Active Queenslanders are healthier Queenslanders.
The benefits of both cannot be understated in terms of connected communities, better
lifestyles and life expectancies, better mental health outcomes and social skills.
Getting our kids involved in sports and recreational activities sets the tone for active and healthy lifestyles early.
There’s also a raft of important social skills that are developed in team sports and other group participation: the ability to cooperate; work together; resolve conflict; and develop resilience.
I understand though, that for some families, particularly those with a few children, the ability to provide access to these activities can have a financial barrier.
The Fair Play voucher system has been in place for a number of years targeted at families through means testing.
But we also understand that when budgets are tight, optional activities like sport often go the by wayside.
That is why the Fair Play voucher system has been expanded to be open to all families and the value of the voucher has increased from $150 to $200 per child.
This expansion of the program has been eagerly supported by our sporting clubs, many of whom have dipped into their own funds from time to time to keep families who are doing it tough involved in sport.
The uptake of the voucher application meant that over half of the 200,000 vouchers available from the first of July had gone in the first week.
So that families don’t miss out because they are busy keeping their head above water with work and school, we have made an extra 100,000 vouchers available.
That’s 300,000 kids participating, some of which may never have joined a club before.
That’s a win for families, and that’s a win for healthy Queenslanders.
To ensure that our clubs have the facilities to meet the growing junior numbers, the Active Queensland program has funded an upgrade of lighting at a number of club venues across the state.
In Macalister Leighton Fields, Hammel Park and Dauth Park will get lighting upgrades so that training times can be extended to cater for more teams and participants.
Active Queenslanders require activated spaces.
