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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2017-08-09 Daily Xml
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Sports Museum

Mr WINGARD (Mitchell) (14:37): A supplementary to the minister again: will the government be making a contribution to help set up the museum in a timely manner so they can move in?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson—Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Tourism, Minister for Recreation and Sport, Minister for Racing) (14:37): When we sat down with Rob Gerard, he assured us that there was no such contribution required. He is a successful businessperson, and he said that they would do the fundraising. As I said, I am pretty disappointed in Sport SA in the lack of work that they have done in doing the fundraising.

The sports men and women of this great state should be honoured and should have a place in South Australia where people can come together and celebrate those achievements. The fact that we are here several years after we identified a site, secured the site and have been paying rent on that site is a disappointment because I would prefer to see that money going into grassroots sports. That's exactly the place where we want to see sports funding placed.

We have spent a record $96 million in the past two budgets on upgrading facilities. It was terrific to be down in Willunga and McLaren Vale on the weekend where the Willunga Recreation Park received $500,000, and the McLaren Vale Netball Club received $292,000, to build facilities at the grassroots.

I would prefer that the money that we have spent on this lease for a still empty building had gone to grassroots sport rather than to this lease, but it's not our fault that there is no museum in there. It is not our fault that there is not a museum in there. This was an ask from Sport SA, the advocacy group of sport in South Australia.

Mr Bell: Did you sign a contract? Did you actually make them commit to anything?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: They wanted to have a sports museum—

The SPEAKER: I warn the member for Mount Gambier.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: —to honour the wonderful sports people of this state. I think that's a good idea as well. I think, if there is actually a museum there, it's a good use of money. If it's an empty building—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: Why try and embarrass Rob Gerard? Why are they trying to embarrass Rob Gerard?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: I have no idea why they want to embarrass Rob Gerard in this way. I have no idea, Treasurer, why they would want to do that.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: I'll have to call him and tell him what's going on.

The SPEAKER: The Treasurer is warned for the second and final time.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: I have written to Rob Gerard, as I have said, and I have written to Sport SA many times, and just said—

Mr Duluk: What did Michael Wright say? Isn't he one of your mates?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Many times, I have said—

The SPEAKER: The member for Davenport is warned.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: And I have said, 'You've made a commitment that you'll be in there, we've made a commitment by paying the rent and it's still empty, and we want to see some action in there.' So the failings aren't failings on the government's part. When we made a commitment to make that space available to Rob Gerard and to Sport SA, we expected them to go out and start fundraising straightaway, like they said they would. They gave us an undertaking that they would do that, and they have not done it.

As I said, we have spent record amounts of money on sport in the past two budgets here in South Australia, and I want to thank the Premier and the Treasurer for that commitment. I want to thank the member for Reynell as well for the advocacy that she has put in for community sport. We have an incredibly proud record when it comes to funding sport—

The SPEAKER: Minister, we are in the middle of question time; nightwatchman services aren't required.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: —and I would love to see the sports museum up and running. If it's not on the present site, then somewhere else in South Australia because the sports men and women of South Australia deserve to be recognised.

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