Zoe McKenzie (Flinders, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I have the enormous fortune to represent an electorate that likes to run around, brandish a bat, hit or kick a ball or throw one through a hoop. It keeps us happy and healthy, and our flourishing sporting clubs are the backbone of our beautiful community.

On Saturday I went out to watch the cricket match between Somerville and Mount Eliza at the Somerville Recreation Reserve. It was a celebration of premierships past and graced by cricket royalty, including ODI player Shaun Graf, who was born and bred in Somerville. Roast beef rolls were made by Steve, and Bec and Ella were running the bar. Premiership players got the gold in the form of a stubby holder, at least that was until I announced a future Dutton government will provide $5 million towards the redevelopment of this much loved but very dilapidated reserve and pavilion.

Over the years Peter Alp, president of the cricket club between 2011 and 2021, has advocated for a rebuild of the reserve. He has held talks with all and sundry and drawn the presidents, secretaries and treasurers of all the cricket, footy and netball clubs to meetings with me, meetings with state candidates, meetings with anyone who will listen. I haven't yet seen Peter in tears, but he has come close a couple of times, sitting with me on the sagging benches of the pavilion, asking: 'What have we got to do to get someone to listen? Forty-nine clubs and we're still growing. What more do we have to do?' The institution can claim to have been standing for more than 130 years, and let's hope that the commitment I made on Saturday, if realised, will mean many more victories to come in the future.

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