Thursday, 5 March 2026

 Tim READ (Brunswick) (10:31): It was great to see the press release from the Premier and the Minister for Education this week about their efforts to open up government schools after hours. They just forgot to acknowledge that VicHealth, Victoria’s only health promotion foundation, which Labor are abolishing, pioneered this policy. It might not be obvious that opening school gates after hours is health promotion, but helping people to enjoy safe and accessible spaces to move and connect is a big part of health promotion. Several years ago VicHealth spoke with schools, children and communities and studied the health, wellbeing and other community benefits that flow when government schools share sports fields, outdoor courts and playgrounds. VicHealth’s groundwork contributed to Infrastructure Victoria’s research, which led to the Victorian government’s pilot. They published a resource giving tips to schools, Opening the Gate. Forging new ways to make it easier for people to enjoy healthy lives has always been part of VicHealth’s DNA. In the 1980s VicHealth pioneered the walking school bus, and in the 2020s they championed the vision that public schools should be more than places of learning, they should be community backyards where children and families can thrive. VicHealth helped make that a reality. Wouldn’t it be a shame if such a visionary institution with a knack for innovation and productive collaborations was dismantled?