiller is not easy, but they managed to do that.

I certainly wish James the best in all his endeavours. I congratulate all the Rio Olympians, and not just the medallists; just to compete is a fantastic effort. I congratulate their families and support staff who support these people. I, too, would like to acknowledge Katrina Webb, another Murray Bridge person, for her involvement in the Paralympics for many years. She works at a governance level now. I run into Katrina around the place from time to time.

Mr Whetstone: She is climbing up Mount Everest.

Mr PEDERICK: Yes, she is climbing Mount Everest. I think she is going to base camp, from memory. She is a real inspiration, and another inspirational person from Murray Bridge. She has been a great asset. She is a physiotherapist by trade and, when I had my hip operation several years ago, she was my physio. It was nice to have a little joke with her about, 'How would you be?' She has done great work. She is doing great work at the governance level, being involved with the Olympics. As I stated, she is going to go to base camp at Everest. I wish her all the best for the future and acknowledge everything that she has done for sport in the past.

I acknowledge James McRae for everything he has done in the past and wish him and the team all the best heading into Japan 2020. All our potential Olympians do give up a lot. They do not get paid at all really. They might get the odd little bit of funding to live, but that is about it, and it is a struggle. I do commend them for the great work they do for this state and the country at all levels, because it certainly is not easy on a range of fronts. I commend the motion.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Before I call the next speaker, member for Hammond, have you seen the movie Paris or the Bush, the story of the Murray Cods?

Mr PEDERICK: I have not had the opportunity, actually.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I think that might be worth us all having a look at.

Mr PEDERICK: That is the movie; yes, absolutely.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: That is the one. The member for Mitchell.

Mr WINGARD (Mitchell) (12:43): I rise to speak on this motion as well and note that, when it was first brought to the house, it was to wish all the Australian athletes well. Now, in the wake of the games, it is obviously to commend them for their efforts. I know everyone has spoken about a number of athletes, and I will be brief here. I want to speak about one athlete from my local area. As we looked forward towards the games, we were speaking about a very exciting young man who trains at the Marion Swimming Club in my local area, and his name is Kyle Chalmers. If I had mentioned him before the games, a lot of people might not have known who he was. When we are talking about him after the games, everyone knows who is for his outstanding performance in the 100 metres freestyle.

Probably at the halfway mark of that swim a lot of people would not have known who Kyle Chalmers was. He was nowhere to be seen as they turned, but as they headed for home—I must say that in my past life I have watched a lot of sporting events on the land and in the water, across the gamut—I do not think he was in the swim until about the last 10 metres. Never before have I seen such a great performance. It is one of the all-time greatest performances in a sporting arena that I have ever seen, and I really do commend him for that wonderful gold medal—it was outstanding.

I mentioned that he swims for the Marion Swimming Club and lives in and around my community. The member for Flinders rightly points out that he is from the West Coast and is a Port Lincoln boy, but we are claiming him at the Marion Swimming Club, and our community was very supportive of him. In fact, the morning after, my office staff were so supportive and elated that they had posters of Kyle stuck all around our office; we thought he was absolutely sensational. It was a great achievement for a young man, and he is going on to do bigger and better things. It is just one of those highly successful stories to have come out of the Olympic Games, and I just wanted to note his being from our local area.

I also take this opportunity to mention the Marion Swimming Club, which was established in 1979 to serve the wider community. In 1982, just three years after it was formed, it became the youngest club to be awarded Club of the Year by the state governing body, Swimming SA, and has since won the award on a number of occasions, the latest being in 2005 and 2006.

They do a marvellous job, and have had some great names involved with the club over the time—state, national, commonwealth and Olympic-level athletes, including Hall of Fame member Glenn Beringen; Olympic and Commonwealth Games silver medallist Martin Roberts; Olympic and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Sally Hunter; and Olympic and Commonwealth Games gold and silver medallist Matt Cowdrey, Australia's greatest Paralympian. Pete Bishop was our long-time coach with the Marion Swimming Club and has done a great job as a swim coach right across the state. I know that he has had a lot of success in his time, and we commend him as well.

I point out the great work they do. Adam Luscombe is in charge of the YMCA and is manager of the South Australian Aquatic Centre, and he does a great job. To have this facility so close to my office is great. I go there for lunch often and catch up with people there, and what it does for the community is absolutely outstanding. I know the member for Bright has a gym membership there as well. It is a great way for people to meet, stay fit and healthy, and be involved with this from the elite level right down to the wonderful young kids and juniors we see going through that swim club. They do some great work in the disability sector as well; a lot of young and older people go through there who engage with that swimming centre and are really improving their quality of life.

I would like it to go on record that we know there were problems with the build of that centre—the Candetti build—and we know there are some ongoing issues with that. This is our state's premier aquatic centre and facility. We know the Minister for Recreation and Sport often goes to a lot of these events, including Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games, right around the world. He likes to get along to a sporting event at any opportunity, but he has not structured a plan as to how we will get a Commonwealth Games or something of that ilk in South Australia. I am really keen to keep pushing him on that, because he will go to the events, take guests along and have a good time—and good on him for that—but he has not actually directed a path for South Australia to get the Commonwealth Games.

We see that the Gold Coast is getting a Commonwealth Games. A regional part of Queensland is getting a Commonwealth Games before South Australia and Adelaide, which I think is somewhat disappointing. As far as the facilities are concerned, the minister must also work hard to make sure that this stays as an international venue because, again, the problems with the build and maintaining the facility at that standard is something that is very important to our community and our state. I fear that perhaps that investment has not been made by the minister and I would like to think that is not the case.

All the while, the Marion Swimming Club does a great job, and no doubt the pride of the swim club at the moment is Kyle Chalmers. We commend him for his great effort at the Rio Olympics, along with all the other athletes. I will not mention them all by name, as I know that others want to speak, but I just wanted to get that on the record.

The Hon. T.R. KENYON (Newland) (12:49): On behalf of the member for Reynell, I will close debate, if no-one else wants to speak, and thank all members for their contribution.

Motion carried.