INVESTING IN OUR NATIONAL SPORTS PLAN

The Liberal and Nationals Government continues to  implement Sport 2030 – Australia’s first national sports plan – with a $385.4 million package that funds sport in communities and schools and supports our elite athletes before, during and after their careers.

 

The investment in sport and physical activity to encourage greater participation has many benefits including improved physical and mental health, greater community connectedness along with enhancing our sporting reputation.

 

“Sport 2030’s aim is for Australia to be a world leader as an active and healthy sporting nation, known for our integrity and sporting success,” Minister McKenzie said.

 

“It is about supporting sport and physical activity at all levels, from grassroots through to elite – getting more Australians, more active more often.

 

“Sport 2030 commits to reducing physical inactivity among Australians by 15 per cent by 2030 – and we are determined to bring the health, social, cultural and inclusion benefits of sport and physical activity to all Australians.”

 

The Liberal Nationals Government will provide an additional $42.5million to expand the successful Community Sports Infrastructure Grants Program to support more community-led sport and physical activity projects around Australia.  This Program is helping address the incredible demand to upgrade and improve local facilities in communities across Australia.

 

There will be a strong focus on improving access for women and girls and people with a disability, working hand-in-hand with local government and sporting organisations to identify projects. Grants of up to $500,000 are available.  The first two rounds of the program has already delivered over 500 projects in local community sporting facilities that more than two million Australians will benefit from.

 

The Government is investing $150 million to support the development of female change room facilities at sporting grounds and community swimming pools across the country.

 

The Government will invest $41 million to continue the Sporting Schools Program until 31 December 2020.  This will continue to support over 6000 primary and high schools to partner with National Sporting Organisations to deliver high-quality sport-based activity that is free to students.

 

“All Australian schools are able to register for the program and apply for funding.  This initiative helps introduce students to sports and physical activity and drive greater participation,” Minister McKenzie said.

 

The Liberal Nationals Government will provide $23.6 million to National Sporting Organisations and local community organisations for programs that will use sport and recreation to strengthen social inclusion and diversity.

 

‘As highlighted in Sport 2030, sport and physical activity have the ability to bring people and communities together.  They provide great opportunities for social inclusion and fostering community pride,” Minister McKenzie said.

 

Grassroots participation is further encouraged with new initiatives worth $12.04 million aimed at increasing participation opportunities for women and girls in tennis and netball.

 

$5.2 million is being provided to support hosting of the Brisbane INAS Global Games in October 2019, for Special Olympics Australia to improve health and physical activity outcomes for young people with intellectual disability, and for Get Skilled Access to provide support for schools and community clubs.

 

The Government will also provide a boost to elite sport through a $54 million national athlete wellbeing and pathways program that will help prepare athletes for life before, during and after their elite sporting careers.

 

Pathways for young athletes will be strengthened and athletes will be better identified, mentored and supported through improved access to the best coaches, sports clinicians with expertise in both physical and mental health, and better training and quality competition.

 

Emerging, current and retired athletes will receive program and individual support to help them achieve the right balance between wellbeing, community engagement and the pressure of expectations involved in high performance sport at the start, during and end of their careers.

 

The Government is also investing in our Paralympic athletes by providing $8 million to support the Australian Paralympic Team prepare for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games as well as an additional $4 million to construct new facilities for para-athletes at the Essendon Football Club’s ‘The Hanger’ facility, which is also Paralympic Australia’s Victorian training base.

 

To help safeguard the integrity of sport, funding of $33 million will be allocated to establish a new single national sports integrity agency (Sport Integrity Australia) and a National Sports Tribunal that will strengthen anti-doping, criminal intelligence and law enforcement capabilities to combat present and emerging threats from doping, match-fixing, illegal betting and organised crime and corruption.

 

Other initiatives include funding of $7.7 million for the hosting of the ICC T20 World Cup 2020 in Australia that will showcase the world’s best cricketers.  This will be the first time a standalone men’s and women’s event will be held in the same year in the same country.

 

$0.5 million is being provided to develop a Sports Industry Growth Plan with stakeholders to chart a way forward for business, the sports sector and government to identify commercial opportunities, build a well-equipped sport workforce and export our skills to the world.

 

The Sport Australia Hall of Fame will receive $2.5 million over five years to run programs including sport scholarships, mentoring and awards.

 

The Australian Sports Foundation will receive $1.5 million to the Australian Sports Foundation to enable the Foundation to continue to support athletes, organisations and sporting clubs from grassroots to elite to help fund their sporting projects and needs.

 

$0.3 million will be provided to support the Australian Minifootball Federation to host the 2019 World Minifootball Federation World Cup in Perth.

 

ENDS