SURF LIFE SAVING CLUBS

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (15:05): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Emergency Services a question about the government's commitment to the redevelopment of surf life saving clubs in South Australia.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Last year the minister advised the council of the commencement of work on the redevelopment of the North Haven Surf Life Saving Club, part of the ongoing program of assisting Surf Life Saving South Australia with the redevelopment of club facilities. At that time the minister stated she would advise the chamber as further developments occurred. Will the minister provide updates on the redevelopment program?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (15:06): I thank the honourable member for his important question. Immediately prior to Christmas last year, on Saturday 16 December 2006, I was delighted to attend the official opening of the redeveloped North Haven Surf Life Saving Club. The start of the official first day of the summer surf-lifesaving season this year, Saturday 3 November 2007, saw the opening of the Brighton Surf Life Saving Club by the Premier the Hon. Mike Rann MP. The opening was very well attended by club members, club and Surf Life Saving South Australia officials and the mayor and representatives of the City of Holdfast Bay. The Deputy Premier the Hon. Kevin Foley MP and the member for Bright Chloe Fox MP were also present.

The redevelopment of the site on The Esplanade provides a club with a special patrol room, gymnasium, meeting room, kitchen and change facilities, as well as plenty of room to store essential rescue equipment. While the old building had served Brighton well since the 1960s, this new building will provide the 540 members of the club with much improved facilities. Of that membership, 230 are juniors, so we expect a long and successful future for the club and these facilities. The new building is really quite striking and much appreciated by club members who, last summer, had to operate out of shipping containers.

I commend club president Peter Cockerham and his team for their patience and commitment during that period, particularly when you consider that those members did not let this inhibit their efforts and provided over 3,000 hours of volunteer patrols last summer. The costs for the $2.4 million redevelopment were, again, shared on the joint state/local government and surf-lifesaving club formula, with the state government contributing $1.3 million towards the redevelopment costs and the City of Holdfast Bay and the Brighton club itself funding the remainder of the costs.

This is proving to be a very successful collaborative effort, as Brighton is the fourth project recommend by Surf's Facilities Management Group. There are 18 surf life saving clubs in South Australia, and new clubs have already been opened at Christies Beach, Somerton and, as I said, North Haven. I think we all know that as 2007, the year of the surf lifesaver, draws to a close this new facility will support club members as they go about their community service well into the future. New facilities can only assist in the provision of a surf life saving service. It is the members of the club who do all the work. I wish club members a safe summer season and I thank them in advance, on behalf of everybody, for their efforts supporting us as we go about enjoying our wonderful beaches this summer.