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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-05-15 Daily Xml
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Motions

Clubs SA

Mr FULBROOK (Playford) (11:51): I move:

That this house—

(a) notes the ongoing work of Clubs SA, who for over 100 years have provided leadership and guidance to promote, advance and support the club industry in South Australia;

(b) acknowledges the grassroot contributions clubs make to their local communities through employment, donations and development of other social capital;

(c) commends the winners and nominees of the 2023 Clubs SA Clubs and Community Awards;

(d) commends the work of Clubs SA as an industry leader in the responsible serving of alcohol, liquor licensing, compliance, governance, industry advocacy and workplace relations; and

(e) recognises the important role played by Clubs SA as a leading provider of training for employees, job seekers, secondary school students and to the broader community.

In many ways the beautiful tapestry that makes up our great state would be lacking without our clubs. They come in all shapes and sizes and have been a mainstay of life and communities since colonial times. Growing up in beautiful Scott Creek, it was not until I reached adulthood that I came to appreciate their brilliance. Granted, a few kilometres away in Heathfield we have the Mount Lofty Devils football club and out towards Cherry Gardens there was the Blackwood Golf Club, but for various reasons these clubs were not part of my life as I was growing up.

An innocent work trip to Broken Hill in about 2005 exposed me to some brilliant establishments like the Musicians Club and the Silver City Workingmen's Club, and I was impressed, arguably hooked, but equally baffled by why I had never seen anything like this as I was growing up. I would never have described my childhood as sheltered, and I am pleased to say it did not take too long for me to realise the prevalence of clubs within South Australia. To me, clubs are amazing, and it is great to use this time to say a few words on why I think that as a house we should all be celebrating them.

To begin, they are important for a number of reasons. Firstly, they are a hub of community activity, where volunteers strive to improve their respective communities. Whether you are passionate about sports, arts, culture or community service, there is a club within the Clubs SA network that caters for just about everyone's interests.

Not to take an inch away from the amazing effort and sacrifices made by the respective volunteers, behind the great driving force are some incredible mechanics in the form of their peak body, Clubs SA. For those not in the know, this organisation is proudly not-for-profit and was founded in 1919 to represent the interests of licensed clubs all over our amazing state. While they serve as an advocate for the interests of its member clubs, they also work tirelessly to ensure they have the resources and support that they need to thrive. As this motion suggests, they have been providing the leadership and guidance to promote, advance and support our club industry pretty much since the end of the First World War.

While today we are also celebrating the volunteers and leadership that makes clubs great, we cannot ignore what they mean to us economically. Collectively, the sector is worth $624 million in revenue each year, employing 19,800 locals. The sector also contributes handsomely to the revenue of all three tiers of government, paying in and around $90 million each year in taxes. These are significant numbers, which point to our clubs being an important facet within our economy that we cannot afford to overlook.

In fact, I understand South Australia has 1,272 clubs, the highest per capita in Australia. If you had to put a dollar value on the social contribution they make to our community, you are just shy of $1 billion at $918 million. We can support them in so many ways but all I am asking today is to say a few words and get this house to agree that we are so lucky to have them and their peak body, Clubs SA.

If anyone has read my Declaration of Interests as a member of this house, I am proud to declare that I am a member of the Parafield Gardens Community Club, Salisbury North Football Club and the Salisbury Downs sports club. While the football club is just outside my electorate in the member for Ramsay's patch, I am pleased that all three local clubs are members of Clubs SA and do an excellent job in upholding their commitment to quality.

This is a great segue to shout out in particular to Greg Saunders and his team from the Parafield Gardens Community Club and Paul Vella and his crew from Salisbury Downs. These two clubs sit comfortably within the Playford electorate and the great thing about both is that when I talk about Greg or Paul, they are strong household names within my community. This shows how interwoven they are with the people around me and in many ways they represent the heart and soul of the people I am honoured to represent.

In turn, like so many of the clubs across our state, they are busy injecting social capital into the grassroots that form our communities: be it a contribution to a sporting club, a donation to a local project, RSL services to veterans or giving someone their very first job. It is also worth reflecting on how invaluable Clubs SA are to our multicultural communities.

Since I was elected, I have had the honour of getting to know Len Nowak from Dom Polski, who has nothing but praise for the peak body. He described Clubs SA as a magical resource, especially in relation to labour and compliance, referring to it as the perfect one-stop shop. To quote Len directly he said, 'The investment is modest, but the returns are substantial.' As an association to belong to, they are nothing short of helpful, always quick to come back with answers to questions, pointing out that their resources are magnificent, particularly in relation to compliance.

I also want to make a shout-out to Adam Gallagher and the team at the Parafield Gardens Soccer Club. While I am not a member yet, I am definitely a supporter and this great team is very topical at the moment. You might have heard of Nestory Irankunda who has recently been signed by Bayern Munich. I understand the genesis of his success rests within our great local soccer club, also Clubs SA members.

I know this peak body is very modest, but it is worth pointing out how important it is to have the infrastructure in place for clubs to nurture champions like Nestory, and this is where the assistance from Clubs SA proves to be invaluable. Their assistance ensures great clubs like Parafield Gardens are not bogged down in administration but focused on nurturing talent on the field.

In bringing this motion to the house, I also want to pass on my thanks to Cameron Taylor, Chair of Clubs SA. Mr Taylor and his Chief Executive, Peter Apostolopoulos, visited my office a few months back when we spoke about the social benefits clubs deliver to our state. As the general manager of the nearby Para Hills Community Club, and with 30 years of sector experience, I was deeply impressed by the many topics we spoke about.

One in particular that got my attention was the organisation's commitment to training. There are many chefs, managers and other role models within our hospitality sector that got their first chance to shine thanks to our clubs. With strong links to our schools and VET sector, it is great to see that efforts are continually being made to bolster training opportunities for the benefit of existing employees, jobseekers and, of course, secondary school students.

When you walk through the doors of an establishment with a Clubs SA logo on it, you are not just passing a familiar blue and grey logo. Significant time and resources have gone into ensuring you are entering an establishment with a strong commitment, not only to the community it serves but also a commitment to provide services to a high and ethical standard.

We should not beat around the bush: many of our clubs trade in items that lure the vulnerable. Poker machines, Keno and alcohol all spring to mind. To elaborate on their commitment to training, they should be commended for the lengths taken to ensure staff and volunteers are well equipped and prepared for the responsible serving of alcohol, liquor licensing and compliance against the high standards we as a community expect of those on the frontline.

This motion also serves to celebrate the winners and nominees of the 2023 Clubs SA Clubs and Community Awards held in October last year. It was an incredible night of celebration, camaraderie and good old-fashioned fun. As a demonstration of this organisation's commitment to quality, there were 50 finalist clubs and individuals who took part in the nomination and judging process, with the following declared as winners:

Grass Roots Sport, Goodwood Saints Football Club;

Outstanding Community Service, the Croatian Club;

Inclusiveness, North Haven Surf Life Saving Club;

Environmental Awareness, Glenelg Golf Club;

Club Cook of the Year, Michael Peel from the Renmark Club;

Club Chefs of the Year, Peter Katsaitis from the Renmark Club, and Tara Pollard from the Seacliff Surf Life Saving Club;

Employee of the Year, Kellie Paisley from South Adelaide Football Club;

Manager of the Year, Karen Gully from Cadell Club;

Club Volunteer of the Year, Geoff Burden from the Encounter Bay Football Club;

Best Bar Environment, The Clubhouse (Tanunda Club);

Best Dining Cafe/Bistro, the Renmark Club;

Best Function/Event Venue, Club Marion;

Best Gaming, the Murray Bridge Club;

Best Club Refurbishment, The Clubhouse (Tanunda Club);

Sporting Club of the Year, Goodwood Saints Football Club;

Small Club of the Year, North Haven Surf Life Saving Club;

Medium Club of the Year, Hectorville Sports and Community Club; and

Large Club of the Year, The Clubhouse (Tanunda Club).

I know that is a long list but I am sure I am not alone in this chamber in congratulating the men and women who have worked hard to earn these awards. They have every right to feel proud of their achievements.

I also want to take a short moment to acknowledge the role Clubs SA played during the time of the COVID pandemic. These were difficult times and I feel the whole organisation deserves separate praise for these efforts alone. When I say efforts, I refer to their continuous engagement between their membership and staff at the frontline, and government and their respective government departments in ensuring questions were answered, perspectives were considered and the safety of the entire community was not compromised. To perform in such a selfless manner, where community safety remained paramount, clearly displays how Clubs SA are on the side of their communities.

There can be no argument at all that their bottom lines took a hit from the lockdown restrictions, and even once they were lifted, people still had concerns about whether it was safe to return to the places that they once cherished. When clubs feel the pain, the entire community suffers, and while reluctance from patrons has gradually eased, this is a timely reminder to us all to feel no guilt at all by having an extra pint and a parmi every now and then to help them get back on their feet.

Now that the immediate pain of COVID has passed, the team should be congratulated on their forward thinking on what comes next. Speaking with Mr Apostolopoulos, he tells me this year will be led with a great push from the South-East to the West Coast and everywhere in between on their club development program. A travelling roadshow will be at the coalface, educating members on key matters such as governance, compliance, financial planning, training and every other hallmark of quality that you would expect from Clubs SA.

We know not every club is a Clubs SA member, but I do hope that those who have not yet signed up realise the competitive advantages they will receive when they sign on the dotted line. Granted, volunteers are the backbone of clubs, but irrespective it is a competitive and confusing world out there and to succeed you need some professional guidance to show you the way forward. This is where Clubs SA steps in. For over 100 years, they have kicked goals on behalf of their communities. This organisation and the lifeblood that it supports are worthy of praise. With this in mind, I commend this motion to the house.

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (12:04): I rise to contribute to this motion, and it is a good motion. I thank the member for Playford because there are not a lot of refreshing motions that come to this place because they all seem to be quite political and always seem to have amendments and do not have an ease of passage through the chamber.

To acknowledge Clubs SA through this motion, Clubs SA has been operating for over 100 years since 1919. Obviously, clubs and their volunteers are playing a vital role, not only in sporting clubs and community clubs but as part of a fabric, particularly in a regional community setting. It is quite refreshing to walk into one of the Clubs SA clubs and just understand the benchmarking that has gone into those clubs. It is a competitive world, serving alcohol and providing meals in any setting. But today, as I said, being competitive, you have to strive for excellence, you have to strive for good service, and just as importantly you have to strive to support a club that is supporting a community.

Clubs SA has provided outstanding training for many of the employees who come along and work their way through the clubs, but particularly the young school leavers who start off as a 'glassy' and work their way through the ranks, serving behind the bar, providing meals, working in kitchens and making sure that the level of service and the continuity of those meals is of a standard that is highly accepted. I know that myself because I frequent those clubs.

It is not only about providing training for staff and their volunteers. Responsible service of alcohol and food safety and hygiene are critically important now, more important than ever, because we have to provide a level of certainty to bureaucracy and we have to provide a level of service to the customers who frequent those clubs. It is important that we do not have challenges on a regular basis when people do encounter misdemeanours walking into a club.

As I have said, the employees, the job seekers, the secondary school students are part of a community but they are also part of a learning experience. They come to that club to learn a skill or learn a trade that they might go on to use later in life or for the rest of their life. What we need to understand is that Clubs SA is an organisation that is a voice behind those clubs here in South Australia.

I thank Peter Apostolopoulos, who is in the gallery today, and his team, supported by some of his members from other regional clubs, as I understand it. I think it is also important to understand that, regarding the awards that come away with Clubs SA, all of those finalists are proud to be a part of the institution that they work in. Of course, there are so many winners but in my eyes everyone is there for the betterment of their community, whether it is a sporting group or a community group.

I did say that I was not going to talk too much about the winners but I am going to give it a go. Before I do that, as a country MP, some would understand that I spend a lot of time on the road and I spend a lot of time in my electorate of 30,000 square kilometres. I have a lot of river, I have a lot of small community clubs, and the majority of them are members of Clubs SA. As I said, spending that much time on the road, I frequent clubs and it gives me the opportunity to regularly eat a schnitzel or a serve of crumbed prawns because that is what they are very good at. They are very good at giving people on the move a feed or they are very good at providing a good sustainable meal for local community members.

I do spend a lot of time, but it does give me the chance to call in, to thank the volunteers, to thank those who are visiting, or are frequent patrons of a club and just to say thank you. It gives me an opportunity to extend a conversation and hear what the gossip is, hear what is going on in town. The club is a bit of a drawcard for those who are looking to be a part of a community and continue that conversation in the community. Really, Clubs SA is an institution here in South Australia and it is a great part of the landscape for those members that are part of them.

I will congratulate all of the finalists and winners and we will start off with the Monash Club. Ian Webber is a finalist for the Volunteer of the Year. From the Cadell Club, the Outstanding Community Service Award finalist is Karen Gully, as well as the Manager of the Year winner. The Renmark Club has been a longstanding finalist and it is a great institution in Renmark. It has the best view of the Murray River by far and I say that with all sincerity to all of those other clubs that are close to the river. Nowhere else are people able to drink a beer and dip their toe into the mighty Murray all at the same time.

The Renmark Club is a finalist for the Outstanding Community Service Award, the Best Gaming Award, and the Large Club of the Year, and the Employee of the Year finalist is Sakina Qambari. The Manager of the Year finalist is Lyn Wilksch. The Renmark Club is the winner for the Best Dining Cafe/Bistro Award, the winner of the Cook of the Year is Michael Peel and the winner of Chef of the Year is Peter Katsaitis, so well done to the Renmark Club again.

Some of the other clubs in the electorate of Chaffey are the Barmera Club whose president is Mike Allder; the Barmera Bowling Club, whose president is Kelvin Carter. At the Barmera Golf Club, Brian Finn is the president. I have a lot to do with the Barmera Golf Club. They are always recipients of grant funding to make their club a better club. It is a bit of a destination, particularly on the golf circuit.

There is the Berri Bowling Club, whose president is Adrian Grimsley, and Cobdogla and District Club, whose president is Ian Chamberlain. I have already congratulated Karen Gully as the manager of the Cadell Club. There is the Loxton Club, whose chair is Matt Dowley, and the Loxton Sporting Club, whose president is Tom Fielke. Tom is a great attribute to that club. He is a dryland farmer, but he spends a lot of time there as a great supporter. The Lyrup Community Club has a stalwart, Neville Tschirpig, who has been there for many a year. You can always be assured of a good conversation with Neville, and there is always a cold beer and a very good feed.

The Monash Club's president, Darrel Hayes, is doing an outstanding job. I have had a lot to do with the Moorook Bowling Club with the refurbishment of the greens and it is certainly one of the great drawcards into the Moorook community. Their president is Norma Battams. There is the Nildottie Progress and Soldiers Memorial Association, whose president is James Prosser. I have not been down there for a while so that gives me a nudge to go down and visit them.

I have already spoken about the Renmark Club and congratulations to Sam Albanese, who is a longstanding president of that club. The Renmark Bowling Club's president is Leon Warren. I have been down there with the new greens and had a bit of a bowl. It is a great institution next to the Renmark Rovers Football Club. Obviously they are a member too. The president is Haydn Brown and he is doing a great job down there. I think the Rovers are going pretty well in the RFL at the moment. They had a good week on the weekend, knocking over Berri pretty easily.

At the Waikerie Club, the chair is Joel Sheehan. Joel Sheehan is a great president. He is a former waterski champion and we have had a lot of conversations over time with his sporting career. There is also the Waikerie Bowling Club, whose president is Drew Schapel. They are the clubs that I believe are the only clubs that are members of Clubs SA. If I have missed any, I apologise, because you put your head above the line and try to remember them all and acknowledge all of them. Sometimes you do miss, but I would like to think that I have pretty much got it covered.

Again, this is a great motion to acknowledge an organisation that is making hospitality a better place to visit. It is also an organisation that is a great part of the South Australian hospitality landscape. Whether it is a football club or whether it is a community club, as I have said, we need to visit them, we need to patronise them, we need to give them the support that they deserve, because the majority of these clubs have a significant volunteer base and that volunteer base is the backbone of South Australia.

Time expired.

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