Torrens Electorate

Ms WORTLEY (Torrens) (15:27): There have been significant milestones both locally and across our state. Today I want to mention just a few. Women's football has come a long way, with this year being the inaugural AFL Women's premiership, which was taken out by the Adelaide Crows.

At a local level, the GAZA women's football team in Klemzig, only in its second year, fought their way to the top of the ladder, taking out the 2017 premiership. It was a great effort for the team that in its inaugural season last year finished sixth out of eight on the ladder. I enjoyed being a spectator and supporting the women throughout the year, and it was my privilege to host a reception here in Parliament House for the team members and officials.

As a former teacher, I am passionate about education and all that our government has delivered to education in our state. It is my view that education is a window to the world and that every child should have the opportunity to develop to their individual level of ability.

Recent announcements included fully funding the electricity, water and gas bills of our public schools, freeing up more resources to invest in education and allocating $30 million over four years to support more low to middle income families with the cost of education by lifting the School Card threshold from around $37,000 to around $57,000 for one child, and increasing by another $1,000 for each additional child. Across my electorate of Torrens, this is expected to support an extra 260 families with the cost of living.

The $67.5 million over four years with funding directly to schools to schools Literacy and Numeracy First, and $16 million over four years to expand the number of behaviour coaches and child wellbeing practitioners is another commitment from our state Labor government. In addition, 11 full-time equivalent attendance officers have been allocated to work with families to get their children to school, and $3.2 million over four years to work with children with complex and challenging behaviour, along with an extra 154 special option places for students with a disability. These all contribute toward achieving this ideal.

Also, next year will see three local schools—Hillcrest Primary, Hampstead Primary and Wandana Primary, making full use of their new STEM classrooms. I am continuing to work towards adequately addressing bullying in my community, our schools and in the workforce. In my previous role, I chaired the Joint Select Committee on Cyber-Safety and the Young, delivering a report that highlighted and addressed some of the issues I made reference to today. The work is ongoing.

I am pleased that the Premier, who delivered an apology to the women, adoptees and families affected by the forced adoptions of the past, has more recently unveiled a memorial named The Space Between on the banks of the River Torrens near the Adelaide University Footbridge to all those who suffered through the forced adoption. There is of course always more we want to do, and so I will continue advocating among my colleagues with whom I work side-by-side in this place for the introduction of appropriate shield laws while taking into consideration the ongoing development of media news platforms.

The health and wellbeing of our community is paramount, and for this reason I have been advocating since being elected in 2014 for a sport and recreation hub to be built in the local area. I was thrilled only last week to participate in the turning of the sod on the former Ross Smith (formerly Northfield High School) site with the mayor of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield. In my view, this is a great example of the state government and local government working together to deliver to our shared community.

Two local soccer clubs have benefited through grants delivering synthetic soccer pitches, one already complete, Adelaide City, and one in the process, MetroStars. I am very proud of the Klemzig-based MetroStars Soccer Club and the very important role it plays in the community in encouraging young children in the local area to participate in this growing team sport, gaining all the benefits it generates.

The amalgamation of Windsor Gardens Secondary College and Gilles Plains Primary School (currently named Windsor Gardens B-12) is progressing. After considerable community consultation, from the beginning of 2018 it will be known as Avenues College. Along with the school community, I too look forward to the planned move taking effect from the beginning of the 2019 school year.

Three projects in my electorate were successful as part of the Fund My Neighbourhood initiative, and I know the community is very excited about them. They include the Men's Shed in Oakden, which will have days allocated for women as well, and may even become known as the community shed; the community garden in Greenacres; and the protective weather cover for the Gilles Plains Hampstead RSL, which will protect members of our community from the often early-morning rain on ANZAC Day and the searing sun on Remembrance Day.

There are so many more topics I would like to speak about, including Our Energy Plan and the investment in our hospitals, but, alas, today time will not permit. I would just like to conclude in wishing year 12s every success in achieving the results for which they have worked so hard.

Time expired.