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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-06-25 Daily Xml
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Department for Infrastructure and Transport, $1,880,745,000

Administered Items for the Department for Infrastructure and Transport, $141,722,000


Membership:

Mr Fulbrook substituted for Ms Hood.

Mr Cowdrey substituted for Mr Patterson.

Mr Whetstone substituted for Hon. J.A.W. Gardner.


Minister:

Hon. E.S. Bourke, Minister for Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Autism, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing.


Departmental Advisers:

Ms K. Taylor, Chief Executive, Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing.

Mr T. Nicholas, Director, Corporate Strategy, Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing.

Ms K. Faulkner, Director, South Australian Sports Institute.


The CHAIR: Welcome back to today's estimates committee hearing. I understand the minister and the lead speaker for the opposition have agreed an approximate time for the consideration of proposed payments, which will facilitate a change of departmental advisers. Can the minister and lead speaker for the opposition confirm that the timetable for today's proceedings, previously distributed, is accurate?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: I am happy with it.

The CHAIR: I remind members that all questions are to be directed to the minister, not the minister's advisers. The minister may refer questions to advisers for a response. Questions must be based on lines of expenditure in the budget papers and must be identifiable or referenced. Briefly, I also advise that if the minister undertakes to supply information at a later date, it must be submitted to the Clerk Assistant via the Answer to Questions mailbox no later than Friday 5 September 2025. Members unable to complete their questions may submit them as questions on notice for inclusion in the assembly Notice Paper.

The rules of debate in the house apply in committee. Ministers and members may not table documents before the committee but may supply them to the Chair for distribution. I will allow both the minister and the lead speaker for the opposition to make opening statements, if they so wish, and I call on the minister to introduce her advisers.

I now proceed to open the following lines for examination: Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing. I declare the proposed payments open for examination and call on the minister to make an opening statement, if she so wishes, and introduce her advisers.

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: Thank you, Chair. I will not be making an opening statement today, but am most happy to introduce the incredible people either side of me, starting with Kylie Taylor, who is the Chief Executive, Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing. Tim Nicholas is the Director, Corporate Strategy, Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing, and behind me is Keren Faulkner, who is the Director of the South Australian Sports Institute. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the incredible people who helped pull all this work together: Mallory, Adam, Thomas, Ben, Elise and also Jed and Emily from the Power Sports Unit as well. I also thank the people from my office and the team that has helped bring this together.

Mr WHETSTONE: Welcome, minister; first estimates?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: I cannot wait, Tim.

Mr WHETSTONE: I will be kind. I refer to Budget Paper 4, Volume 3, page 143, workforce summary. How many of the department's FTE is allocated to the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: The FTE number on page 166 of 80.7 is the FTE count for sport, rec and racing.

Mr WHETSTONE: At page 144, program services 2024-25, the recreation, sport and racing program had an overspend in its budget by $7.2 million. Can you give the committee an understanding as to why?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: I am advised that that is not an overspend, it is a revised budget, and that is how it has come to the total amount indicated in the budget line.

Mr WHETSTONE: Can you give me an understanding as to why it was a reallocation of funds?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: My advice is that the budget is set at the start of the year and then there may be adjustments along the way. It could be that funding is made available through the commonwealth or grants that we were not anticipating had then become available, or maybe even in the Mid-Year Budget cycle.

Mr WHETSTONE: I presume the disposal of the Gepps Cross land was the land acquired for the police Mounted Operations Unit. There was $1.6 million received for the sale, so where did that $1.6 million go?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: I am advised that the $1.6 million went back into general revenue.

Mr WHETSTONE: Under highlights at page 165, regarding the greyhound racing industry reform, can you provide an update on the outcomes achieved since the inspector was appointed, please?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: I thank the member for his question and interest in greyhound racing. I enjoy going along to events and seeing him there as well, so thank you for your support into this industry. As you would be aware, we have appointed Mr Sal Perna AM as the Greyhound Industry Reform Inspector, and his appointment occurred in July 2024. Mr Perna has spoken and met with, I believe, 270 stakeholders and industry participants, attended races and meets, conducted site visits and established the Greyhound Racing Reform Advisory Group.

Greyhound Racing South Australia was given two years, as you would be aware, to implement the recommendations that were provided. As of 10 June 2025, Mr Perna has verified 20 recommendations and two partial recommendations as being completed. This includes 19 recommendations and two partial recommendations responsible to Greyhound Racing South Australia, and one recommendation responsible to the state government. This is an ongoing process and one that is an important process. I know that Greyhound Racing SA is working through and finding out ways they can get through this program.

Mr WHETSTONE: As I understand it, 16 out of the 86 recommendations have been achieved. Are you confident that the 86 recommendations will be achieved within the time allocated of 24 months?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: Apologies, I just mentioned that Mr Perna has verified 20 recommendations, and two partial recommendations have been completed, so the numbers that you might have just referred to could be outdated. This is really in the hands of the greyhound racing industry and it is one I know they are focused on.

Mr WHETSTONE: Minister, obviously there is a long way to go. We are getting close to being 12 months into the reform. Would you anticipate extending the reform period should all recommendations not be met?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: We are not speculating on that at this point because we do have time still and this is really, as I said, dependent of the greyhound racing industry in South Australia. Mr Sal Perna has also been working with them to see how these recommendations can be achieved.

Mr WHETSTONE: Is there a budget measure specifically allocated for the reform inspector?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: I understand that this is cost recovery from the industry, so the costs are associated with the industry.

Mr WHETSTONE: So the industry is paying for the cost of the inspector?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: Correct.

Mr WHETSTONE: Is there a budget line anywhere for the reform process should there need to be expenses incurred?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: It is my understanding that they are expected to be undertaken by the industry.

Mr WHETSTONE: What portion of The Power of Her—Infrastructure and Participation Program was allocated to recreation infrastructure?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: As the member would be aware, this is a very popular grant program in South Australia. It has come from the legacy of the outcome of women's sport, particularly with the World Cup that was here. It enabled us to be able to reinvest back into the community and give women and girls the opportunity to participate and have the infrastructure required for them to take away those barriers.

We know with this program that, because it did come from the legacy of the World Cup and getting women involved in team sports, it was important it have a focus on participation around team sports and how we get people more involved in our community, so really, at the end of the day, this program has that focus. It is for sport and particularly, when we look at participation, our team sports.

Mr WHETSTONE: How much of that program has been represented in the regions?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: My understanding is that it is hard to break that down right now with the information I have available to me—

Mr WHETSTONE: You can take it on notice, if you want.

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: I can look into it and see what we can bring back, but, in regard to the grant programs, when I have been going through and seeing where the grants were being awarded, it is really great to see how well regional communities do from those grants and, I guess, not just with this grant but also with our most recent dedicated drought relief grant that we have just been able to make available to make sure that our regional communities are getting those opportunities to participate in our grant programs.

Mr WHETSTONE: Do people who can apply for the drought relief grant program have to be on the Farm Household Allowance? What is the qualification to be eligible?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: In regard to that grant, it is a really incredible grant program that has come about because, as we know, there have been many who have been struggling in regional communities, and it was an opportunity for us to participate in the drought relief packages. The program that we often see, the Active Club Program, is a grant that is very well known across South Australia. I guess what we asked, being a country kid myself, was: how do you bring a little bit of opportunity to our regions to be able to participate as a community and come together? We thought we would do an extra bonus round of the Active Club Program.

This is not a competitive grant; it is a grant that you can apply for if you are a club that does not have fewer than 20 members, and you are a not-for-profit organisation amongst a few other requirements as well, and that you have been a club for more than 12 months. But this is really not a competitive grant process; it enables people to participate and apply for grants of up to $5,000. Usually, the Active Club Program is only for $3,000 but we really wanted to get that boost into the regions and make sure that we could get money in there that they could use for things like water infrastructure—some have used it for irrigation purposes—and some have also used it for uniforms.

The other thing that we included was whitegoods because we wanted clubs to not just have a one-off sugar hit but also invest in infrastructure that can be ongoing. We thought whitegoods enabled them to put that into their canteens, so they can continue to raise money for their community and also their sporting club.

Something unique that we have done with these grants is a rolling approval. It has been roughly a week that we have been approving those grants that have been coming in and getting those approvals and required information to Shared Services. So we have not waited until the grant closed; we have tried to keep that moving.

Mr WHETSTONE: When does it close?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: It has closed now. We also extended it because we wanted to make sure as many people as possible could participate. I am really glad that we did extend it because it was quite unusual to see that after we extended we had this huge burst of applications. They must have realised that maybe they missed out and were excited to hear that they had another couple of weeks to participate.

Mr WHETSTONE: If the drought was to continue, would you consider it being given another life and going again?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: As I said, because we were able to extend it and get to 626 organisations through this, this is an incredible outcome from this grant process. Something that we have been really excited about is the Active Club Program. We went to Riverton and we were doing a community forum there, and one gentleman started filling out his application at the forum. He said, 'I have just been trying to fill this out while I am here,' and I did not think it was going to be a good news story, but he said, 'It was so easy, I completed it very, very quickly,' in the time that we were holding that forum.

The good thing that has come out of it is that for those who have been reapplying, their information is already in the system, but what we have found is a whole heap of organisations that have not applied for this grant before that now have. When we do reactivate the normal Active Club Program, their details will be in that system already and it will be easier for them again to participate when we hold those rounds in the future.

Mr WHETSTONE: The establishment of the Para-Sports Hub is listed as a target. Will the hub include recreational opportunities?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: The Para-Sports Hub is something we are very proud of in South Australia. It is there to deliver and look for our future champions, and that is something we really are focused on with the investments, not only in our SASI Para Unit but also in our SASI building, the South Australian Sports Institute. This combination has enabled us to not only have a program that is enabling us to focus on our para-athletes but is also enabling us to have the infrastructure that can really wrap around them to make sure that they can be the very best athletes.

For those who we are identifying might not make it to a Paralympic level, we also have the opportunity to find other sporting opportunities for them, either through other levels or getting them back into the grassroot community sport participation as well. This is something we are really focused on, and I guess why we have put that effort behind the Paralympic unit, and also Para-Sports Hub. I think we were one of the first places in the country as a state institute to have a Para Unit put together, and it is something that has been recognised by Paralympics Australia, and has been called a leading example of what other states should be aspiring to do.

I know also in South Australia we have talked about not just our future opportunities but our current Paralympians as well, and what we can be doing to support them. I know the Team Appeal was committed to just recently by this government. We are the first state, again, to be providing money equally to not only the Olympic athletes but the Paralympic athletes through the Team Appeal. We are the first state to do that. We have provided $1 million, and what we have done is make sure that that support is split equally between the para-athletes and also the Olympic athletes.

Mr WHETSTONE: What consultation was done with disability advocacy organisations on the scope and accessibility of the hub?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: I understand that the driver of the strategy is a strategic plan from Paralympics Australia, but I think the exciting part about this is that we have Jed and Emily who are Paralympians who really run this program on the ground in South Australia. That lived experience is vital to the success of this program, and what they can do to not only share their stories but provide that motivation for others to be able to participate is an incredible asset of this.

As I said earlier, our program in South Australia has been recognised at that senior level with the chief executive, Cameron Murray. I will just quote what he has said here in a recent media release:

As the first state institute in the country to establish a dedicated Para Unit, the progress made by SASI to help drive advancements across the Australian Paralympic movement has been outstanding, and the SASI team is demonstrating what's possible with strong focus and commitment.

I think what we are achieving has been recognised not only in South Australia but also at a national level.

Mr WHETSTONE: Was there any consultation with the member for Colton? That can be a yes or a no.

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: My understanding is there has been broad consultation at a community level, and people were welcome to participate. I do recognise the incredible achievements of the member for Colton, which I often recognise when I go to events and where we are together at those events, because we know that the member for Colton is one of our most decorated Paralympians in the country and that is very much recognised and we appreciate what he has been able to achieve at not only a state but national and world level. Feedback is welcome, and that is why those consultations have been open to the community.

Mr WHETSTONE: Between us we share 13 Olympic gold medals.

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: Between the three of us.

Mr WHETSTONE: And lots more. Has the government made any progress in its review of the boxing and martial arts legislation?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: I understand the Tuck coronial inquiry findings are out but have been delayed because of the circumstances surrounding that situation. We need to work through that process, but the Office for Sport, Recreation and Racing regulates the boxing and martial arts industry in South Australia through the Boxing and Martial Arts Act 2000. We want this to be a safe environment for everyone involved, so we need to make sure that time is given to make this successful.

Mr WHETSTONE: Moving on to program summary, pages 166 and 167: last year's budget committed approximately $6½ million per year to the racing industry from the betting operations tax. Is that allocation still maintained in full and where does it sit in this year's allocation?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: I appreciate the member's question. We get to spend lots of time together at the races and we both know how important this industry is to South Australia, with nearly 5,000 people employed, which injects around $400 million annually into the economy. Racing in South Australia is respected not only at the economic level but with the opportunities it presents to come together as a community.

As you have highlighted, the BOT tax, which this government increased from 10 per cent to 20 per cent, has enabled the racing industry to meet new standards that it had not been able to previously. With the changes in income through the BOT tax, unfortunately it comes from a betting tax and is very much out of the government's control. It depends on what income is coming in through that betting tax.

The CHAIR: The keen sportsperson, the member for Florey, has a question.

Mr BROWN: Keen, but not very talented. My reference is to Budget Paper 4, Volume 3, page 147. My question to the minister is: will she inform the committee about the government's plan to upgrade the netball facility at Mile End?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: I thank the member for his question. I know his family, like my family, are big netball fans and very much were watching the Thunderbirds play last year's grand final. It was incredible that we were able to have that game in South Australia, to be able to get out the pink army, get behind our team and see that back-to-back win, which was an incredible outcome.

Like many people, I was out the front before the grand final started and was handing out flyers about the government's commitment to invest in our Mile End stadium. We know that netball in South Australia is the most participated in women's sport, with over 35,000 members and 500,000 who visit the Mile End stadium every year. It is a busy site, and one that is looking very, very tired at this point in time.

This is an opportunity for us as a government not just to see the incredible outcome from the Thunderbirds' success over the last few years. There is an opportunity for us to provide a legacy, where we can invest in grassroots sport. That is what we have been able to achieve, with over $90 million to redevelop this site at Mile End. It is a site that is not just used by metropolitan people. It is a site where we see many carnivals from the regional areas played as well, so really everyone in our state gets to benefit from this investment, which makes it that little bit extra special.

We know that this will have to be done in stages. It is a large project that we are taking on here. Stage 2 will commence in the coming months, in September, with the outdoor courts. There are 26 outdoor courts. Anyone who has been there knows that it is a very, very busy spot to be on nights when netball is being played. We see the different codes and levels that are out there as well being able to participate in this facility.

There are 26 courts that need to be resurfaced, but we also know that other things need to be changed. That is why we have made sure that we have done community consultation about what this could look like. I have been lucky enough to be able to go along to those consultation periods that we have been holding over the winter season to hear from community what they want. Time and time again, it often comes back to the simple things that people want.

More water fountains seems to be very, very popular, and first aid facilities to be made available. At the moment, we are seeing people get fingers hit at one end of the court and people are having to run into the cafe to get ice right at the other end, and it is a long run across those 26 courts. There was also a popular request for gravy to be made available in the canteen for the hot chips. Hopefully that one comes through, because I quite like gravy on my hot chips.

The important part of this is that it really is a site for the community. Having that consultation with the community has enabled us to see some of those things that we take for granted, which may not have been considered if we did not ask those questions. That has been ongoing. Obviously, with the works that need to be undertaken there will be disruption for the summer season, and that is something that needs to be considered here. That is why we did a YourSAy survey, which I believe over a thousand people participated in. Through that survey, we have been able to see whether people want the summer season to go ahead. The answer to that was, I think, always going to be a yes. How do we then support everyone so that they can participate if they so choose?

It is really important that we are taking that feedback on, because people love their sport. They want to continue to play, and we need to find ways to make sure that we can keep people on our courts. We are looking forward to being able to share the outcomes from that survey soon, about where the summer season will be played.

A big part of this is not just the outdoor courts; it is also what we are doing with the stadium that is there at the moment. It is exciting to say that that is where the majority of this investment will be going, with over $80 million to go into investing in a new stadium, which will have a 3,000-seat show court. We know that this will enable us not just to have netball with bigger crowds played on these incredible facilities. It will also open up the opportunity for volleyball and pickleball, which most of us are now hearing more and more about becoming a very popular sport.

Also, just recently, I was at the wheelchair rugby and was able to see how successfully this is being played in that stadium but also what opportunities would come from a new stadium that has extra seating. This is a really exciting project that is coming to life, and we look forward to seeing the opportunities that will come not only from the extra seating but from the new higher standards that will now be available to netballers in South Australia.

Mr WHETSTONE: Back to the program summary, with the betting tax share absorbed into the base funding lines, how can South Australians track whether their racing industry is still receiving its committed boost? Have you, as an avid racegoer, given any consideration to lifting the POC tax above 20 per cent to match that of other states?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: I understand that this is in the grants and subsidies line. Obviously, this is always going to go up and down. This is what this tax is. It is not one that can be controlled. It is a percentage. As I said earlier, this was previously sitting at 10 per cent, and it was this government that increased that, doubling it to 20 per cent, so there has already been an increase. It is one that, as I said, will continue to go up and down because it is a percentage of the betting tax.

Mr WHETSTONE: There was a $3.7 million cut in the Racing Industry Fund 2024-25. What programs or grants will be affected by this cut, and will there be any further cuts?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: As I mentioned earlier, this is based on a percentage of betting. If betting goes up, it goes up; if betting goes down, it goes down.

Mr WHETSTONE: So if you put the POC tax up, betting goes up.

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: The percentage but not necessarily how many are betting.

Mr COWDREY: I will ask a couple of further questions in regard to the earlier line on the Gepps Cross facility. Minister, did the amount that was settled on, $1.6 million, represent fair market value?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: I might just throw to Tim.

Mr NICHOLAS: The $1.6 million is not the market value. The market value was $7.5 million. The $1.6 million represents the difference between what our book value was and what the market value was, so it is just an accounting treatment, the $1.6 million. The $7.5 million was market value.

Mr COWDREY: In terms of the disposal, as opposed to sale—the transfer of the site—how does that impact the broader master plan for Gepps Cross and the sporting precinct? Obviously, for a period of years there was a view that Gepps Cross would become a hub for state sporting infrastructure. Does the disposal of that land have any impact on what can be done from a sporting perspective at Gepps Cross moving forward?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: I think the Gepps Cross site is quite a unique site. It is a site I go to quite regularly as I play hockey out there. We see that there are opportunities not just for hockey but also for cycling. I myself, after going there for so many years, recently went out with the ORSR team and was quite surprised at how big this space is. There is an incredible opportunity that we have here in our state.

I know that master plans can be adjusted, and that is what will happen here in terms of what this site can achieve. What we already see is that it provides an opportunity for many people to be able to stay active. As I have said, I think there is also archery appearing soon, right next to the hockey field. So the site is not just staying in one form; it has changed over many years, and archery will be the new sport that is arriving there very soon.

Mr COWDREY: Will there be a revised master planning exercise undertaken? Has that started yet? Has there been a budget allocated to undertake that?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: I am not sure which particular budget line the member is referring to, but this is a unique site, one that I think has seen different forms and different ideas over many years. We can continue to look at what the best opportunities are for this particular site.

Mr COWDREY: In regard to the disposal and general revenue that was generated from that—that was mentioned earlier in the minister's answer, as I understand—was there any consideration given to quarantining some of that money for perhaps a revised master plan for the area or for an upgrade of some of the other facilities that I know have been crying out for funds, at the very most for redevelopment and at the very least for maintenance?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: As I have just highlighted, there are discussions that can be had, and they will be ongoing discussions. This is not a site that has just stayed in one form; it has changed over the years and, as I have just highlighted, archery is one of the newer sports to join that facility and that sporting hub. It will provide new opportunities by bringing more community members to a site that is being increasingly activated over the years as it continues to grow.

Mr COWDREY: Did the minister make any representations to the Treasurer or present an argument that perhaps, rather than providing the full amount to general revenue, there should at the very least be some portion of that put back into the facility at Gepps Cross?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: I think the honourable member would know that we do not usually discuss what things are said in cabinet or between ministers, necessarily. As I said, this is a site that has had opportunities over many years, even when the previous government was in, to be able to achieve different outcomes. We have just recently seen soccer join, and now we have archery also coming onto this site. It has provided many opportunities for different sporting codes, and I am sure there will be other opportunities in the future.

Mr COWDREY: Perhaps I will rephrase. Was there any advice provided to the minister by ORSR in regard to keeping some of those funds for the maintenance or refurbishment of facilities at Gepps Cross?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: In regard to this site, as I have highlighted, there are lots of opportunities where we have seen change, and there will be opportunities in the future as we think about what could happen on the site. Those conversations will be ongoing, and we look forward to seeing a new boost in activity coming about from having archery there. We have seen the incredible outcome of having soccer now included on that site. We look forward to seeing where these discussions can take us.

Mr COWDREY: I will shift to the highlights and targets, regarding the per capita representation in selections to teams. I reference the announcement made earlier in the budget cycle—although it is missing from the budget papers themselves—in regard to the Olympic and Paralympic Legacy Committee. Can the minister provide more detail to the committee in regard to what form that committee is going to take, whether it will be entirely public sector employees who will be represented on that committee and what the government is planning in regard to both the composition and how it will operationally function?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: This is an incredible opportunity. As I have said previously, as a state we are finding ways to not just invest in our current athletes in a grassroots sport but also in how we can make sure that we are best placed for the Brisbane Olympic Games in 2032.

Mr COWDREY: And the Paralympic Games.

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: Sorry, yes; and the Paralympic Games. This is an opportunity for us to be thinking about not only how we participate necessarily as a state and a country, but what we could be doing in the lead up to that incredible opportunity being in Australia. It provides an opportunity for us to be thinking about what we are doing across government.

That is why we have brought together a steering committee to be looking at just that: what does the 2032 Olympics and Paralympic Games mean for Australia, and also for South Australia? That is why we have brought together varying ministers, including myself, the Minister for Tourism, the Minister for Trade and Investment, the Assistant Minister for Junior Sport Participation, as well as staff and agencies from across government, including the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, the Department of State Development, the Department for Education and Multicultural Affairs, and also the Departments of Treasury and Finance and Human Services.

Mr COWDREY: Is there any view to outward consultation for that committee, if it is entirely made up of public sector employees or appointed government officials?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: With all government committees there is always an opportunity, as there should be, to be able to broaden out those conversations to community. That is something we would look forward to being able to achieve, because this is an opportunity for us to be thinking about what we could be doing differently in South Australia and how we can be engaging in this conversation.

As I have said already, at a government level we have shown that commitment and support through the Team Appeal funding, making sure we can take away as many barriers as possible to getting people to the LA Games to be able to participate. Again as I said, we were the first state to step in and lead the way, to set the example that we need to be investing in our Olympic and Paralympic teams and provide that $1 million.

As I also mentioned previously, that $1 million is not going to one team over another but is being split equally between the Olympic team and the Paralympic team, so that our South Australian participants can have those barriers taken away and can go on to not only represent our state but our country as well.

Mr COWDREY: I am not going to get into a backward tit for tat with the minister—

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: I did not know we were.

Mr COWDREY: You have noted the investment in terms of this cycle, and I welcome that without any problems at all. It does not make up for the fact that there was no commitment in the last cycle. Again, it is a bit rich for the government to run the line they have to this point that the expectation was that the former government provided funding before the Olympics had even taken place or the Paralympics had taken place for that year. Again, I am happy to put that to the side. We are here to talk about something which should be bipartisan in approach in terms of what we are trying to achieve.

Further to that, what are the requirements in terms of documents that will be created, reports that will be provided, out of that committee? Are there going to be any public-facing documents prepared in terms of outcomes from the across government Legacy Committee?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: In regard to that Team Appeal support, my understanding is—and I am happy to look into this further and get more information—that the South Australian Labor governments, when they have been in, have been the governments that have been committing to that Team Appeal. I think there has been only one government that did not necessarily commit to that, and it was not a Labor one.

Regarding the outcomes from the group we are bringing together, the opportunity here is to make sure that we start to figure out where we are going and the direction in terms of the opportunities available to us. That is where we will be commencing with this group that is coming together. We are not going to be working in silos. We are going to be bringing agencies together from across government to figure out what is our pitch as a state, how do we participate and how do we compete to make sure that South Australia can be a part of the Olympic and Paralympic story when we have it in 2032.

This is something that we are really proud of, not that we have just started this conversation through this committee work, but I know a lot of agencies have probably been having that discussion for some time. Now we all get to come to that one table and start thinking about what we can achieve in South Australia.

Mr COWDREY: Again, no answer to the question in terms of what is going to be provided, but an annual report? Is there going to be something that will be public facing in terms of the outcomes?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: As I have just highlighted, the reason why we come together and start those conversations is we need to know where we are going. There are lots of opportunities for each of those agencies to be able to present what they have been able to achieve so far, and then we can start developing what we can do as a plan. It is about asking: where are we going to be able to not only participate in South Australia but also around the world, what training opportunities are here in South Australia, how can we support Brisbane during the games, and how can we play our part in the Olympics and Paralympics?

Mr COWDREY: I will shift to the dot point regarding the Para-Sports Hub and ask a very direct question. In terms of the expectation from PA in setting up these hubs, my understanding is that there a target of sorts in terms of the number of athletes that we need to have, both classified and then shifting to representation. Are you able to provide to the committee the details in terms of the requirements that are being sought by way of representation and athletes identified?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: I understand that Paralympics Australia has 10 new categorised athletes per year—that is their target at a national level. Our goals, that we have set at SASI level through the Para Unit, include that more than 50 athletes attend para-sport talent identification sessions each year, with more than 24 para-athletes per year, and a sample range of new sports at SASI through an eight-week introduction program. That is the launch pad that was discussed this week.

As I mentioned earlier, with the more than 10 that are coming, new South Australian para-athletes are categorised per year at a national level, and three or more new para-sports are sampled at SASI each year, and that provides an opportunity for us to find new areas for people to be able to participate in new sports. Our goal is that in LA in 2028 and Brisbane in 2032—the Paralympic Games—SA achieves 10 per cent of Australian team representation, and South Australian athletes contribute to 10 per cent of the medals that are won.

Mr COWDREY: So 10 nationally-classified athletes, or 10 athletes nationally each year?

The CHAIR: Can you just refresh what page and line we are on?

Mr COWDREY: The Para-Sports Hub dot point.

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: I believe it is 10 South Australian categorised athletes.

Mr COWDREY: Thank you. Finally, a very quick question—again, I will go to 167—in regard to athletes on scholarship. There has been some public reporting regarding hockey in South Australia and the changes that have been made to the hockey program. How many formal complaints were received in the past financial year or prior to regarding the hockey program at SASI?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: In regard to numbers, I do not have that information available to me today, but I did meet with Hockey SA yesterday with Kylie, and Keren from SASI, to be able to run through the success of the hockey program through SASI. It is really important to note that a new deed of understanding has been signed to ensure that this relationship and partnership between Hockey SA and SASI continues. It is an incredible opportunity for the 12 athletes who are part of this program where they can get access to advice and support to become the best athletes possible to participate in our national-level hockey team. That is an important partnership that we continue.

I know that SASI and Hockey SA have contributed equally to this program so our athletes can participate. Hockey SA has also made in-kind support so we can get our individual members out there not only training through SASI and building that strength and their capabilities to be great athletes but also to be able to get them out training through that Hockey SA support of space for them to do that.

Mr COWDREY: I know you said you do not have the information with you today. Are you happy to take on notice the number of complaints and the nature of those complaints?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: I am happy to see what information we can bring back to you.

Mr COWDREY: So that is a yes?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: I said I am happy to see what information we can bring back to you.

Mr WHETSTONE: Referring to Performance indicators, of the 30 facilities targeted for development or maintenance, how many are located in regional South Australia?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: I might just get Kylie to run through this.

Ms TAYLOR: Most of those facilities are state-level facilities, so by their nature they are located in the metropolitan area. They are things like SAALC and the SA netball centre. The couple of facilities that we do have are things like recreation trails. We have a couple of them. We also have the State Shooting Park. They are probably the examples that are regional, but, by and large, the nature of the ones we look after tend to be those state-level sport facilities. They are more metro-based than regional.

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: Just to expand on that, because they are state based they provide opportunity for people to participate from around the state at those facilities.

Mr WHETSTONE: There were 2,128 grant agreements managed in 2024-25. Are you able to tell me how many were for racing? Were there any for racing?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: In regard to racing, I am happy to just touch on something that was new in regard to providing a grant for racing in South Australia and that was the drought program that I mentioned earlier. It was a new initiative and it came about because when I have been out in the community chatting with our racing clubs they highlighted similar things to other regional communities in that they are a destination for people to come together in our regional towns. I think for the first time the Active Club Program has had racing codes involved in being able to receive funding, so, just like other sporting clubs, they were able to receive grants to up to $5,000 in ways to best support them to make sure they can continue to have a space for people to come together in our regional communities.

Mr WHETSTONE: Just moving on to sports vouchers, we all love a good sports voucher. Can you give me an indication of how many sports voucher applications were successful in 2023-24 and how many applications were successful in 2024-25?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: While we are getting those numbers, I guess you are correct in saying that the Sports Voucher program is incredibly successful and I know there is not really a community that does not have people talking about how welcome the sports vouchers are. I know that just last weekend we made an announcement about how already this year we have achieved more vouchers being applied for than in the entirety of last year, so we know this has been incredibly popular.

I think that just this year alone, $11 million—correct me if I am incorrect there, Kylie—has been put back into the back pockets of families this year already. It has already gone up since then, as $15 million has been provided back. I know that in 2023-24, there were just over 95,000 vouchers that were redeemed and that puts $9.45 million back into families and caregivers' pockets. Also in this 2024-25 financial year, we have already broken this record, with just over 155,000 vouchers, totalling $15.43 million, and that was by 23 June 2025. So it has been an incredible program and one we continue to see grow.

I know that music has also been included—I think that has been a popular activity in your community—which we have seen pop up as well in the top 10. It provides that opportunity for people not only to participate and not be on their screens at home but just provide a bit of extra support back into families' pockets.

Mr WHETSTONE: Minister, can you explain why the office failed to meet its targets for those sports vouchers redeemed in 2024-25 and how it might ensure it reaches its target in the 2025-26 year?

Ms TAYLOR: I suspect that the target has been set because the two vouchers came in 1 January, not 1 July. I suspect the target has been set for a full year of two vouchers, rather than six months of two vouchers.

Mr WHETSTONE: That is very aspirational of you.

Ms TAYLOR: Correct.

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: I blame Tim.

Ms TAYLOR: It has been growing exponentially end on end. Every time the program expands, the numbers get bigger and bigger, and I do not anticipate there will be any difference there.

Mr WHETSTONE: So is the two-voucher program eligible for winter and summer sport?

The CHAIR: I think we are now getting overtime. I was very generous. I gave you an extra question. Once again, thank you to the minister and to the public servants who have contributed to this process and all the work that gets done behind the scenes. The time allotted having expired, I declare the examination of the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing complete. The examination of proposed payments for the Department for Infrastructure and Transport is now complete.

Sitting suspended from 12:33 to 13:30.


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