Lee Electorate

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Treasurer, Minister for Defence and Space Industries) (15:25): Over the winter recess I had the great pleasure of attending the official opening of the Seaton Ramblers Football Club's new clubrooms. This was an election commitment of the Labor opposition, which we made, to contribute $1¼ million towards the Seaton Ramblers Football Club redevelopment, which is of course a very proud club in my electorate in the western suburbs. They have long supported young South Australian footballers in the western suburbs and remain an important club to this day.

Pleasingly for me, that redevelopment not only completed and opened but it is now located in the middle of what is a broader redevelopment area of Seaton of Housing Trust homes, a broader housing development to increase supply and rebuild homes.

I want to thank the people who worked so hard to deliver it, not only the City of Charles Sturt and its mayor, Angela Evans, and chief executive Paul Sutton, of course, but the leaders of the club: long-term club legend Attilio Cavuoto, or big Al as he is known, as the president, and also returning to the club, Steve Karpluk. They have put so much time and effort into that.

Of course, it is not the only election commitment I have had the pleasure of opening. I also had the pleasure earlier this year of opening the Coast Park Trail, something that has eluded the part of the western suburbs I represent for 30 years, getting the Coast Park developed in the face of a small group of strident, self-interested residents who do not want the park built outside their homes so that the rest of South Australians can access this important part of the coast for recreation.

We are looking forward to getting on with stage 2 of the Coast Park, which will link up Tennyson to Grange. That will see the Coast Park complete through the north-western coastal suburbs, from North Haven all the way down towards the southern suburbs, and I see southern suburbs MPs have had the benefit of seeing some new infrastructure there, with a stunning looking bridge.

It just goes to show anyone who takes an interest how political parties and members make election commitments. It reinforces the fact that candidates aspiring to parliament, members of parliament seeking re-election, and governments and oppositions are not only of course entitled to make election commitments to demonstrate to the community how they would represent their area but also it is important for governments to deliver on those election commitments. As a member of parliament and as a member of the western suburbs, and even now as a cabinet minister, I am really proud to have made decisions to deliver on the election commitments that we have as a Labor government.

I was also pleased on Saturday night to attend the 125^th anniversary of the Henley Sharks Football and Netball Club. It is not quite located inside my electorate but just next door to it. Of course, many people living in my electorate play football or netball for the Henley Sharks—a very proud, successful club in the western suburbs. I attended there, along with the member for Colton, and heard of a club that has gone through an extraordinary history over that period, as so many clubs have done in greater metropolitan Adelaide and, indeed, across regional South Australia. Clubs have come together to merge, with two clubs becoming one. That has also been the case with the Henley Sharks.

In fact, as a proud Port Adelaide Football Club supporter, it was really pleasing to see a couple of Port Adelaide footy players interviewed on stage—Matthew Broadbent, of course, a wingman with a penetrating kick for the Power. Also, in the current AFL Women's team, Ella Boag was interviewed, as well as a former Crows player, James Rowe. They were talking about their reflections of their time at the Henley Sharks. All of them tell these really lovely stories about how impactful key people at the club, in particular coaches, were when they were coming through the juniors as young kids—not only learning about football but learning about life and playing in a team, and mateship as well.

In particular, Matthew Broadbent's father, Michael, gave a great history of the club over that period of time. It was a great night and great to see so many clubs in the western suburbs doing so well, strongly supported by this state Labor government.