Private Members' Statements

Private Members' Statements

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (15:35): I rise to follow on from the member for Heysen on the AHA SA Hotel Industry Awards for Excellence. There is no better experience than visiting a regional pub or club, and up in the Riverland they certainly held their heads high at the award ceremony last week.

The Hotel Renmark really did shine at the awards. The Hotel Renmark is a community-owned hotel. It is not a privately owned consortium; it is owned by the community and it is run by a board. I met with that board only in the last week, just before the awards, and it really did highlight the commitment of that board to striving for excellence and providing a destination for people who are travelling to a regional centre, whether it is for a holiday or a conference. What we have seen at Renmark has been the expansion, the renovation and the upgrade of the community hotel, and we have now seen that it received the award for the best Restaurant General Division—Country in the state, which is an outstanding achievement.

What I really must say is that I am very proud of a young fellow who has grown up in the Riverland, travelled around the globe working in high-end restaurants and has come home to set up the Temperance Restaurant. Hugh Hazelwood was awarded Chef of the Year and I think it is absolutely outstanding that a country boy does good on a big stage.

Time expired.

Mr ELLIS (Narungga) (15:37): I rise to update the house on some significant local recognition given to a sporting icon over the weekend, namely Steph Talbot. The Adelaide Lightning came and gave a coaching clinic, as they are wont to do regularly, and at that clinic it was announced that court 1 at the Kadina Copper Coast Sport and Leisure Centre would be renamed the Steph Talbot Court, which is a tremendously fitting thing.

Steph grew up in Kadina and started playing junior basketball on that very court, and went on to become one of the top handful of basketballers we have on the planet. She has played for Australia since the under 16s and has represented the country in every single age group, and has won medals at every single major sporting event, be it the Commonwealth Games, the Olympic Games or any other major sporting event. She has played for four teams in the WNBA—Phoenix, Minnesota, Seattle and LA—she has played in the EuroLeague in Poland and France and, importantly, in the WNBL, most notably for Adelaide where she is the current captain and a former MVP of the league.

Steph is a tremendous local product. She comes from a wonderful family: Mayor Ros Talbot is a tremendous community servant; her dad, Trevor, is a wonderful servant and a particularly long-serving president of the basketball league; and her partner, Heff, is a local business owner. She is a valued member of our community and this is tremendous recognition. My thanks to the Yorke Valley Basketball Association for initiating this proposal, and thank you to all for getting on board. I look forward to going down there this weekend for the local basketball and seeing the wonderful badge of the Steph Talbot Court adorned across the stadium. Congratulations, Steph Talbot, on a wonderful career and we look forward to seeing the Lightning this season.

Mr COWDREY (Colton) (15:38): Today I rise to recognise 100 years of the Henley Beach Primary School. On the weekend, the school and broader local community celebrated the school's centenary. The school, which sits on the corner of Lexington and Military roads in Henley Beach South, has been a place where multiple generations in the western suburbs have started their schooling journey.

Celebrations on the weekend to celebrate the centenary of the school from 1924 to 2024 involved a barbecue; food trucks; market stalls; a raffle; face painting; SAPOL and the MFS were generous enough to provide a visit from a police car and fire truck; an art show; commemorative merchandise for purchase; and much more. I am reliably told that Adam and Suzie, the two Foundation Frog teachers, were very popular: they were in charge of ice cream sales.

One of the other great initiatives is the Buy a Brick fundraiser, where all current and former families and staff can have their family name or child's picture embedded as part of history in the school. The commemorative pavers will be going in next year, when Henley Beach Primary School is looking at upgrading the Metcalfe Lawn at the entry to the school just off Burford Road.

My family has already purchased our brick, and I encourage anyone who might be interested in purchasing a commemorative paver to do so. The plan is to forever link the school to the school's community, past, present and future. You can jump on the school's website if you are interested in doing that.

Finally, thank you to the governing council, to the teaching staff and parent volunteers, and to our whole community for getting behind the centenary celebrations. Henley Beach Primary School is a special place, where schooling journeys start, where friends are made and lifelong connections to our community ignited. Here is to the next 100 years of the Henley Beach Primary School.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light) (15:40): This month has been significant for the Wasleys community, highlighting its deep roots and strong bonds. I attended the unveiling of 'Charlie', a metal sculpture by Glenn Haar, in tribute to his great-uncle Lance Corporal Charles Henry Haar, and all service personnel.

The Wasleys Community Group Chair, Jenny Polley, noted that the gaps in 'Charlie' symbolised the invisible wounds of conflict, which is poignant given the recent royal commission findings. It is a reminder of how we all need to do better for our veterans. A remembrance chair from Light Regional Council was also unveiled to honour the town's proud defence personnel.

Later we celebrated the 150^th anniversary of Wasleys Primary School, with old class photographs and many memories. It was a true community event, with locals volunteering to create displays and provide afternoon tea. I was honoured to join school staff, the Wasleys History Committee, and other guests to hear stories from past students Graham Hillman and Bettie Rundle. Tales of Graham riding a donkey to school, students taking cover in trenches during World War II, and sharing a single classroom remind us how much things have changed in those years. Despite past challenges, it is heartening to see the school thriving today.

I admire the passion and pride of the Wasleys community. Though not part of my electorate since the 2018 election, I am pleased to still have a connection with this community. I would also like to acknowledge that the member for Frome, Penny Pratt, also attended both events.