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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-09-24 Daily Xml
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PEDAL PRIX

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (16:05): I will carry on the debate about Murray Bridge and the International Pedal Prix. Certainly, Murray Bridge was host to the 2013 International Pedal Prix event over our most recent weekend. It began at 12pm on Saturday, 21 September, and the 24-hour race this year had a record number of bikes and competitors.

Two hundred and twenty-six bikes and over 3,200 competitors took part in this race, with competitors ranging upwards from year 6 primary school students to cycling enthusiasts in their 40s and 50s. It is a fantastic event for Murray Bridge, and the river town puts on a real festival atmosphere, as the large number of colourful bikes pedal furiously around the beautiful riverside course at Sturt Reserve. Many teams utilise the use of houseboats for some of their members to camp in, just opposite the track, on the river.

I was certainly most pleased to welcome the state Liberal leader and member for Norwood, Steven Marshall, to the race. He had jumped at the chance to wave the starting flag and, I might add, he did a fantastic job. The race was won by Victorian team Tru Blu Racing, which also set a new record for the most completed laps during the race, which was a terrific achievement.

It was great to see Murray Bridge and the Murraylands well represented, with 19 squads taking part from schools in the region. These included: Murray Bridge High School, Unity College, Murray Bridge North Primary, St Joseph's Primary, Mannum Community College, Coomandook Area School and Tailem Bend Primary. Whilst many teams from Adelaide were involved, regional teams from Murrayville, Loxton, Barossa, and as far away as Wudinna also made the trip to Murray Bridge to compete in the 24-hour event. There were also teams from the Northern Territory and Western Australia, along with other places in Australia.

The Pedal Prix is a wonderful initiative for schools to get involved with, and I was certainly proud to see my two sons involved (Mack as a rider, and Angus as professional pit crew), competing with the Coomandook Area School team.

Mr van Holst Pellekaan: Professional!

Mr PEDERICK: Yes, he has his own T-shirt. The Pedal Prix teaches kids about responsibility, as many take a keen interest in the maintenance of the bikes, and many make new friends from their involvement in the team. It also teaches students to work in a team environment, which is a fantastic skill to learn at a young age.

A lot of hard work is put into preparing for the event, particularly with fit legs for the human-powered race. Students from Murray Bridge High School, for example, have been training twice a week after school for an hour and a half for most of the year; plus, kids do their own bike riding and training, and play other sports. In my opinion, this is one of the most important aspects. Whilst they are out there competing and training, they are getting fit and healthy in the process.

When one considers a recent ABS report that 67.1 per cent of South Australians are overweight or obese, compared to the national average of 63.4 per cent, it is important for our children to become active from an early age and take part in competitions and team sports for their health and wellbeing.

The Pedal Prix certainly has significant and economic benefits which are greatly welcomed in Murray Bridge. Local businesses recognise an increase in foot traffic and business from the many spectators, teachers, competitors, volunteers and parents who visit the town over the course of the event. Event organisers have reported, in addition to the 3,200 competitors, over 7,000 spectators attended the event each day. The Pedal Prix brings in more than $3 million to the region each year. The town is busy and, as mentioned, it is a really festival atmosphere and it truly is a great thing for Murray Bridge.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank organisers from the Australian International Pedal Prix, and particularly board chairman Andrew McLachlan, who does a terrific job with his team. Andrew and the Rural City of Murray Bridge have put on another successful event. Congratulations to the Victorian team who received top honours; let us see if one of our teams can take top honours next year. Just in conclusion, it is a great event to be involved with. Our team went down there on the Friday. We camped there in our camper trailers, swags and tents and stayed there for the weekend, and it certainly invokes a great team spirit amongst the participants.

It certainly is a great benefit to Murray Bridge and surrounding areas. It really does make a difference in the Australian sporting scene to see so many interstate teams now coming to Murray Bridge. Certainly, talking to a visitor from Melbourne who was there for the first time, he could not believe how good it was. He was there with their Victorian team, and they will certainly be coming back for more of those events over time. I note next year there will be an extra event apart from the Murray Bridge, which is the premier event, and the two at Victoria Park. There will be a new event next year in Loxton.

Time expired.

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