Page 4902 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 11 November 2009
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Throughout 2009, I have hosted regular meetings with sporting clubs within my electorate of Ginninderra. I have engaged with representatives from a variety of sports in these meetings. These are just a few examples: volleyball, fencing, gridiron, golf, Australian Rules, soccer and cricket. I have also spoken to representatives of softball and tennis clubs off site.
Despite the massive investment the ACT Labor government has made and continues to make in sporting facilities, there is always more to be done to meet the need of sporting groups. I am working on a discussion paper in this regard, which I hope to put before the government for consideration in the near future.
I believe that the current context is perfect to engage the local community in discussions on initiatives that capitalise on existing and emerging sport facilities and human resources in the ACT. Not only does it seem highly likely that the Crawford report will re-emphasise participation in grassroots-level sports but also facilities built through the “building the education revolution” funding have provided an incredible opportunity that we need to capitalise on.
Many schools in the ACT have the BER funding to build indoor sport facilities and are obliged to allow community groups to access these facilities outside school hours. The BER guidelines state:
The school must agree to provide access at no, or low cost to the community to … multipurpose halls funded under this element of BER. This must include reasonable access by any community or not-for-profit groups in the local community.
With this in mind, I am consulting with relevant groups to see if there is scope for enhanced collaboration between sporting groups and local schools whereby such facilities are made available to local clubs in exchange for human resources to be used to help schools promote more active lifestyles amongst the students.
Obviously, the exchange between local teams, organisations and schools would not be limited to those facilities built with the BER funding. However, the numerous school sporting halls and other facilities that are a direct consequence of this funding provide a unique opportunity to consider and eventually progress this proposal. Bringing together schools and sporting clubs through resource-friendly policy is an opportunity to build a stronger sense of community cohesion and cooperation around two institutions valued and appreciated by all Australians.
This government has a history of supporting progressive policies to give Canberrans every opportunity to enjoy healthy lifestyles. It starts in school. In 2009-10, $300,000 has been allocated so that this government will deliver on Labor’s election commitment to support the work of the Children’s Physical Activity Foundation, promoting active and healthy lifestyles in ACT children.
This government also has a demonstrated record of financially supporting community sport. For instance, funding has been allocated to further develop the Lyneham sports
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