Page 2987 - Week 08 - Thursday, 15 August 2019
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Canberrans will benefit through an enhanced quality of life. I commend this budget to the house.
MR MILLIGAN (Yerrabi) (11.31): I am pleased today to be speaking in my shadow portfolio role of sport and recreation minister, firstly as a lover of all things sport and thoroughly enjoying getting out into our community and seeing the amazing work going on, but secondly because I understand the benefits that sport and recreation can provide—the health benefits, the community benefits, the social engagement and mental health aspects and of course the economic benefit through things like tourism, industry and business.
I welcome the investments outlined in the budget for the new home of football in Throsby. It is a very exciting development. Capital Football is leading the way in female participation in soccer across the country. As a founding member of the W-League they really are promoting the sport as inclusive and fun for everyone. And this work is paying off, with participation rates growing by 13 per cent in 2017 and strong growth in junior soccer. That is why the Throsby proposal is great but, to be honest, it is not enough. I worry that this ground only solves the problem for a small segment of the community and does not deliver on the shortage or quality of grounds across the ACT.
I also welcome the investment in Stromlo. It seems that this is another hotspot for the government, having already sunk $33 million into the pool, not to mention the other assets in this precinct. I was pleased to hear the recent call from the Greens to turn Stromlo Forest Park into a mountain biking resort, urging investment in accommodation, bike tracks and other infrastructure to turn the park into a village atmosphere. But it is a shame that this call has come from the previous minister for sport who could have set this space up for success from the outset. Still, we will watch and wait and see what happens here.
Other than that, the budget had a minor spend on upgrading security at GIO Stadium, which seems to hint that there is still no decision on the future of a stadium, despite the Chief Minister making some noises earlier this year.
The most exciting item for me in this year’s budget was the upgrade to the Lake Tuggeranong Rowing Club sheds. Actually, this was announced last year but delivery has been delayed. I am not sure how many of you here are aware of the Lake Tuggeranong Rowing Club and their situation, but I know that my colleague Nicole Lawder, who is a keen kayaker and is often on the lake at Lake Tuggeranong, knows this club quite well. I visited the Lake Tuggeranong Rowing Club late last year and they are literally in a dug-out basement under the college. Really, we can do better. I am happy they are getting some upgrades for their sheds.
But, sadly, many sport and recreation clubs in the ACT do not feature in the government’s priorities or even rate a mention. We have numerous sporting codes in Canberra turning away players due to the lack of facilities—netball, basketball, ice hockey, table tennis, touch football, badminton, just to mention a few. Just yesterday we had a petition lodged by the Canberra Roller Derby League about the lack of
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