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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-04-01 Daily Xml
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Elder Electorate Sporting Clubs

Mrs POWER (Elder) (15:36): I rise to recognise the outstanding efforts and passion of those who run our local sporting clubs. Sport has the power to inspire and unite us, it brings people together and it can also bring out the best in individuals. As a government, we are leading South Australia into a sporting golden era with the allocation of $35 million in the 2020-21 state budget for new community sporting and recreational infrastructure. We have also increased the Sports Vouchers program from $50 to $100, with a huge uptake by families and lots of positive feedback from local residents in my area who appreciate that extra voucher.

Within my local area, there are so many fantastic sporting clubs, each of which greatly enrich our local community. I would like to acknowledge just a few that I was lucky enough to visit on the weekend, starting with the Goodwood Saints. The club has 10 junior boys teams and five girls sides and has recently been named the sports junior club of the year at the Good Sports Awards. These are annual awards to celebrate passionate clubs and people who inspire healthy sporting communities.

Goodwood Saints were up against 10,000 other clubs from different sports across the nation, yet they were recognised with the top gong for their outstanding dedication to inspiring positive change and building a healthier, more family friendly club environment—what a massive achievement. A huge congratulations to the whole team: the volunteers, the committee, the supporters, the friends, the players, the coaches at the Goodwood Saints for this impressive accolade.

On Sunday, the Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing and I visited Cumberland United Football Club, affectionately known as the Foxes. Cumberland United Football Club provides high-quality football training and development within a family friendly environment. With 71 sports vouchers used for the club in 2020, and nearly 40 vouchers already used for this season, the enthusiasm that local school-age children have for the club is particularly evident.

The minister and I also visited Clarence Gardens Bowling Club. The club was founded in 1951 and is located at the A.A. Bailey Recreational Ground. It was an absolute delight to meet with the incredible volunteers and committee members of this club and to see the retro fit-out inside the club with its green chairs. If you are a female, I encourage you to go into the ladies powder room because it will transport you to a bygone era with the way it is decorated.

Around the corner from them is the Adelaide Table Tennis Club, where we were treated to some very impressive games and skills from its members. It was fantastic to watch them and see how quickly they could respond. Their eye-hand coordination was next level. I also had the privilege of visiting the SA Masters Squash Association. They are a not-for-profit organisation founded to provide recreational sport for participants over 30 years of age in a friendly, competitive environment. They have an incredible group of volunteers, committee members and staff there doing great things in our local area.

Also in Edwardstown is the Edwardstown Football Club, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019. This club has a new sports clubhouse. I know that there are some challenges down there and I look forward to working with them. They have an incredible group of committee members, coaches, supporters and volunteers, and they boast a great inclusive culture. Well done to everybody at that club.

These clubs are a huge asset to our local area, enriching our suburbs by bringing people together in a healthy and active way. Unfortunately, I can see the clock is running out, otherwise I could continue to name so many other amazing clubs in my local area, like the Hawks, the Colonel Light Gardens Football Club, the Mitchell Park Football Club—so many. I will certainly continue to support them in the great work they do.

I sincerely thank each and every one of them in all our clubs across our local area. The people behind them—the players, the volunteers, the committee members, the supporters—their strength, energy, commitment and dedication to their club and our local community are absolutely outstanding.

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