Page 3488 - Week 11 - Thursday, 15 November 2007
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many opportunities for young people—not only as a source of financial benefit, but also as a place for workplace training and gaining important employment and life skills.
Whilst we understand that it is mandatory for ACT clubs to contribute seven per cent of gaming machine revenues to support community organisations, it is important to recognise that their actual contributions are well in advance of that—closer to 12 per cent, as we have heard. The local sporting community is the major beneficiary of these contributions—again no surprise because the majority of clubs in the ACT have their origins in sporting organisations. The contributions made by clubs are a key driver of community participation in sport and recreation activity in the ACT. This is a welcome opportunity to put on the record again that the ACT leads the nation in participation in sport and recreation.
To respond to Mr Stefaniak’s assertion that the government is not meeting its obligations, I draw his attention to the second appropriation bill and the fact that in 2008 we will see the largest ever grants round for sport and recreation in the ACT. Some $4 million will be available in 2008 for sport and recreation organisations. Whilst there was an adjustment in 2006-07, the additional $2 million available in 2008—available in grants to sport and recreation organisations—takes the figure for 2008 to $4 million, which is nearly twice what we inherited from the previous Liberal government.
But let me return to the point of the MPI. The territory’s impressive level of participation in sport and recreation is strongly supported by—indeed, I believe is due to—the support of clubs in the ACT. Seventy-two per cent of the $12.8 million that was provided in 2006-07 went towards supporting sport and recreation activities. I understand that that equates to each club contributing about $158,000, on average, to the sport and recreation sector. And over $165,000 was specifically provided by clubs to support women’s sport. That is an increase of 22 per cent on the previous year and represents an increase of about $30,000 on the 2005-06 figures. Although I acknowledge that it is not as high as it was in 2002-03 and 2003-04, it is certainly an advance on 2001-02, 2004-05 and 2005-06. These contributions demonstrate the importance of the community contribution scheme to the continued vitality of sport in the territory.
The majority of clubs are sporting clubs, as I have indicated. Through Clubs ACT, they provide support for ACTSPORT’s Sportstar of the Year awards. In fact, they provided more than $200,000 worth of assistance for these awards over the last 10 years. It is worth acknowledging that not only through individual clubs but also through the peak body, Clubs ACT, they continue to support this important award ceremony.
Revenue for clubs has declined due to a variety of factors, not the least of which is the impact of the smoking ban, an important social and health policy that needed to be put in place. We recognise that it came at a cost to revenue for clubs, but it is pleasing to hear that their community contributions have not declined.
Mr Mulcahy: How much do they give you?
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