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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-05-31 Daily Xml
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Equestrian Sports

Mr TARZIA (Hartley) (15:06): My question is to the Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing. What is the minister doing to ensure sustainability of horse-related events in South Australia? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Members interjecting:

Mr TARZIA: Yes, horse related, horse-related events.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr TARZIA: It's an animal. A horse is an animal.

The SPEAKER: Member for Hartley!

Mr TARZIA: Yes. She's the Minister for Racing, that's why—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Hartley has the call.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Treasurer is called to order. Member for Hurtle Vale, order!

Mr TARZIA: On 13 May, The Advertiser reported that five Equestrian SA board members have recently resigned. The minister is quoted as saying that the department was helping to assist in the resolution of issues to ensure the sustainability of the sport.

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD (Reynell—Minister for Child Protection, Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (15:07): Thank you very much to the member for his really important question. As the member knows, Equestrian SA is an independent, non-government organisation that has control of its own affairs. However, both CBS and the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing have reached out to offer support at what is a difficult time for the sport.

What the member might be really interested to know is that just yesterday, actually, on 30 May, the Corporate Affairs Commission issued a statement to members about the sorts of actions, meetings, etc. that they suggest be taken. I understand that there has been a general meeting that has been scheduled for members, which a delegate of the Corporate Affairs Commission will chair. New nominations for the board have been opened and will close, I think, on Wednesday 7 June. Obviously, members will be able to attend that general meeting. I also understand that subcommittees of the board will continue to operate within their delegated authority and approved budgets while that process takes place. That's obviously a really important message from that body to Equestrian SA members, and I trust that that advice to them will help in the resolution of their issues.

What I might just say before I conclude, however, is not about the Equestrian SA board but certainly about the first part of your question, which I think was about horse-related events. I just want to reiterate how successful the recent three-day event, which was held here in Adelaide, was—the Adelaide Equestrian Festival held just a few weeks ago. It was an absolutely brilliant event after a hiatus, when there wasn't that support from those opposite for that event. Certainly, it was very well supported this year.

I am really pleased to say again to the house that I thought it was such a brilliant result given the volume of events that had already been happening, and so successfully happening, over the last couple of months. To have another one in amongst it was just extraordinary in terms of the success of that event. As I have said to the house before, it was the highest number of attendees at that event in its history, which is just excellent.

I am really very proud—and I have said this many times—to be part of a government that supports sport, that supports all the benefits that sport brings to our community and that supports major events and all the benefits those bring both to our community and to our economy. So I am really grateful for the question and for the opportunity to talk about that success again.

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