Sports Funding

Mr ELLIS (Narungga) (14:55): My question is to the Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing. Can the minister please update the house on what the Marshall Liberal government is doing to help lower costs for local sporting clubs?

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD (Gibson—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:56): I thank the member for Narungga for his question and acknowledge and recognise his wonderful passion for sport, especially in his local community.

Now, more than ever, we need to be doing all we can to be helping families and helping people as we return to sport by lowering costs right across all sectors of the recreation, sport and racing industries so we can get our way through this terrible pandemic. Sport is back, nature is healing and I am pretty sure there was a big buzz of excitement last Saturday night when the Showdown was back. At least there was excitement for the first quarter, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: At the start of the game.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: At least for the first quarter. The Marshall government has a strong plan for jobs, businesses and organisations and getting our economy back and moving and the sporting sector has received $15 million over recent months to make sure that it returns stronger than before. Even before COVID-19, our very popular program around our Sports Vouchers program had been incredibly well received.

Of course, when we came to government we knew that putting money back in people's pockets was an important thing to do, getting people active was an important thing to do and we increased the sports vouchers from $50 per child in primary school playing sport up to $100. It has been extremely popular. Last year, more than 70,000 people claimed those vouchers.

An even more generous program was a winner for South Australian families, as I said, easing the cost of living and putting money back in their pockets. Already this year, despite COVID-19, more than 26,000 vouchers have been claimed and we have noticed an increase in recent weeks as junior sport gets prepared to return to our parks, our ovals and our fields and we are looking forward to that. From 1 January 2020, we further expanded this program to take in swimming as well. We know that not only does this get young people active in our state but it also makes our state safer and helps young people to learn how to be safe around water, and we know that's incredibly important.

For the 2019 calendar year, under our government 74,668 vouchers were redeemed, totalling more than $7 million back in the pockets of families right across South Australia. This compares with 58,324 vouchers claimed in 2018, $2.9 million, finishing off the old scheme under the old government. You can see the big increase there, Mr Speaker, and how much families have appreciated that—a 28 per cent increase in the uptake of vouchers in 2019 compared with 2018. To date in 2020, $2.6 million in vouchers has been redeemed—again, money back in the pockets of South Australians. The success of this program is undeniable and I love it when I come face to face with families who are really enjoying the value of our program.

Just a few weeks ago, it was great to catch up with Michelle, who explained how much she appreciated those vouchers for her five sons: Ricky, Dion, Alex, Jordan and Yanni. The increase to $100 has been of significant benefit to her family budget. You can imagine that putting five boys through a soccer program is expensive for any family.

We have been actively supporting in a number of ways as well through the COVID crisis, as I have pointed out, with money going to a number of sports along the way. With respect to soccer, $490,000 has gone to Football SA through the Community and Jobs Fund during the COVID-19 crisis. One of the conditions, of course, has been that this benefit flows on to grassroots participants so that South Australians who play soccer will have their affiliation fees discounted this season.

Full credit to Football SA that has provided the cost reductions for many members, which has led to zero dollar team registration fees for juniors and social women, zero dollar state insurance costs and a 15 per cent to 30 per cent reduction in referee fees—again, money going back into sport. We know it is important. It is good to have it back and saving money for South Australians as they get their kids back into sport.