Sports Facilities

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD (Gibson—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (15:12): Can I say that it is good to be building SA. It is good to be with a government that is building South Australia right across the state. Right across our regions, we are building this wonderful state.

Yes, it has been left to run down for a number of years—16 long years of Labor. Boy, aren't we disappointed when we get out to our communities and speak to people and see the sights of what has been left to deteriorate. From a sporting perspective, if one more sporting club—and I have been to hundreds and thousands—comes to me and says, 'Our facilities have been left to go to rack and ruin under the previous government'—it is a disgrace.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: As a government, we have put $100 million into sport since coming into government.

Ms Hildyard interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Reynell!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: That is $100 million, and don't the people of South Australia like and appreciate that.

Ms Hildyard: How much less than we invested? So much less.

The SPEAKER: Member for Reynell!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: They hate good news. We have put $100 million into sport. Of course, our Sports Vouchers program is absolutely outstanding. Young people right around the state love the support that we are giving them there. On the local front, I have been very fortunate. We have invested $2 million into the Brighton sports complex, one of the sports complexes that, under the previous government, was left to deteriorate.

Mr Patterson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Morphett is warned for a second and final time.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: I have been into the Brighton footy club a number of times. I have said in this place before that, with the state of their facilities, I would not let my dog go in there. It is absolutely appalling, but we are fixing that. We are working with the member for Morphett and the member for Black, who are very supportive of this project, and the federal member for Boothby, who has got right on board and injected funds as well.

Combined with the Holdfast Bay council, who are very supportive, in total $13.7 million is going into this sporting complex. That will link with the primary school at Highet Avenue to create a wonderful facility that will get people active and get people moving. There is the Brighton rugby club, the lacrosse club, the cricket club, the football club, the croquet club, a dog club in the back corner and even a pigeon club involved. The opportunities to grow other social benefits out of this through other community clubs are endless.

This is a wonderful investment and this is part of how the Marshall Liberal government, working with all tiers of government, is building South Australia. We just had the sod turning the other day. The Premier was there for the sod turning as well. He is wonderfully excited. This full development we are hoping will be done by autumn 2021. It will be wonderful for our community.

When I was re-elected as the member for Gibson in March 2018, I also made a firm commitment that we would provide a community garden for the Stella Maris Parish School, a Catholic primary school located in Seacombe Gardens. They came to me with a wonderful idea and I was very keen to support it. The students have done a marvellous job putting together this garden. They have the garden inside the school grounds and they have put an orchard, if you like, with some citrus and other fruit trees, out on the street for the community to be able to access as well.

I went to have a look and the students have done a stellar job. They really have. They have brought together some innovative ideas about collecting water and growing their produce. What they are also looking to do—and I thought this was just fantastic; in fact, the Minister for Innovation would like this—is market and sell their produce through the school and then reinvest that money into growing the garden and making it sustainable.

It is a wonderful effort, at the Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Seacombe Gardens, where this crew has done an absolutely wonderful job. I commend everyone involved and the new principal who has taken over from the outgoing principal, Sean Hill. I congratulate Sean Hill on all the wonderful work he has done there. The community is over the moon about this project.

The community is also getting close to seeing the results of funding delivered. In conjunction with the Marion city council, the state government put in some considerable money, as part of our election commitment, to upgrade Crown Street Reserve in Dover Gardens and Hamilton Park Reserve in Warradale. Both these reserves were in desperate need of rejuvenation and infrastructure that would encourage more locals to head down to their local park for some fresh air and to get more active.

At Crown Street Reserve, works are well underway to construct a three-on-three basketball court that the community asked for. We are adding a netball ring there as well, access paths and new bench seats to encourage more people, young and old, to be more active in their community. Works began in May and construction is expected to be completed very soon. Progress is also well underway at the Hamilton Avenue reserve. Last month, the old clubhouse and tennis courts were demolished for a new state-of-the-art Exeloo, which is due to arrive very soon.

These are some wonderful projects. It is fantastic that the Marshall Liberal government is building South Australia across every level. To be delivering these projects in my community makes me very proud.