Thursday, 18 August 2022

Forest Hill electorate

Mr ANGUS (Forest Hill) (14:52): (6492) My constituency question is to the minister for sport. Minister, when will the government provide funding for the many sporting clubs in the Forest Hill district who desperately need infrastructure funding for facility upgrades? Many constituents have regularly raised with me the very important issue of female-friendly sporting facilities and the lack of these in the local area.

We hear a lot of talk from the government regarding sport, and female sport in particular. However, sadly, for my constituents this talk is not followed up with funding for the urgently needed facilities. For example, the three tremendous Eastern Football Netball League football clubs in Forest Hill district, namely East Burwood, Forest Hill and Vermont, are all in desperate need of female changing facilities for both players and umpires. Other clubs are also in need of facilities upgrades, including local soccer clubs and cricket clubs. This lack of funding is despite repeated calls in this place and elsewhere for funding to be provided to ensure the growing number of female sporting participants have adequate changing facilities.

I recently visited a sporting club in the new Glen Waverley district where the female players get changed behind temporary screens that have to be moved into place when required. The windows in that area also have to be covered over to give the players privacy to change. This is simply not good enough. Minister, I ask you to provide this information.