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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-10-30 Daily Xml
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AMY'S RIDE

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN (14:55): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Road Safety a question about Amy's Ride.

Leave granted.

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN: Following the tragic death of cycling champion Amy Gillett in Germany in July 2005, the Amy Gillett Foundation was formed and has undertaken tireless work to ensure that road users are becoming more aware of cyclists, and vice versa. Will the Minister for Road Safety inform the chamber about this Sunday's cycling event?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Gambling, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (14:56): I thank the honourable member for his question. Members may have already seen an item in the press about this matter. This Sunday the entire length of the Southern Expressway will be closed to cars while 2,000 cyclists embark on Amy's Ride. I am wondering whether the Hon. Mark Parnell is going to be joining them.

The Hon. M. Parnell: I am hoping to.

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: I am very pleased to hear that. I am pleased that the chamber is being represented. Amy's Ride will raise money for the Amy Gillett Foundation and, I am pleased to say, the state government has contributed $30,000 towards the event. As members probably know, Amy was an ambitious Australian in the prime of her life when she was tragically run down by a car while training. Amy was a true member of the nation's athletic elite. She not only had a successful career in rowing, which saw her represent Australia at the Atlanta Olympic Games, but she was also on track to achieving even further cycling success.

Following Amy's death, her husband, Simon, and parents, Dennis and Mary Safe, started the Amy Gillett Foundation with Cycling Australia. The launch of the foundation was supported by the state government, which donated $50,000 in 2005. The Premier also encouraged other state governments, and Victoria and Queensland followed suit.

I have had the pleasure of meeting the foundation's general manager, Melinda Jacobsen, on a number of occasions and have relayed the government's interest in ensuring the success of the foundation and its endeavours. As I am sure members are aware, the state government is working towards a safety target of a 40 per cent reduction in fatalities and serious injuries on the state's roads by the end of 2010.

I would like to congratulate the Amy Gillett Foundation for its dedication to improving road safety. Not only is it raising cycling awareness but it is also assisting Amy's injured team mates with their recovery and career aspirations. In regard to Sunday's event, it is very fitting that it is being held in Adelaide, which is Amy's home town. The ride is scheduled to start at 10am, and the start venue is the Flinders Medical Centre. The expressway will be closed specifically between 10am and 11am to enable participants to ride free of other traffic. There are distance options available to suit all levels of cycling: a 25 kilometre course; a 30 kilometre course; and, for the more adventurous, a 60 kilometre course. All options finish at McLaren Vale.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: I understand that the honourable member is doing the 60 kilometre course. I congratulate him in advance. I am now reminded that two members in the other place are also undertaking this ride, the Hon. Patrick Conlon and Mr Leon Bignell MP. I am sure all the cyclists taking part in Sunday's event will be thinking of Amy and her tremendous success. I urge anyone who is interested in finding out more about Amy's Ride to visit www.amygillett.org.au.

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