Wednesday, 16 October 2024

 Ryan BATCHELOR (Southern Metropolitan) (12:46): (1149) My question is to the Minister for Community Sport. How is the Labor government helping families of the Southern Metro Region with the cost of participation in sporting activities? Many kids love sport. For many it is the highlight of their week. Recently I was down at Shipston Reserve talking to the Bayside Argonauts Football Club about the soaring participation in their sport. But we know cost-of-living pressures are affecting families, and often it is these extracurricular activities that miss the cut. That is why the Labor government’s Get Active Kids vouchers program is offering $200 for eligible families towards the cost of sports memberships and registration fees, so parents can continue to support their kids participating in community sport without affecting the household budget. Almost 150,000 kids active vouchers have been provided to families since the program launched, with the latest round set to distribute thousands more. More than a half of the families who received the vouchers said their kids would not have been able to participate in sport without them. The Labor government is helping families with household costs.