Sports Vouchers

Mr GEE (Napier) (14:39): My question is to the Minister for Recreation and Sport. Can the minister update the house on the sports vouchers program?

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) (14:40): I thank the member for Napier for his question. This has been one of the great results out of an election commitment that the Labor government made at the last election to provide every primary school student in South Australia with $50 towards club fees or some organised sporting activity. I want to thank the Premier and the Treasurer for their support of this wonderful program, and wherever I go in the state I get great feedback about it.

So far, more than 115,200 sports vouchers have been redeemed since the program commenced, worth a total of $5.72 million. In the member for Napier's electorate more than 2,855 vouchers have been redeemed since 2015, worth more than $142,300. Aussie Rules is the most popular sport, with more than 1,147 vouchers used, and the SANFL's Auskick is the most popular provider, with more than 360 vouchers.

A couple of weeks ago, I was at the McLaren footy club at an Auskick clinic, and a lot of the parents I spoke to were very grateful for the $50 sports voucher. I must mention the member for MacKillop because, of course, he is a Mount Burr supporter. I was at the Glencoe footy club on Saturday, and I am proud to tell the house that Glencoe beat Mount Burr, our archrival, by four goals in a pretty wet match that had to be called off because of lightning.

I do not think that either Glencoe or Mount Burr are having their best season, but I am sure that Fred Smith, from The South Eastern Times, will be reading this and reporting on it. He goes through Hansard with a fine-tooth comb and any mentions of Glencoe, Mount Burr or anywhere else in the South-East Fred gives a really good write-up about. It was a really good win—only the second win of the season for Glencoe—and it was great to be down there with grassroots footy. I wish all the clubs, whatever sport they are involved in right around the state, all the very best because in so many cases they are the one piece of the community that keeps everyone together and brings people together for training, for matches and for functions.

I thank the Treasurer for the $40 million additional money that went to sport in the current budget. It was a terrific use of taxpayers' money, in particular the $10 million women's sports facilities grants being rolled out across the state. We had $4 million worth in the first tranche and about 100 applications, and the second lot of those grants, worth $3 million, are in and being decided on at the moment.

When you go to places like the Dudley United Netball Club on Kangaroo Island and see the facilities that the women have there, they have at tiny room that both teams have to get changed in. Their rub-down table and strapping table was covered in pigeon poop when I was there, and it is out in the open—and it gets pretty cold down on the island. That's just one example. We have been at West Lakes Shore with the Minister for Transport to have a look at some development.

There are some really great projects that are being funded by this additional money in this sports budget. When people look at this era under the current Treasurer's guidance, this will be known as a very pro-sport government.

Mr Knoll interjecting:

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Of course, that leadership comes from our Premier. It's great to be out wherever we are in the state talking to sporting organisations and seeing what a difference this vital money makes to local communities.

Mr Knoll interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I call to order the member for Schubert.