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in sport. This is the highest involvement in sport in Australia, with a national average of only 33 per cent. Of particular interest was the fact that the ACT also had the highest involvement of females, at 31.5 per cent, compared to 26.9 per cent nationally. This indicates the importance of sport to the ACT community.

I wish to draw to the Assembly's attention a range of important initiatives that this Government will be pursuing over the next three years in working towards creating a healthier, active city and further encouraging community involvement in sport and recreation. We are committed to encouraging all Canberrans to maximise their leisure time through sport, recognising that some groups in the community, such as women, disabled and older adults, need increased support to participate fully; improving the status and level of school sports by ensuring that all school students participate in sport and physical education as part of their school curriculum; assisting sports in improving their management and marketing skills and providing long-term funding to organisations to encourage strategic forward planning with greater certainty of levels of assistance; drawing on Canberra's facilities and sporting expertise in attracting major sporting events; and taking advantage of the 2000 Olympic Games as a catalyst to develop and promote Canberra as a centre of sporting excellence and maximise Canberra's participation in the Olympic Games.

We intend to work and consult with ACTSport, other sporting organisations and the community when making decisions that impact on sport in the ACT. We will draw on the knowledge and expertise of persons and groups within the community to attract major sporting events. We will work in partnership with the whole community in marketing Canberra as a centre of sporting excellence.

I come now to the 2000 Olympic Games. We will take maximum advantage of the 2000 Olympic Games in our endeavours to encourage and support involvement in community sport as well as high performance sport, acknowledging that there must be a balance between the two. To that end, we intend to work with the Project 2000 Committee to profit from Canberra's proximity to Sydney and the increased international interest in Australian sport in the lead-up to the Olympic Games; market Canberra as the national seat of government, an ideal location for major events and a place for sports development as a part of Australian activities planned during the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games; and provide assistance, in cooperation with the Commonwealth Government, through the ACT Academy of Sport, to support our athletes to reach their full potential and perhaps gain selection for the 2000 Olympic Games. The emphasis is on obtaining results through the joint Commonwealth-State-funded intensive training centres programs.

Facilities are the key to providing opportunities for increasing sporting participation and attracting major events. We have been concerned about the planning of those sporting facilities. A long-term facilities plan, being developed by the Sport and Recreation Council, is now well advanced. It is addressing needs for both sport and recreation facilities in a coordinated review of current provision and future plans. This includes examining the needs in Gungahlin, where I have noted the relevant studies by the Gungahlin Community Council. We are looking at innovative ways to provide more money for sport by savings generated from more efficient ways of carrying out sporting maintenance work and working cooperatively with community and sporting clubs on

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