Page 3548 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 23 November 2021
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recreation sector. Our most recent figures from 2020 tell us that our junior sports participation rate, outside school hours one or more times a week, was 64 per cent—six per cent higher than the national average. There are great places to play, with sportsgrounds, paths, parks, lakes, rivers and nature reserves all easily accessible.
Canberra is home to many elite sportspeople and outstanding teams represent us on the national stage, across both men’s and women’s leagues. The ACT sent a strong contingent to the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games this year, with medal-winning performances by Canberrans. The 2021-22 budget further delivers on our government’s commitment to sporting infrastructure to meet the growing demands of the sporting community. Providing further sporting facilities to assist increased numbers of people wanting to be active and participate in sport and recreation is a good problem to be tackling.
Further funding has been allocated to the funding provided for the 2019-20 budget for the delivery of the Home of Football at Throsby. A total of $29 million will be invested by government to ensure the facility will include the expected multiple football pitches, an indoor futsal facility, office space and associated amenities. This budget also provides funding over the next three years for the design, construction, and maintenance of a community recreation park in Casey, supporting the health and recreation needs of the local community.
The government continues to support elite women’s sport in the territory over the next four years through funding in this budget. The Canberra Capitals and the Canberra United have consolidated their place among Canberra’s most loved teams, and they continue to support young players to “see what they can be”. The ongoing closure of the AIS Arena by the commonwealth government is a significant obstacle, particularly for women’s teams and sports. The government will also undertake a review of suitable venues that could accommodate large-capacity crowds for indoor court sports.
These projects build upon initiatives already underway, including community consultation and design work on a new district tennis facility in Gungahlin; a permanent home for dragon boating at Grevillea Park; upgrades to Phillip Enclosed Oval, including new clubrooms, upgraded grandstand, floodlighting and playing surface; and new district playing fields for the Molonglo community at Stromlo Forest Park.
The government is committed to upgrades of the five district netball facilities—$7.5 million in total, and we anticipate receiving a proposal for a new ice sports facility in Tuggeranong for the government’s consideration in the near future. The 2022 sport and recreation grant program is currently open for applications, providing further assistance for our sport and recreation sector. This annual sporting grants program provides over $2.5 million per annum to support community sport and recreation, with a focus on building participation and capacity.
With Active 2020 having now expired, the ACT government has commenced a new strategic planning process for sport and recreation. While the planning process will be informed through vigorous consultation, importantly the resultant strategic plan will
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