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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 5 Hansard (13 May) . . Page.. 1245 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

We have refused, as a government, to make any more ovals low maintenance. That was an anti-sport way of trying to save dollars and a very stupid move, might I say, by the previous Government. That is certainly something we do not countenance. Accordingly, we have made that commitment to extra funding for watering. Might I say, Mr Speaker, that a number of ovals have been improved; notably, Evatt oval, which has been brought back to full maintenance because of the number of teams, especially junior sides, who use it. In relation to several other ovals, we are looking at the Macquarie concept, which is a way of bringing back part of a low maintenance oval to full maintenance, especially for ovals close to schools. They are some sensible and innovative measures which assist grassroots sport.

What better way of improving grassroots sport than through adequate funding by governments in terms of grants. Last year the grants program went up by $300,000. That has been maintained for this year and, indeed, increased in line with the CPI. Part of that grants program is for some capital works. Ms McRae, you never know; a couple of the organisations you have actually mentioned - and I think I have seen all of the ones you have mentioned - might like to start applying in the grants round which kicks off tonight with an information session at Rydges Lakeside and which will be reviewed by the Sport and Recreation Council, which will advise the Government in relation to grants. There are a number of avenues available for all sporting organisations. This Government, wherever possible, helps them all, to the very best of its ability.

This is a budget which is very much geared towards mass participation in the sporting area. Page 274 of Budget Paper No. 4, volume 1 refers to the "expansion of the `Aussie Sports' leaders program to train another 1000 leaders to work with approximately 15,000 school children". That is absolute grassroots stuff. It also refers to "the expansion of the number of sporting organisations within the sports skilling program from 6 to 17". Again, that is grassroots stuff. If you look at what we are actually doing in our capital works program, you will see sportsground improvements of $505,000; minor new works of $460,000; sportsground floodlighting of $330,000; a Tuggeranong skateboard park; and feasibility studies, finally, into things such as the Hall Showground remedial works, the athletics centre and the Lake Jerrabomberra Aquatic Centre - a number of projects which have been in the pipeline for many years but which no-one did anything about until this Government did something in this budget.

Ms McRae, I think you will find it is a very good sporting budget. I think it has been pretty well received by the sporting community. Again, I think you seriously missed the mark there. This Government, just in those areas which I have responsibility for, has brought down a balanced and very good budget in difficult economic circumstances.

MR SPEAKER: Order! The member's time has expired.

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