Tuesday, 4 March 2025

Adjournment

Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice) (18:39): I move:

That the house do now adjourn.

Community sport

Jacinta ERMACORA (Western Victoria) (18:40): (1454) My adjournment is for the Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence. Minister, the Allan Labor government is committed to achieving gender equality in sport and recreation in Australia. The government is focusing on increasing opportunities to participate, enabling more women to take on leadership roles in sport and improving the visibility of women across the sector. Since 2018 the Labor government has invested more than $2.9 million in funding to 580 community sport and recreation hubs as part of the $18.8 million investment in the Office for Women in Sport and Recreation Change Our Game initiative. Recently I had the pleasure of opening two upgraded facilities that stand as testament to the government’s commitment.

The Great Western Recreation Reserve has a new sporting pavilion which includes four female-friendly change rooms thanks to the $1.5 million contribution from the Victorian government and significant contributions from the club and the council. And at the Brierly Recreation Reserve in Warrnambool the existing oval has been transformed into two full-sized soccer pitches with 200-lux LED lighting, improved drainage and subsurface irrigation and a new synthetic cricket pitch located between the pitches and fencing. It looks absolutely marvellous. This provides pitches for both women’s and men’s cricket and soccer teams to practice and compete. You cannot understate the impact of LED lighting on clubs like these. It extends training time and makes that pitch able to be used after hours for that much longer and in itself therefore is an inclusive strategy.

The 2024–25 round of the Change Our Game Community Activation Grants program was recently opened for applications. It delivers grants of up to $10,000 to community sport and recreation clubs to help inspire women and girls to take part. Now in its eighth year, the Change Our Game Community Activation Grants program has provided more than $2.9 million towards 580 grants to sport and active recreation clubs and organisations across the state. My request for the minister is: Minister, can you please provide more details about how the Victorian government is supporting more women and girls to get involved in sport in western Victoria?