Page 952 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 17 June 1992
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During 1991-92 the Government has made considerable contributions to the development of sport and recreational opportunities for the ACT disabled. Grants totalling $3,000 in travel assistance were made to assist some five disabled ACT athletes to attend world championship events. That is very important in the lead-up and the development for the Paralympic Games, I would think. I would think that when the Liberals select somebody to represent them on sport they ought to select somebody who would think that that sort of initiative is important.
The ACT Office of Sport and Recreation conducted a study on how sporting and recreational opportunities can be increased for the disabled in the ACT. This involved comprehensive consultation with a wide range of community sporting and disabled groups, and resulted in the establishment of the ACT and Region Disabled Sport and Recreational Association. This is all input that goes to the development of Paralympic athletes. Yet Mr De Domenico says that we are not doing enough. He is creating the impression that we are not doing anything.
A sport and recreation development grant of $7,500 has been made available to the new association to prepare a five-year development plan. That is another issue where the Government is doing something, and Mr De Domenico wants to create a very different impression.
Mr Humphries: How much do the able athletes get?
MR BERRY: We will get to that. You just wait there patiently, Mr Humphries, and we will get to that. Other recent grants to assist the disabled include $7,500 to ACT swimming to develop disabled integration programs, and $500 to the ACT Water Ski Association to develop a disabled water-ski program.
They are just a few of the things that the Government has done. Here are a few more. Basketball, netball and tennis also contribute a proportion of their annual grant towards integrated disabled programs. The Government is not doing enough, but we are getting on with it. The ACT Deaf Sports received $3,000 towards the purchase of a computer. The ACT Anglers Association received $500 for the conduct of a disabled fishing program - something that I was very proud to be associated with on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin. Pegasus received $500 for disabled riding programs and the Southpaw Club - they are stroke victims, for those who do not know - received $820 to assist with the development of activities to assist stroke victims.
Applications for the 1992-93 sport and recreation development grants program were opened on 13 June. Over and above the normal opportunity for sport and recreation bodies to nominate their disabled programs as part of their applications, a further special measure program targeting the development of opportunity for the disabled has been included in this year's grants program. Now we get to the figures, Madam Speaker. This is where it is very important. We get to what Mr De Domenico said. He said that the Government is not doing enough. Let us check the figures. The Labor Party has donated $5,000 to the ACT Paralympics appeal.
Mr Humphries: The Labor Party? The Labor Government, I assume.
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