Port Pirie West Integrated Hub

The Hon. G.G. BROCK (Stuart) (15:24): Today, it is my great privilege to talk about an event that I attended recently. This event was the launch of the Port Pirie West integrated hub, located at the Port Pirie West Children's Centre. This is South Australia's first integrated demonstration hub, which is a great milestone not only for Port Pirie but also for regional South Australia. It is the first hub to be established by the education department in all of South Australia.

This new hub will build on the existing great work taking place at the centre in education and health and family services, with those involved being able to better connect to preschool, child health, allied health, parenting programs and community support. This hub is about reducing barriers for families, giving children the very best possible start in life by providing improved support when and where it is needed.

This hub is a practical community hub, reflecting on Port Pirie's strengths and connectedness. What will happen at this hub will guide other hubs across all of South Australia when they are established, so this will be a pilot for those other places. This hub, at its heart, is about: belonging, feeling welcome, being known by name, services working alongside each other and not in isolation, giving every child the very best possible start, and parents having confidence and support and community best interests at heart for their young children when they attend these childminding centres.

I would like to mention a couple of people who have given everything to get this to where it is at this moment: Kellie Bails, director of the integrated hub, and Jess Arbon, local education leader of early childhood. Together with other dedicated staff, they have shown what is possible when systems and local leadership pull together with the very dedicated Port Pirie West hub staff and others for this great opportunity for our existing youth and future generations.

I would also like to pay compliments to Robert Knight, the regional director of education. I first came across Robert in Clare when he was principal at the high school there. It is absolutely fantastic to see him and his dedication to regional South Australia. His commitment to these young kids has to be seen to be believed.

As I said a bit earlier, this is a site that has many young children from the northern sector of Port Pirie. It has received great support from TLAP with regard to cleanliness and hygiene across the whole site. As I said earlier, the staff are very, very dedicated. They are committed, they are loyal and they are very, very compassionate.

I have had the opportunity to visit this particular site over the last 17 years as the local member for not only Frome but also for Stuart, and also as the Mayor of the Port Pirie Regional Council. It is great to see these opportunities out there for our young children, and I talk from experience as I have 12 grandchildren and one great-grandson. This gives those young ones the ability to have the best opportunity in life and gets them out onto the play equipment.

The site at Port Pirie West Primary School and the childminding centre there has climbing activities, giving the kids that opportunity out there. Parents and grandparents are always scared or very hesitant about letting them do something that might cause them to hurt themselves, but they need to get out there and get their hands dirty and enjoy the outdoors at this centre, and other centres across all of South Australia.

In closing, I would like to again thank Rob Knight for his dedication and commitment to regional education. I know he is going to leave that position and go back to Clare. I would also like to sincerely thank the parents and the staff at the centre. The staff are very patient, very dedicated and very, very compassionate. To see them relate to those young kids, and to have those young kids have full confidence in the staff, is very gratifying. As I say, as a grandparent and a great-grandparent, I have great trust in the people there and I thank them very much for the opportunity to be there at the launch.