Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I commence by adding to the record my tributes, firstly to Senator Cormann, one of my colleagues as a newer senator in this place, on his outstanding first speech today; and secondly to Senator Calvert on his last speech, and on his career—and I thank him very much for the welcome he has extended to me since my arrival here. In particular, as this is the first opportunity I have had, I place on the record my very warm congratulations to Senator Ferguson on his elevation to President. As a fellow South Australian, it is wonderful to see another South Australian occupying the presidency of this chamber.

In my first speech, a couple of months ago, I made mention of the electorate of Hindmarsh and paid tribute to the Liberal Party members in that electorate who worked so hard at the last federal election to attempt to get me elected to the other place. It is a matter of record, and the reason that I am standing here, that they were unsuccessful in that venture—narrowly so. But I wish to reflect a little more on the electorate, and not just on the Liberal Party members in that electorate but on the electorate more broadly and some of the activities that go on within Hindmarsh.

It is a seat very special in Adelaide, stretching from Somerton Park in the south to Semaphore Park in the north, going inland to include such suburbs as Torrensville, Mile End, where I have my electorate office, Kurralta Park and Plympton. It stretches along some of the most scenic parts of Adelaide’s coastline, incorporates some important areas of light industry, is very much a part of the tourism industry in suburban Adelaide, particularly around the Glenelg area, and of course takes in Football Park, the home of the mighty Adelaide Crows.

It is an electorate with a high proportion of aged people, an older population, and a high proportion of people of multicultural background, particularly from the Italian and Greek communities. Being a candidate was a great opportunity to work with the people of Hindmarsh, and one of the benefits of my appointment to this place recently has been the opportunity it has brought to continue that work from my time as a candidate and to reacquaint myself with many of the good community groups and organisations within the electorate.

I am very pleased to see that, despite the loss of the seat from government hands at the last election, the good support and great work of the government in Hindmarsh continues, such as the Investing in Our Schools funding provided to the St Peter’s Woodlands Grammar School at Glenelg. I had the pleasure of opening its new facilities the other day. It is a school where, whilst the federal government has provided some funds to upgrade the tennis courts and provide new soft landings under play equipment, the school itself has undertaken significant renovations. While it is pleasing to see government making a small contribution, I want to place on record my congratulations to the school community there for all that they have done, particularly in providing a great atmosphere for their students, in renovating the buildings there and in developing a new early learning centre which provides wonderful facilities for preschool children.

I also note the provision of black-spot funding in the electorate. Most recently I had the pleasure, with the minister, of announcing black-spot funding of $100,000 for the intersection of Bower Road, Old Port Road and Grand Junction Road in the northern end of the electorate. This will help implement a slip lane for an intersection that has been of concern to local residents in that area and about which I have heard concerns both in the Hindmarsh electorate and in Port Adelaide, the neighbouring electorate. I am sure that will be very welcome to the residents.

I also note the support provided to the many multicultural communities in Hindmarsh, and in particular the support provided to the Australian Refugee Association, which is based in the electorate of Hindmarsh and which I have had the pleasure of meeting with since my appointment to this place. Based at Underdale, the ARA has received a $254,000 grant through the federal government’s 2007-08 settlement grants program, a program that importantly ensures that grants are provided to support the settlement of refugees, particularly family sponsored migrants, and ensures that they have support to learn English, settle in fine, secure housing and hopefully find work within the local community. It is of particular benefit to the emerging Sudanese population, who are playing a great and vital role in Adelaide’s growth.

I diverge from Hindmarsh for a moment to pay tribute to some young Sudanese girls I had the pleasure of meeting at the South Australian Youth Parliament recently. In attending that event I was most impressed by their enthusiasm and their articulate nature. These young women, some of whom had only been in Australia for a matter of months, were standing up and taking part in a parliamentary debate not unlike that which happens here and representing their community so wonderfully. I really do acknowledge all that they are achieving and wish them and their community well. I am very pleased that things such as our support for the Australian Refugee Association play a big role.

In terms of supporting young people the government continues to support excellence. I was pleased that a Hindmarsh resident, Izabel Gibson, a student from University Senior College, recently received a Lord Florey Student Prize—formerly known as the Australian Students Prize. Izabel is a Year 12 student who is a resident of Henley Beach and I congratulate her on her outstanding academic achievement in 2006. It was certainly an honour to see her awarded for that achievement.

There are many groups that do not rely on government funding who I have also had the pleasure of working with since my appointment. Such groups include the Camden Community Centre, where I had the honour of being a director until recently, supporting them in their work. The centre provides childcare services and support for the elderly and the disabled—through the HACC program—and is a very good provider of Work for the Dole services. It is an integral part of the local community. Camden Community Centre is owned by the community, through an incorporated association within the local Camden Park community. It owns its own land and goes out and fundraises. It relies on its own membership to provide these critical services for young people in child care right through to the elderly, by providing day programs. I acknowledge, on the record, the outstanding work of Camden Community Centre’s staff, board and members.

I also mention Henley and Grange RSL, where I recently attended commemorations for the anniversary of the cessation of hostilities in Korea. I note the great work that the people there are doing, in particular Don McLaren, who works very hard with the Korean veterans to give them the type of recognition that they deserve. The Korean War is often dubbed the forgotten war, but it is important that those veterans are recognised. I was very pleased to be part of their celebrations marking the cessation of hostilities.

I am also very pleased to advocate on behalf of the electorate of Hindmarsh. There are certainly things that I would like to see the government and others do more of. Recently I received from Councillor Barry Blackwell, in the City of West Torrens, a petition from 3,000 local people for the establishment of a post office at Kurralta Park in Hindmarsh. The Centro Plaza shopping centre in Kurralta Park, one of the largest centres in the electorate, is without the facilities of a post office. I have written to the Managing Director of Australia Post, Mr Graeme John, forwarding, on behalf of the petitioners, the petition that they made out to him seeking the establishment of a post office there and arguing that, as a central popular route on Anzac Highway with regular public transport services, it was critical—particularly for the elderly population of that area—to establish a post office there. I would certainly hope that Australia Post will look closely at the benefits of that. Whilst there are nearby services, they are certainly not in areas or shopping centres that are as frequented or as easily accessible as the centre at Kurralta Park. As a centre earmarked for further expansion I would hope very much that Australia Post will take note of that.

I would also like to see support for the West Lakes Community Centre upgrade, which has been advocated to me, as well as additional funding to extend the Marine Discovery Centre at the Star of the Sea School. I am very pleased to be joined by Rita Bouras, our outstanding Liberal candidate for Hindmarsh, in advocating these programs. She is an excellent candidate—a young Greek woman who has lived in the electorate her entire life. She is a woman who studied law but runs a local family small business. She is doorknocking hard and is an active champion of the electorate. She is somebody who the electorate deserves to have as their member and I look forward to working with her and the community on these projects.