Adelaide Crows, Free Tickets

The Hon. C. BONAROS (14:46): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the newest minister in the house—and I'm not sure under which portfolio—a question about the provision of free tickets for home games at the Adelaide Crows Football Club for children and young people in care.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. C. BONAROS: That's it—Recreation, Sport and Racing.

Leave granted.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: A week ago the Department for Child Protection put out a media release entitled, 'Hundreds of free tickets to Crows home games for children in care', proudly announcing a pledge to provide 500 total complementary AFL tickets to children in care this season.

The release details that under the scheme the Adelaide Crows Foundation will provide 25 tickets to DCP for distribution and another 25 to non-government care providers across 11 home games. My questions to the minister are:

1. How many, if any, tickets have been provided to DCP in previous years?

2. Is this a new initiative?

3. How does it compare to the provision of free tickets in previous years?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (Minister for Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Autism, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:47): I thank the honourable member for her question. I am advised that the Department for Child Protection and the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing have a joint plan of action to ensure that children in contact with the system have every opportunity to engage in recreation and sporting life.

The joint plan has three priority focus areas: increasing awareness of the benefits and the opportunities to participate in sport and recreation activities; increasing understanding of the needs and experiences of children and young people in care; and establishing a partnership with sporting clubs and associations to benefit children and young people in care.

I am also advised that DCP has established a strong relationship with several sporting organisations, including the Adelaide Football Club, and the Crows regularly provide an allocation of football tickets to Adelaide Crows home games for children and young people in their care.

The Minister for Child Protection joined the club last week to announce the allocation of 500 tickets to children and young people who have been in contact with child protection and family support systems. I am advised many people have been included in this discussion and tickets have been allocated, including informal care arrangements where the department is working with those families. I understand organisations such as Grandcarers SA have also been contacted in relation to these announcements.

Sport is a powerful part of our community life and we want everyone in our community to be able to participate. I am happy to look into those numbers further and get a briefing on that and provide that to you as well.