Olympic and Paralympic Athletes

Mr COWDREY (Colton) (15:21): I rise today to express the fact that I am glad and pleased that finally the Premier and the Labor government have done the right thing when it comes to supporting Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Many in the chamber would be aware that we made calls prior to the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games last year calling out the fact that the government had not made a contribution to the Games Appeal Fund during that cycle. Unfortunately, our athletes went to those games without that support from the South Australian government, which is entirely disappointing.

I am glad and pleased that the government has done the right thing when it comes to the next cycle on the lead-in to the LA games. It is not a huge amount of money in the broader context of the size of the budget, but it is simply an acknowledgement that the South Australian government and the South Australian people are with and support our athletes. Unfortunately the government could not just announce this news that should have happened as par for the course. They still had to try to justify their actions.

In the press release that went out—and this is far too often used by the Treasurer, the word 'extraordinary'—there was an extraordinary claim that the former government had not provided those funds ahead of the Paris games. I remind those on the other side that there was a degree of uncertainty around that period; in fact, the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games had not even taken place when the last Marshall budget was handed down. They called that out, but they did not call themselves out for the fact that they did not provide the funds in the 2022-23 budget, in the 2023-24 budget, or the 2024-25 budget. This government had three opportunities to provide those funds to our Paralympic athletes, to our Olympic athletes, to express that level of support, but they did not. At least it is fixed heading into LA.

I am also pleased that the government has seen fit to support the policy idea I put forward in this place, and more broadly, that had support from both state sporting organisations and professional codes, as well as local identities and chefs such as Chris Jarmer, to put together a games legacy committee to, as best we can, make sure we capitalise on the opportunity that exists around the lead-up to the LA games, and the Brisbane games as well.

After seven years and a number of elections, we have a huge opportunity in this state to make the most of it: an economic, social and sporting opportunity to refresh infrastructure, to bring in as many athletes as possible and to host them here in the lead-up to the games in their pre-games' camps and the like.

It was only a very small mention in the press release that went out. I hope that the legacy committee that is set up by this government is more broad than just bureaucracy, more broad than just government officials. It does reference a cross-government group. Sir, you know nearly better than anybody in this place that there are many well-credentialed people in our sporting community in South Australia who would be well-placed to contribute their wherewithal to this committee. I really do sincerely hope that this committee encompasses some of those people.

I also rise today in advance of the budget being handed down tomorrow to see if there are going to be any new measures to address beach and sand management issues. We know on the back of the significant weather and storm events that have occurred over the last couple of weeks that our beaches, in particular through Henley Beach South, Henley and down to West Beach, are in awful condition. There is erosion that I have not seen: the old seawall exposed, posts and pillars that have not been anywhere near our beach for quite some time.

Is this just going to be the same holding pattern where we have some money put towards continued carting, or are we actually going to see some vision? We still do not have the results from the dredging trial that was concluded over six months ago. We still do not know if the government are actually going to stick to the outcomes and the recommendations that were made in their own review of coastal policy. Will they continue to recycle sand along our coastline? There are lots of questions. Like always, there are very few answers coming from this government, but we hope to get some tomorrow.