Kate Ellis (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare and Youth) Share this | Hansard source

I am pleased to highlight today that the government has delivered on its election commitment to support Australian junior athletes through the implementation of the Local Sporting Champions program. And in highlighting this important commitment, I would also like to take the opportunity to update the House on the progress of the program, which as its name suggests, is providing real support to help our next generation of Australian sporting champions to compete and to achieve.

Under Local Sporting Champions junior sportspeople from every corner of Australia are provided with financial assistance to help them pay the costs which are associated with their competition. Every Australian parent who regularly supports their kids to participate in the sports they love knows full well that families contribute more than their time, their enthusiasm and their cheerleading skills when it comes to junior sportspeople. The ever increasing cost associated with travel, fuel costs, accommodation, uniforms and equipment all add up—particularly for those families who do it tough.

That is why the government launched the Local Sporting Champions program last year—investing $6.4 million over four years to support thousands of junior athletes and hundreds of local junior sporting teams. The program is about helping out with the costs associated with junior sports competitions—giving a practical helping hand to up-and-coming sportspeople and their families with the added costs that sporting success can bring for young athletes and for the family budget. And, of course we recognise that these grants do not cover all of these costs but we do think that it is absolutely appropriate that the federal government provides some assistance and a helping hand along the way.

Open to every federal electorate, Local Sporting Champions provides local members with the opportunity to support young athletes within their communities to pursue and achieve their sporting dreams. Under the program eligible junior sportspeople can apply for grants of $500 for individuals and $3,000 for teams. To be eligible applicants need to be:

• aged between 12 and 18 years of age at the time of the nominated sporting competition;
• participating in an official national sporting organisation endorsed state or national sporting competition or national school sport competition; and
• required to travel greater than 250 kilometres.

But Local Sporting Champions is not only about supporting the development of pathways for our junior athletes, it is also central to the government’s belief that the benefits of sport and physical activity are critical to building a healthier nation. Active kids are healthy kids, and in helping junior athletes to compete Local Sporting Champions also helps break down the barriers that may prevent young people from participating in sport and physical activity.

I am a great believer that the health of our children is inextricably linked to community sport, and that is why we are an unapologetic partner with grassroots sport. Our commitment to community sport has also been demonstrated by the government’s recent $300 million investment in grassroots sport facilities as part of the economic stimulus package, the largest single investment in community sporting infrastructure in Australia’s history, supporting Australian jobs, supporting Australian communities and providing a boost to grassroots sport. What this all adds up to is more opportunities for young Australians to participate in sport, activity and to extend their skills through competition.

And on that note I am very pleased to inform the House today that through the Local Sporting Champions initiative, the government has supported a total of 847 individual junior sportspeople and 61 teams under just the first two rounds of this fantastic initiative. There are literally hundreds of stories from right across Australia where young Australian sportsmen and women have benefited from the Local Sporting Champions program and I wish to provide the House with just a few examples today.

From the electorate of Braddon an individual grant of $500 was awarded to Samantha Koch, a young cross-country runner. This funding assisted Samantha with the costs associated with her travel and accommodation to compete at the Australian Cross Country Championships in Geelong, Victoria.

From the electorate of Sydney, Elliot Brown, a young triathlete, received $500 to attend the Australian Triathlon Championships in Tasmania. I am pleased to say that with this grant through the Local Sporting Champions program, Elliot not only competed at the national championships but went on to win and subsequently has been selected to represent Australia at the world championships.

Each one of these stories not only represents the success of an individual—they also highlight the capacity of Local Sporting Champions to build important links between sport, local representatives and communities. And the fact that communities get the opportunity to support and to share in the journey of our junior athletes as they aspire to become the next Ian Thorpe, Adam Gilchrist or Liz Ellis is also a fantastic by-product of the program.

Helping to generate the attention and recognition that our local sporting champs deserve—acknowledging the dedication and commitment of our junior athletes and the support of their families—is what makes Local Sporting Champions so great. It is about real people and the very real commitment demonstrated by young athletes and their families.

I would like to assure the House that the government will continue to look for ways to support junior sport and to this effect I look forward to the report by the independent panel later this year, which will include a range of recommendations around strengthening the Australian sport system, including pathways from junior sport right through to elite sport.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all members from both sides of the House who have utilised this program to the full benefit for their electorate and also to those members who have provided feedback on the delivery of the Local Sporting Champions, which will assist in enhancing this already successful program. I encourage all members to continue to promote this program within their electorate—to continue to support junior athletes across Australia to participate in sporting competitions around the country because it is good for local athletes and their families and will help support the next generation of Australian sporting heroes.

I ask leave of the House to move a motion to enable the member for Boothby to speak for seven minutes.

Leave granted.

I move:

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent Dr Southcott speaking in reply to the ministerial statement for a period not exceeding seven minutes.

Question agreed to.

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