Media release – Rebecca White MP, Tasmanian Labor Leader; Josh Willie MLC, Shadow Sports Minister; Ella Haddad MP, Labor Member for Clark, 24 September 2023
Investment in grassroots sporting facilities a must
At the next state election Tasmanian Labor will facilitate the expected growth in participation in grassroots sport in Tasmania.
The state government must do more to provide facilities to enable women to play sport and ensure that sports have the facilities to cater for soaring female participation.
As part of its consultation with sports, Labor Leader Rebecca White, Shadow Sports Minister Josh Willie and Member for Clark Ella Haddad today joined with South Hobart Football Club President Victoria Morton at South Hobart Football Club’s Wellesley Park.
The excitement and interest created by the success of the Matildas has to be capitalised on.
The Women’s World Cup has the potential to be a huge catalyst in the growth of women’s soccer and women’s sport in general but the quality and number of women’s sporting facilities is unacceptable and not conducive to capitalising on the growth in women’s sport.
The Albanese Government has recognised the need to facilitate the growth in women’s sport on the back of the Matildas’ success by committing $200 million for women’s sporting facilities and equipment.
Unfortunately, the facilities at Wellesley Park are symptomatic of many old and run down female sporting facilities in the state and the fact there simply aren’t enough pitches and female appropriate changerooms for women and girls.
We know that Soccer will need an additional 75 pitches to cater for demand by 2026.*
Currently there are 38,000 participants in soccer in Tasmania, the largest participation team sport in the state and of these 29 per cent are female, the highest percentage of any state or territory.*
We acknowledge the Levelling the Playing field program set up by the current government but much more needs to be done.
Soccer has been underfunded by the Liberal Government with a dollar figure of $19.43 per participant compared to $540.93 per AFL participant (excluding the stadium and High Performance Centre).
A future Labor government will ensure it gets its fair share to enable the sport to grow along with other sports that need funding to meet demand.
Media release – Nic Street, Minister for Sport and Recreation, 24 September 2023
Grassroots sporting grants open right now which seems news to Labor
Tasmanians are lining up to get involved in community sport and the Rockliff Liberal Government is working hard to deliver more fit-for-purpose courts, fields and change rooms right around the State.
Minister for Sport and Recreation, Nic Street, said the Liberal Government’s $10 million commitment to upgrade Kingborough (Lightwood Park), Launceston (Birch Avenue and Churchill Park) and Devonport (Valley Road) soccer facilities will deliver new and improved facilities for both men and women.
“This support was to deliver improvements to have them ready to host basecamps for the FIFA women’s world cup, but to our disappointment FIFA didn’t include Tasmania in their final mix,” he said.
“More than $2 million has been provided to football clubs around the state under the Levelling the Playing Field Grants Program over the past 4 years to improve female facilities, and through Improving the Playing Field we have invested over another $1 million.
“We have announced $10 million into the Active Infrastructure Grants Program, which enables clubs like South Hobart to apply for funding to improve their own facilities.
“We are undertaking a whole-of-state sporting facility audit so we know where investment strategically needs to go.
“Labor seem to stand for nothing other than attacking this Government. They are incapable of offering any new ideas or any real vision.
“Their only sports-related thought-bubble to date has been to copycat the Government’s existing programs.
“If Labor were serious about improving opportunities for women in sport, they would back new major sporting infrastructure like a stadium which will benefit Tasmanians involved in sport.
“We are getting on with building and delivering new infrastructure, unlike Labor who spend their time loitering on the sidelines and when they do get a moment on the field, they are focused on kicking their own goals, and none for Tasmania.”
