Qld govt to fund $150 swim school vouchers

The Queensland government will fund swimming lessons for children aged four and under after an audit sparked by a Courier-Mail campaign.

Queensland children aged four and under will be given state-funded swimming lessons.

The decision comes just weeks after the government ­finalised its audit into swimming education in schools.

Families struggling to afford swimming lessons will share in 30,000 $150 vouchers available for children to learn the lifesaving skill.

The measure is part of a concerted cost-of-living push in the upcoming budget to help families, and comes as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk also considers free kindergarten.

Eligible families – those who have a parent or guardian with a healthcare card or pensioner concession card – will be able to apply for vouchers.

The new SwimStart program will be funded with $4.8m set aside in the Queensland state budget over two years.

Ms Palaszczuk will announce the free lessons as an expansion of the FairPlay program, which has seen more than 45,000 vouchers redeemed since 2019 to help cover the cost of sports memberships, registration or participation fees.

The investment follows The Courier-Mail’s Save Our Schoolkids 2.0 campaign, which resulted in a government audit of swimming lessons and education in all state schools.

Ms Palaszczuk said the announcement was proof that the government had one goal in mind when delivering the upcoming budget: easing cost-of-living pressure.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk last week. Picture: Glenn Campbell/NCA NewsWire

“We know children should be learning to swim long before they start school, which is why our government is proud to launch the SwimStart program,” she said.

“Queensland is bordered by blue waters so being confident in the water is essential.

“This initiative will give kids the best start at learning to swim, and build on the swimming program offered in schools statewide.

“I’ve made it clear that our upcoming state budget will have one focus – easing cost-of-living pressures – and this program is another great example of this commitment delivering for families.”

Swimming lessons will still be available on the FairPlay Program for eligible children aged five to 17 as part of the government’s aim to break down the financial barrier for Queensland kids to participate in sports.

School-age children will continue to receive swimming lessons from Prep to Year 6.

Treasurer Cameron Dick said SwimStart was based on the FairPlay program that worked to extend support for disadvantaged families to access sport and recreation.

“Learning to swim is an essential skill for all Queenslanders, and the younger we can get all our children in the pool, the sooner they can start building their confidence in the water,” he said.

The cost of swimming lessons varies, but a search of available classes offered through city councils and private operators in South East Queensland revealed lessons average about $20 a week.

One-on-one lessons ranged from $40 to $90.