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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-03-25 Daily Xml
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Napier Electorate

Mr GEE (Napier) (15:24): I rise today to speak about the recent visit to my electorate by the Premier and ministers Bettison, Close and Gago. Premier Weatherill joined me for coffee and a stroll through the Munno Para shopping centre, and it was fantastic to have him join me to meet the locals. It was a very positive and enjoyable visit, with the Premier meeting and talking with local business owners and shoppers, who were all delighted to meet him. The demand for photos was just terrific.

It gave the locals an opportunity to discuss the issues of the day, mostly how poor the federal government was in comparison to our state government, and there were some creative suggestions regarding the future of Prime Minister Tony Abbott. One shopper indicated that she was a fan of Steven Marshall; however, she believed he was the leader of the Greens. We met Mark and Christine. Mark is a former Bridgestone worker who is now running a very successful café with famous fish and chips, which, we will know, is a favourite with those living in the North. We also met Stewart, a talented musician, who is volunteering with United Way, and Steve, who is acting cleaning supervisor and who enjoys his job and who is very active in fighting for workers' rights and workplace safety.

Later in the day I joined minister Close at the Elizabeth Downs Primary School. The Elizabeth Downs Primary School, like so many my electorate, is a school that battles the odds to do the very best for its students. We were joined by principal Meredith Starkey, the governing council chairperson Danielle Sharples, and four student leaders on a tour of the school. Minister Close also held meetings with staff and student leaders learning about the achievements and challenges of the local school. I am very pleased to see that minister Close is visiting schools on a regular basis and seeing what life is like for the students and teachers. I appreciate her taking the time not only to visit my electorate but also to visit the more complex schools in my electorate.

From primary education to adult education, Para Worklinks is a training organisation in Smithfield that delivers accredited training in conservation and land management, landscape construction and horticulture. Students can also learn other skills, including the use of a forklift, responsible service of alcohol and white card accreditation.

I was pleased to join minister Gago, CEO John Sobieray and other stakeholders on site at Para Worklinks to meet with Work for the Dole participants taking part in metalwork and woodwork as part of their skills development and acquisition requirements. The Work for the Dole and work experience participants who complete their woodwork and metalwork requirements are then able to manufacture furniture for the Playford Community Fund, an emergency relief agency based in Elizabeth which assists families in crisis by providing furniture for disadvantaged families who are in desperate need of furniture, food and other assistance.

Para Worklinks has also trained Indigenous young people from remote northern South Australia so that they can take skills back to their local communities. Para Worklinks and the Playford Community Fund have also provided furniture and other supplies to the lands.

The afternoon concluded with a visit to the Davoren Park Youth and Community Club, where minister Bettison met with the Creative Kids program participants and parents. Minister Bettison spoke with volunteers and the neighbourhood policing team about the great work of the centre, which is all run by these volunteers. The centre runs Creative Kids, bingo, Meet and Greet and other programs, and has had a positive impact in the local community since it opened. Community resilience and connectivity has increased and there have been many other benefits. The centre, which has lost the support of the City of Playford, continues to build its attendance numbers every month. I sincerely thank all the volunteers involved with the Davoren Park Youth and Community Club.

I will speak more about them in a future grieve, but I want to thank the Elizabeth neighbourhood policing team for all the work it does in the local community. Sergeant Glenn Pink and Senior Constables Jamie Costigan, Adam Osborne and Luke Horjus, and First Class Constable Kimberly Fuller do a fantastic job on a tough beat. They are building community resilience and faith in the police, conducting crime prevention and dealing with some tough people. They are a credit to SAPOL and to the community.

It was a pleasure having the Premier and ministers in the north seeing the great work that local organisations and schools are doing in my electorate. I look forward to seeing them and more ministers in my electorate again, as more exciting developments occur.

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