Page 904 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 20 April 2021
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MR MILLIGAN: Yes, my wisdom that I bring to this place; absolutely. As you all know, I had sport and rec in my previous term and I have it again today. We are really proud of what we produced last term with our advocacy and policy development. That is why I am reading these budget estimates with keen interest.
I see that the government is finally going to update the Active 2020 plan. The Chief Minister was the minister for sport and recreation back in 2011, when this was first introduced. I think it is well and truly due for an update right now. In fact, back in 2011 the population in the ACT was 357,000. It is now 445,000 and, by 2028, it is going to be half a million. Over the past 10 years this government has not bothered to update its sport and recreation strategy. This obviously reflects its neglect and mismanagement of this very important portfolio.
Sport and recreation is not just about participation; it is about access to facilities, it is about affordability for families and it is about social cohesion and positive mental health. I am pleased to see the commitments to sport in the strategic priorities of this government—commitments to continue to support sport and recreation organisations to deliver growth participation opportunities, particularly for women and girls, to encourage healthy and active lifestyles within our community and to strengthen partnerships with elite sporting teams in the ACT to maximise economic and social returns on funding engagements, although, sadly, output 3.3 offers no detail or plan on how it is going to achieve this.
Via the sport and recreation output, the directorate supports Canberrans’ participation in organised sport and recreation through the delivery of programs, facilities, planning developments and pathways. Sport and Recreation will deliver this output by providing support services to local high-performance athletes and teams, administering grants, delivering education and training opportunities to maintain and enhance the capabilities of the community sport and recreation sector in the ACT and planning and developing sport infrastructure to broaden access to participation opportunities.
In my electorate of Yerrabi the community has suffered for too long from neglect and mismanagement. Promises were made during previous elections but, like the promise of a Casey sporting facility back in 2012, I fear that the community will be waiting a long time to see the home of football finally eventuate in Throsby and the tennis facilities in Amaroo.
I am pleased to hear a commitment from this government to invest in sport and recreation. I think it is vital that, as we emerge from COVID, we provide easier ways for people to be active and connected to their community. Health and wellbeing are so important. As always, I want to see the detail and I want to see the follow-through. If the government need any help in finally updating their plan for sport and recreation and a strategy, they are most welcome to come and see me and talk about what we proposed in Find Your Game. I am just thinking that the proposal that we presented during the election last year may have inspired them to do something in this space during this term.
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