Private Members' Statements

Private Members' Statements

Ms PRATT (Frome) (15:44): I rise to bring attention to a wicked problem that has been bubbling away in Freeling for a couple of months now. Freeling, sadly, seems to be the epicentre of a number of government failures, of failed projects, of neglectful inattention when it comes to 70 per cent of the classrooms having asbestos stickers on them. The police station has been closed down. The police house is gone. The CFS station is still a hay shed, and here we are with a water problem facing the extraordinary and much-loved Wheatfields aged-care facility.

In the last week I have been able to broker a meeting with the government, and in good faith the Minister for Planning has made his department available. What we are trying to work on is a resolution to a very wicked problem that is starting to compromise a fantastic project that expands aged-care beds in country areas, a $25 million grant from the federal government invested in the Southern Hemisphere's biggest project to date. What we are working towards as a community is to make sure that this problem about water supply is solved, that beds are secured and we do not see more ministers required to help problem-solve what seems to be a solution that is available to the government.

Mr DIGHTON (Black) (15:46): I would like to speak about the Hallett Cove Lions Club and the work they do within my community of Black. I was recently inducted as a Hallett Cove Lion and would like to thank my sponsor, Jill Kimber, for her support and encouragement. I want to recognise the board of the Hallett Cove Lions—the president, Sharon Bond; the vice-presidents, Andrew Wood and Keith Noble; the secretary, Bill Jarman; the treasurer, Tom Kimber; the directors, Darren Bailhache and Faye Moreton; the Lion tamer, Stephen 'Rocky' Stone—and all the members of the Lions Club.

The Lions Club do wonderful things within our community. On Saturdays and on Thursday mornings, they have an op shop in Hallett Cove, which is very popular. Last year, my wife was taking my son, Albie, to kindy. He cracked it. Claire decided to pull into the op shop. She managed to get a little something, and Albie was then happy to go to kindy. They are incredible life-saving things that the Lions Club do.

They run the Barn Cafe, which serves breakfast, lunch and brunch. They provide educational scholarships and assistance with programs to the local schools. They run community barbecues; in fact, last year I had a week where I went to a community event every single day, and the Lions Club were there cooking a barbecue every single day. They are very impressive. They do terrific things. Another thing they do—

Members interjecting:

Mr DIGHTON: Is that it? Am I finished? They do a beautiful ANZAC Day memorial service, which is very moving.

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Odenwalder): Ninety seconds presents its own challenges.

Mrs HURN (Schubert) (15:48): I would like to draw the attention of the house to a petition that is circulating in my local community. Our Barossa local newspaper, The Leader, has launched a petition about the Barossa hospital. It is just to again draw the attention of the government to the importance of this project. I would encourage anyone who has not yet signed this petition online to do so or to pop into my electorate office, where you can sign a hard copy of this. The money is in the budget to purchase land for the Barossa hospital, and securing this land is so important.

There is no need for this to be delayed any further, so we would encourage the government to lock that in. We know that so much work has already gone into laying the critical foundation to build a Barossa hospital. Of course, the next step is for the government to commit the money required to build it. As I am out and about in my local community, I am speaking with people who are saying to me that if the government can find millions and millions of dollars for a piece of sporting infrastructure in our community, they should also be able to find money for a critical piece of infrastructure just like a Barossa hospital.

With our health system under significant strain at the moment, now is the time to get this hospital. It has never been more important, particularly with the fact that we have 25,000 people moving into our region over the next decade. I thank The Leader newspaper for bringing this petition to our local community and am looking forward to tabling it in the months ahead.

Ms CLANCY (Elder) (15:50): Each year, for a number of years now, on the Sunday in February that falls closest to 16 February I have attended a remembrance service in honour of the nurses who died in the Bangka Island massacre on 16 February 1942. When the Vyner Brooke was sunk in 1942, nurses swam to shore and then they were asked to turn around and walk back into the ocean where they were gunned down. Twenty-one unarmed nurses died and one, Vivian Bullwinkel, faked death and then, when she was sure they had left, made her way back to shore.

If it was not for her, the sole survivor, we would not know of this massacre. Her incredible strength, and the strength of all of those nurses, is something that I think is really important we stop each year to consider, reflect on and be thankful for.

I attended with the member for Reynell, the member for Hurtle Vale, the member for Waite and Louise Miller-Frost, the member for Boothby. I also attended with my favourite young woman, miss seven—soon to be miss eight—because I think it is really important that the next generation is also aware of the incredible sacrifice that has been given by many Australians.