Matt Williams (Hindmarsh, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to acknowledge the great work of the numerous surf life saving clubs in my electorate of Hindmarsh. Hindmarsh has the best metropolitan beaches Adelaide has to offer—from Somerton Park through to Semaphore. Visitors flock to my electorate to enjoy the beach and escape the hot South Australian summer days. Hindmarsh is also home to six of the 19 surf life saving clubs in South Australia—West Beach, Somerton, Semaphore, Henley, Grange and Glenelg—all of which are dedicated to providing a service to the community and to all who use the beach.

Last weekend, my family and I enjoyed watching my daughter and our future stars compete in the Surf Life Saving SA Junior State Championships 2015 at Port Elliot. It was great to see so many kids from across South Australia take part in the state championships and even better to see four of the clubs in my electorate take out the top four spots. Congratulations go to the Grange Surf Life Saving Club, who took out the championship. I would also like to congratulate all the competitors, supporters, volunteers, lifeguards, mums and dads and the organisers for a terrific event. As many would know, local clubs—whether they be local football, tennis or netball clubs—do not survive without fundraising.

However, surf lifesaving clubs are at a different level—they need to fundraise to provide services and patrols, or the safety of our beachgoers will decline. One club in Hindmarsh has its own unique major fundraising event, with all funds raised going towards the club's surf lifesaving activities. Since 2007, Henley Surf Life Saving Club members have participated in the Big Row, where members row a surf boat across the Gulf St Vincent, from Stansbury on the Yorke Peninsula to Henley Beach, covering around 68 kilometres of open sea.

On Saturday at the state championships I spoke with Henley President Phil Hogan, who explained to me that each year the club must raise $40,000 to provide patrols on the beach. I am pleased to note, in this place, that the Henley Surf Life Saving Club this year raised $83,000—one of the highest amounts in the nine years the event has been running, and a truly significant achievement. I was pleased to donate to their Big Row last year.

The coalition government recognises the importance of surf lifesaving clubs and the service they provide in Australia. I am pleased that the government announced in late 2014 that we will provide $8 million over five years to the nation's surf lifesaving clubs to help prevent drowning deaths at our beaches. About $25,000 over five years will be provided to each of the surf lifesaving clubs so they can purchase essential rescue equipment and first aid and medical supplies. This commitment will go a long way to assist our dedicated lifesavers, who perform rescues and first aid treatments each year. It is essential that clubs like the six in my electorate have the best equipment so they can continue to save lives and reduce the tragedy of drowning. As we know from recent reports like the National coastal safety report, there is a significant lack of awareness among the general public about the hazards posed by the beach. This is something that we discussed on the weekend with surf lifesaving clubs in the nearby area. I would like to personally thank the surf lifesaving clubs in my electorate.

See this speech in context