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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-05-16 Daily Xml
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SOUTH AUSTRALIAN AQUATIC AND LEISURE CENTRE

Mr SIBBONS (Mitchell) (14:47): My question is to the Minister for Recreation and Sport. Will the minister update the house on the improved services to support sport and the wider community at the SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre?

Ms Chapman: Pay the bill would be a good start.

The SPEAKER: I warn the Deputy Leader for the second time. There will be no indulgence. The Minister for Sport.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson—Minister for Tourism, Minister for Recreation and Sport) (14:47): I thank the member for Mitchell not only for this question but for the great work he does in advocating for the South Australian Aquatic & Leisure Centre down in his electorate at Marion. It's a fantastic addition to South Australia's sporting infrastructure.

Of course, since it was opened in 2011, we've held a number of national championships there and, indeed, it was part of the Lifesaving World Championships as well. For 15 years or so before that, we were in the wilderness when it came to hosting swimming events here in Australia because we didn't have the sort of infrastructure that was required to meet the very high standards demanded of national competitions.

Just this year, we had the national underage championships here, which brought in many competitors from around Australia and their families. Each time we have an event like this, it's worth around $1 million to our economy. When you talk to shopkeepers, publicans and people who have accommodation down in that area, they say that the pool has been a giant shot in the arm for them.

A couple of weeks ago, I was down there for the national championships, and nothing makes you feel fatter and shorter than putting medals around the necks of people like James Magnusson. I was really pleased to talk to the venue manager, Adam Luscombe, about some of the other things that they are involved in down at the aquatic centre in terms of non-competitive swimming. He was outlining to me some of the physical and mental health programs that they are running in conjunction with the Salvation Army, Vietnam veterans, Aboriginal Family Support Services, Baptist Care, the Marion GP Plus and Marion mental health.

There is a group of about 50 people who come in at various times throughout the week to help them to get their health back on track. I think it is something that needs to have a light shone on it, the great work that is done away from when the national spotlight and national TV coverage is there covering the heroes, when there is some heroic work being done by our health professionals around the swimming pool.

One of the studies that is being done involves a group of people with diabetes. The CSIRO has got them doing a program. On average, the participants have lost 12 kilograms each. When you add up the total amount of weight lost by these people it is over a tonne. That is an incredible achievement not only by these individuals who are going out there and doing it but by the people who set up these programs. Not only have they lost a lot of weight, they are a lot healthier and they are a lot less dependent on medicine as well.

I just wanted to bring this matter to the attention of the house to outline that, apart from the sports benefit of having an outstanding piece of infrastructure such as the South Australian Aquatic & Leisure Centre, it is also having a wonderful effect on the health of people in South Australia.

One of the other highlights from the recent national championships was that the local swimming club down there, the Marion swimming pool, was the most successful South Australian club, and that all gets down to the fact that they have got a fantastic facility in which to do their training. It is attracting coaches, and we are hopeful that it will attract more coaches and more swimmers from around Australia to come back to South Australia in many cases or come to South Australia for the first time.

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