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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-02-23 Daily Xml
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Public Works Committee: South Australian Sports Institute New Work

Mr BROWN (Florey) (11:46): I move:

That the 24th report of the committee, entitled South Australian Sports Institute New Work, be noted.

The public works submission from the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing, or ORSR, proposes to develop high-performance sports training, science, medicine and recovery facilities for the South Australian Sports Institute (SASI). Established in 1982, SASI was Australia's first state Sports Institute. Coaches, physiologists, managers and coordinators at SASI work to identify, develop and support athletes with the potential to perform at the highest national and international levels.

The existing SASI training facilities are located at Kidman Park on a school site that dates back to 1970. The site is a mix of converted education classrooms, outbuildings and transportable accommodation. These facilities have provided athletes with valuable training opportunities for many years; however, they no longer meet the needs of a contemporary elite training program. The inadequate capacity of the facilities means that coaching, training and research services often occur off site or outside of scheduled hours.

Located at the Mile End sports precinct, the international sports gateway, the proposed development consists of a multilevel building of up to three storeys. Key aims of the proposed facilities include the delivery of a purpose-built elite training environment for specialised services, including strength and conditioning, athlete recovery, altitude and heat training, human movement and biomechanics analysis; the provision of a modern inclusive and responsive facility to support coaching and athlete preparation for SASI national programs; individual athlete programs and national teams; and the enhancement of partnerships with tertiary education providers in the sports science and biomechanics teaching and research fields.

The new facilities will enhance the sport offerings on site, complementing the existing Netball SA and Athletics SA stadiums as well as the broader urban realm. Significant uplift of the car park and public realm will also be completed as part of the works. Strategically placed between the airport and the CBD, the project will offer a central city fringe location to athletes and staff and an increased possibility for active transport solutions and community interaction.

The proposed site covers an area of approximately 16 hectares. Land ownership is presently registered to the Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing under the management of ORSR. The total capital cost for this project, excluding GST, is $68 million. Early construction work was scheduled to commence in February this year, with project completion in May 2024.

ORSR is the agency responsible for the operation and management of the SASI development, with an existing budget provision of approximately $450,000 for the Kidman Park facilities. ORSR asserts that this project will seek a 5-star Green Star Building rating as a demonstration of commitment to sustainable building design and construction. This will ensure that environmental sustainable design (ESD) remains a core component of the project scope throughout the design and construction phases.

ORSR reports that a number of stakeholders have already been consulted, including the SA Tourism Commission; the Department for Infrastructure and Transport; the Office of the Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing; and the City of West Torrens. The committee has examined written and oral evidence in relation to the SASI new work project. Witnesses who appeared before the committee were Mr John Harrison, Director of Building Projects at the Department for Infrastructure and Transport; Mr Adam Trottman, Director of Infrastructure at the ORSR; and Mr Adam Hannon, Director at COX Architecture. I thank the witnesses for their time.

Based upon the evidence considered and pursuant to section 12C of the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991, the Public Works Committee reports to parliament that it recommends the proposed public works.

Mr TARZIA (Hartley) (11:50): It is very important that the government does all that it can to ensure that we continue to promote our elite athletes for competition, not only locally and nationally but also internationally. I think this is certainly an area where South Australia has a profound history, where we do punch above our weight, and with bipartisan support I am sure this will continue to be the case.

We know that the South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) project development is poised to continue to provide state-of-the-art sport research and training. Only recently, we have seen our athletes doing extremely well on a national stage and on an international stage. This facility is going to be absolutely extraordinary, and it will certainly take our capability to another level. I am very excited about this facility and what it will present, holistically.

A world-class, quality, high-performance sports facility is extremely important, and an upgrade has long been called for. Research is of course very important because we know, especially when it comes to sport, that technology is playing a larger and larger role, and it is really important that we are at the cutting edge of that. Education, whether it be in relation to technique, rehabilitation or nutrition, is extremely important. What we have here is a fantastic professional base, and I have no doubt that this will continue to develop that.

This development aims to provide our athletes and their teams with amazing training technology. It will be some of the most-up-to-date training technology in the world, and I think this will be a facility that we are going to be extremely proud of, once it is completed.

The contemporary training facilities will be fully integrated as well. We also have the medical facilities. These athletes, especially when they are ramping up for an event, are really pushing it to the limit, really pushing their bodies to the absolute max, and it is really important that we have substantial medical facilities that support those athletes.

Then, of course, there is recovery—not dissimilar from another project that the former government was able to assist with funding, in relation to Memorial Drive, for example. I had the privilege of actually going there and seeing the cryotherapy facilities. Things have certainly come a long way from, say, 15 or 20 years ago, when people may have got one of those bins and stuffed it full of ice and cold water, and that was your cryotherapy. Now you have cutting-edge technology, not only at Memorial Drive. This facility is going to have all that type of up-to-date equipment so that they can get the best out of athletes' rehabilitation. After the charity soccer game on the weekend, I wish I had a cryotherapy facility because I am still feeling it today. Anyway, I digress. Recovery facilities are extremely important.

The development will be situated at what is the Mile End sports precinct. Recently, I was at that sporting precinct. We should be really proud of what we have there, but it is time to take it to the next level—and we certainly will take it to the next level. Only recently, all eyes were on South Australia for the athletics meet that we had at Mile End. I was even fortunate enough to meet Bruce McAvaney. That was a very special moment.

This development will be situated at the Mile End sports precinct. As I said, it is nearby to the SA Athletics Stadium and the Netball SA Stadium, which would turn this into an athletics district, if you like. It is so close to the airport as well, which has enormous benefits. It will be like an urban sports hub, covering about 16 hectares. This multistorey building will complement the surrounding facilities, such as the Netball SA Stadium and also the SA Athletics Stadium, as mentioned.

The design, from what we have seen conceptually, I have to say is very sleek and very modern as well, as you would expect it to be. I have had the pleasure as a visitor, not as an athlete, of visiting the AIS in Canberra. It is really important that these facilities are done in the best way possible because they also present a tourism element, believe it or not. There will be people who want to come here and actually see these facilities, so it is really important that we put our best foot forward when it comes to these facilities.

This will complement the modern facilities within the development. We know that this building will be fit with a number of workspaces. These workspaces will be agile for the athletes themselves. There will even be a full-sized indoor smart court in the western side of the building. These smart courts are amazing. They allow for a whole range of sports to be played and catered for as well.

As mentioned, the facility will also come equipped with a state-of-the-art athlete recovery centre. I will talk a little bit about the recovery centre. We obviously know about the benefits of that and why it is so important. Obviously, ice pools are becoming more and more popular, and more and more utilised, to ensure that the athlete can be rehabilitated as fast as possible. It is also important that you have more traditional methods, like saunas.

Recently, at Government House, I met a whole range of athletes; in fact, some of the boxers. One thing I asked them was, 'How do you get down to weight?' because it is quite a relentless training regime that some of these men and women go through. It is really important that they use whatever methods they can—legally, of course—to get down to weight. It is quite a struggle at times. There are then the therapeutic spas that are used for recovery and, of course, shower, toilet and bathroom facilities. It is really important that athletes also have the best equipment, and to make sure that these facilities provide the dignity to be able to get changed and get ready.

We know that the eastern side of the facility will boast the strength and conditioning gym. It will be fitted with weights and cardio-training systems. Weights are obviously very important for strength training and conditioning. I believe you, sir, like to do the odd bench press in the Adelaide Hills at times. As I said, there will be cardio-training systems, which is very important to maintain and keep that motor running.

I also note that this facility will host a wellbeing space, equipped with physiotherapists and sport psychologists. Sports psychology is an area that I am really interested in: the psychology of what it takes to be a leading team and a leading athlete. Of course, I would know nothing about being a leading athlete. It is very important that these athletes are equipped with the psychological tools so that they can go into battle. This will also create many more jobs in this space as well.

South Australia produces fantastic athletes, and it will be a great achievement not only to keep them here and offer them the facilities they deserve but also to perhaps draw athletes from interstate and turn Australia into an athletic powerhouse. In summarising, we know that the Mile End SASI development is an amazing piece of infrastructure, and we look forward to seeing its development.

Debate adjourned.

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