Wednesday, 30 October 2019

School shade grants

Mr HAMER (Box Hill) (19:10): (1371) My adjournment matter is also for the Minister for Health in the other place. She will certainly have her work cut out for her after this adjournment. A number of schools in my local area have applied for the school shade grant under the government’s SunSmart program, and the action that I seek is for the minister to fund the important projects put forward by these schools that will help protect children from the harsh Australian sun.

I was glad to see the Andrews Labor government deliver on its 2018 election commitment to provide $15.1 million for SunSmart programs, including a dedicated $10 million to continue the school shade grant and community shade grant programs over four years. The shade grant program provides funding for new permanent shade, natural shade, portable shade and sun protection items, and it is really important that this grant program and the shade provided by the grant program work with the other sun protection measures to reduce cancer rates throughout the community.

Skin cancer is one of the most prevalent forms of cancer, and the Victorian Cancer Plan 2016–2020 has a target to halve the number of Victorians diagnosed with preventable cancers by 2040. This program will help the government achieve this target.