Page 1682 - Week 06 - Thursday, 20 May 1993

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workshop discussions about the future planning and provision of sporting and recreation facilities and services in the ACT. This will include looking at desirable futures in the areas of facilities, events, funding, junior sport, access and equity, and participation to help shape the future of sport and recreation. We are inviting the sporting and recreation community, government agencies and other service providers in the fitness, tourism and sport industries to attend.

The ACT community is a highly active sporting and recreation community. For instance, over half of the ACT population are involved in organised sport and many more participate in less organised recreational activities. Sport and recreation is a major industry with benefits to community well-being, health and the ACT economy. A coordinated strategic master plan, with agreement on priority objectives, will guide the activities of all players. After the forum each consultative group will reconvene to review the outcomes for each issue. From this, a draft strategic plan will be developed and presented at a public meeting for the community's reaction. The Sport and Recreation Council proposes to present a final plan for the coordinated development of sport and recreation in the ACT to the Government for consideration in July this year. I encourage everybody to be involved in this most important development of the vision for the future of ACT sport and recreation.

Mr Cornwell: Are you going to move that - - -

MR BERRY: Do you want to debate it after the event?

Mr Cornwell: I would like to make a couple of comments.

MR BERRY: Now?

Mr Cornwell: Yes, now.

MR BERRY: I present a copy of this statement, and I move:

That the Assembly takes note of the paper.

MR CORNWELL (3.23): Obviously, as Mr Berry has realised, there is not much point in adjourning this debate as the forum is to take place on Saturday. I would, however, like to say that, whilst I am sure that the sporting and recreation organisations in this Territory will be interested in this forum and the issues that the Minister states will be discussed in developing planning strategies towards 2020, or the strategies to meet key areas of sport and recreation provision over the next 10 years, I think that the sport and recreation organisations would also be interested in what is happening now in 1993 in this important area.

Only a couple of days ago the new executive director of ACT Sports House, Tony Naar, was interviewed by the Canberra Times. I think it is timely and proper that I quote a couple of the matters that he obviously would like to raise in the here and now rather than 10 years down the track or in 2020 - for example, why the average time a primary schoolchild spends on sport and physical education nationally is two hours and 10 minutes each week, whilst in the ACT it


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