Games Legacy Committee

Mr COWDREY (Colton) (15:23): Thank you, sir. I think you might like this one too. Earlier this week I wrote to the new sports minister with a positive, proactive proposal to stand up a Team SA 2032 Games Legacy Committee. What does that mean? It means bringing together MPs from across both sides of the aisle and representatives from business, sports and government. I propose that we task this committee with developing a strategy to maximise the economic benefit and actively promote SA as the place to be prior to the games.

There is a huge economic opportunity that sits before us ahead of the 2032 games, with thousands of athletes from right across the world requiring a pre-games base. I think South Australia is uniquely positioned to make the most of that opportunity, if we work together and start planning early. Why do we need to start this planning now? There are a couple of really important reasons. The decisions are being made earlier and earlier by national Olympic committees and national sporting organisations because of the complexity that comes with organising these games.

It is clear that there is a huge opportunity for us with the many advantages that our state has. We have incredible infrastructure here. We already have the best indoor swimming facility in Australia, we have the brand-new SASI facility, we have a world-class velodrome and we have a range of other top-level sporting facilities here in South Australia. There are a range of other reasons that South Australia is uniquely positioned, such as ease of transport and proximity by air travel to Brisbane, the host of the games, making South Australia an attractive proposition for other countries that are considering coming here.

But what does it really mean in terms of economic opportunity? Teams usually come and set up for three to six weeks prior to a games. In the period of July through August, sometimes some of the more difficult months for our hotels to fill rooms, this is a fantastic opportunity. For many who were here in Adelaide prior to the Sydney 2000 games, they can remember some of the athletes coming out and visiting schools and spending time with young athletes. The opportunity for us to have the best of the best here in Adelaide, interacting with our schoolchildren, again, is something that I think is an exciting opportunity.

On top of that, it is not just an opportunity for Olympic sports but also an opportunity for our professional sporting leagues to share skills, to learn from the best of the best, whether that is biomechanics or dietitians or the other ancillary services that come with athletics at the highest level. It is not just me that thinks this is a good idea. I was very pleased to see Chris Jarmer, a well-renowned chef here in Adelaide, who was part of Swimming Australia's preparation prior to the Paris Games, recognise the opportunity as well.

In fact, in a radio interview on Monday he cited that he thought we were right on the money with this proposal and that Adelaide, South Australia is uniquely positioned to be successful if we were to pursue this. He thought, and I quote, 'I'd be targeting some of the big countries like France, the US, Canada, UK, Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands, who have big teams and are always quite successful.' Noting some of the significant infrastructure that I have just listed, he thought we had a unique opportunity that we could make the most of and recognised that it would make sense for government to approach some of these countries because these things are planned well in advance.

I have had some pretty positive feedback already from the likes of Sport SA's Chief Executive Officer, Leah Cassidy, making very clear that she is very supportive of this position. We have also had feedback from other state sporting organisations who similarly are fully supportive and approve of the approach and the proposal, saying it sounds like a fantastic initiative and that they would be interested in being involved and think that it is a very reasonable and sensible approach.

So the question is: why not? Let's get on with it. Business leaders and industry groups think this is a good idea. State sporting organisations think that this is a good idea. So let's bring Team SA together. Let's get planning, let's build a strategy and make SA the place to be before the games and make the most of this once in a generation economic and social opportunity that is before us.

The SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Colton and, of course, that nation-leading pool that you referred to is the Matt Cowdrey pool down there at Marion, a wonderful facility. And just on the subject of getting countries to come here: we had England all lined up to come here for the 2026 Commonwealth Games and about the week or so before it was to be announced Victoria pulled out of hosting the Commonwealth Games, which was a great pity because we were going to have 800 athletes here and coaches and staff for weeks in what would have been February next year. In a former role I had a fair bit to do with that, as well as talking to Team GB about coming down here as well for 2032. The member for Stuart.