Zaneta Mascarenhas (Swan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the heart of Swan we have elite players from the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras training at Hockey Australia's high-performance program in Bentley at Curtin University. This program has an impressive reputation. In fact, I would like to acknowledge the efforts of the Australian women's team in the International Hockey Federation Indoor World Cup in Pretoria, South Africa. I would especially like to shout out to two remarkable Swan locals who were part of the team: Emma Reid, who is also a physiotherapist, and Elizabeth Duguid, an electrical engineer. Talk about high-achieving women!

High-performance hockey in WA has had a long and successful history. Hockey Australia high-performance program has been at Curtin University since 1984. The program's contract was due to expire in 2024, and there was not a guarantee that the program would stay in WA. In December 2022 the Western Australian state government and Hockey WA were successful in their bid to keep the program in Perth and in my electorate of Swan.

This bid was one of the biggest investments in Olympic sport history. The $135 million bid will transform the current facilities at Curtin University into a world-class purpose-built Australian hockey centre with three international hockey pitches, a specialist goalkeeper training facility, an indoor hockey centre and a gym. These facilities will be used by our national field hockey teams, the Hockeyroos and the Kookaburras, and help support them in climbing the ranks. These new facilities are a win for all hockey players in my electorate and really the whole of Australia.

I note that at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games the Hockeyroos won a silver medal and the Kookaburras won not their fifth or their sixth but their seventh consecutive gold medal. I wish to congratulate some Swan locals who were part of this achievement—Jocelyn Bartram, Jane-Anne Claxton, Amy Lawton, Kaitlin Nobbs, Karri Somerville, Matthew Dawson, Jake Harvie and Jeremy Hayward—for their stellar performance in representing Australia in field hockey at the games. This is a significant achievement, and I hope that the investment into the centre of excellence will allow Hockey Australia to sharpen their skills through this new world-class training environment—but hopefully they will still wear their shinpads! Hockey Australia CEO David Pryles believes this centre would be the best hockey facility in the world, very fitting for one of the best teams in the world and certainly the best in the Commonwealth.

I would like to recognise the advocacy efforts of the state, Hannah Beazley, and the Hon. David Templeman, the state Minister for Sport and Recreation. From one hockey player to another, I would also like to acknowledge the advocacy work from a star goalie, the very talented member for Brand, the Hon. Madeleine King, Minister for Resources.

Sporting clubs are an integral part of building community. Club rooms have become second homes for many, and those connections bridge cultural divides and build lifelong friendships. It's also a place where people learn to build and work in teams. Often in the school environment we see that people operate on an individual level, but the truth is that in the real world, in the workplace, in the parliament, we work in teams. Team sports are a wonderful way to learn how to work collaboratively, have each other's backs, celebrate the wins but also work through some of the challenges.

I am pleased that this hockey facility will also be used by the wider community. As much as this is an investment into elite teams for Australian field hockey, it's also an investment in community sport and hockey clubs throughout the metropolitan area. The other thing I hope is that this will inspire more kids to pick up a hockey stick and give hockey a go. Occasionally you might get whacked with a ball, but it makes you tougher and it's a really fun game. The thing I'm hoping is that in the heart of Swan there'll be a little girl or boy who recognises that they could have a role in representing our national teams and maybe becoming an Olympic gold medal winner.

House adjourned at 17:00