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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-10-30 Daily Xml
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VETERANS' HEALTH WEEK

Mr SIBBONS (Mitchell) (15:08): I just say to the member for Davenport: you can't always get what you want. I rise to speak today about a truly inspiring event I attended just over a week ago. The YMCA, which manages the South Australian Aquatic and Leisure Centre at Oaklands Park in my electorate of Mitchell, hosted a veterans' health seminar at the centre as part of national Veterans' Health Week. Veterans of Korea, Borneo and Vietnam attended on the day, some with their families, and it was wonderful to see the joy on the faces of those who served our country with courage and dignity and often to the detriment of their own long-term health. It was great to see them being given the VIP treatment they so truly deserve.

Run by the Aquatic Centre health and wellness team, the event was backed by the Vietnam Veterans Federation based at Warradale. The day's events included morning tea, aqua aerobics, exercise physiology, an entitlement to use the facility (with the veterans' gold or white cards), and stories of how veterans need exercise to stay young and fit, and to deal with issues of war injury and wounds. The next day, the veterans had the opportunity to take their grandchildren to the centre's leisure area, on the slides and inflatables of the exciting aquatic's flash equipment. The YMCA's aim, through these special events, was to introduce veterans to the range of physical activity available at the centre, as well as to showcase the health benefits of those activities.

Importantly, the centre's work with the local veteran community is ongoing, with the goal of improving the health of our veterans, especially through the use of exercise physiology and massage. Veterans are able to continue to use this magnificent complex, with their gold or white card, to keep them fit and active. The aquatic centre also supports their spouses via the outstanding open doors program through which it raises funds through the use of the facility. This is a crucial element of the centre's work with veterans, as sometimes it is the partners who can suffer most during their loved one's rehabilitation.

Of course, this type of community engagement and assistance is nothing new for the YMCA. It has a long history of assisting the armed forces. YMCA programs can be tracked back to the Boar War, Gallipoli and the Somme, the Middle East and New Guinea. The latest program at the SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre is just one of the ways in which the YMCA and the centre support our community. The SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre is a great example of South Australian government-built infrastructure spreading benefits way beyond its basic purpose, providing additional, ongoing added value and investment in the broader community.

We already know that it is a world-class facility, acclaimed by elite Australian and international swimmers and water sport athletes, as well as being a place of fun and fitness for many pool and gym users of all ages. However, it also provides the added flow-on benefits in health, welfare, social outreach, community networking, early learning, education, family support services, and more. The SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre story is a tribute to the way in which government, in partnership with fantastic organisations, such as the YMCA, can deliver amazing outcomes for our community.

It was truly an enjoyable time spent with the veterans. While I have time, I must mention one of the great characters at the Vietnam vets, Doc Ballantyne, and acknowledge his wonderful sense of humour. I would like to congratulate General Manager Adam Luscombe and his health and wellness team for staging the veterans' health day and for the ongoing work they do with our veterans.

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