Federal budget funding boost for female sports facilities
EXCLUSIVE: Women’s sport will get a massive funding injection in Tuesday’s federal Budget to upgrade change rooms and toilets for female players at local grounds. Plus there’s $1.2m for playgroups for children with autism, and $6.1m to establish a Western Sydney trauma centre for children who lose a loved one to murder.
NSW
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EXCLUSIVE: Women’s sport will get a massive funding injection in Tuesday’s federal Budget to upgrade change rooms and toilets for female players at local grounds.
The Saturday Telegraph can reveal that Prime Minister Scott Morrison will promise an extra $190 million to be spent on facilities for women, ground upgrades and swimming pools across the country.
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It follows a huge increase in female participation in sports which has exposed the lack of suitable change rooms for women at community grounds.
“It’s important that all Australians get to participate, including women and girls who need equal access to our playing fields and sporting facilities,” Mr Morrison said.
“With more and more women playing sport we need to make sure they’re supported from entry level as young girls all the way through to elite level competition, including in once male-dominated sports.
“Female change rooms should be standard, they shouldn’t be an exception.”
The new funding will include $150 million to specifically address the imbalance of change room and toilet facilities and $40 million for the Community Sport Infrastructure Program.
There are 550,000 women who now play one of the four main football codes in Australia, with 207,000 of those in NSW.
The number is rising rapidly, up 6000 from a year ago.
Most sporting grounds were designed with mainly urinals and cubicles without doors, facilities which are now unsuitable for modern sports participation.
Sport Minister Bridget McKenzie said that anecdotally, women often were forced to get changed behind towels, or on the side of fields or in cars and had to go home for showers.
“This is a major deterrent for women wanting to participate and to feel like they are welcome in clubs across many sports,” she said.
In earlier rounds of the Community Sport Infrastructure program many applications focused on the need for female facilities, which is partly why the government has now moved to create an entirely separate fund for the problem.
Previously the government has given $15,075 to Cumberland Council for Merrylands Oval, $500,000 to Maitland Rugby Union Football Club and $178,379 to Nambucca Shire Council for the Macksville Park Club House with each grant focusing on the need for women’s amenities. In the case of Macksville, over 700 female players were playing touch football and junior league at a facility constructed for men’s sport.
“This is our practical way of backing in women’s sport and building even stronger communities,” Mr Morrison said.
Sporting clubs, community organisations and local councils will be able to apply for the funding.
Keen sportswoman Eleanor Arthur, 14, said: “It is really important to encourage girls to play especially in growing sport and making it better and having more girls play.”
KIDS WITH AUTISM TO GET $1.2M FUND
By Lanai Scarr
EXCLUSIVE: Playgroups for children with autism are being backed to the tune of $1.2 million to help them cater even better for the kids in their care.
Ahead of next week’s federal budget, Federal Families Minister Paul Fletcher will today unveil the funding, which will support the PlayConnect playgroups program for a further 12 months.
It will enable them to develop more sensory activities for children with autism or those displaying autism-like symptoms and buy new toys.
An additional $200,000 will also be rolled out to support community BBQs and morning teas that connect families who have children with disabilities, particularly in rural areas.
Mr Fletcher said playgroups were a vital element in improving the lives of kids with autism.
“PlayConnect playgroups provide play experiences that are responsive to the needs of children aged 0-6 with autism or autism-like symptoms and provide an environment of peer-support for families,” he said. “The government recognises the importance of early intervention in giving children the best chance of realising their potential.”
Around 42 PlayConnect Playgroups across Australia help hundreds of children with disability participate in their communities and access the same choices, opportunities and experiences as other kids.
Fiona Sharkie, chief executive of peak autism body AMAZE, welcomed the funding but said more needed to be done to fix delays in NDIS support for autistic children.
“The main priority of the government should be fixing issues with early intervention funding,” Ms Sharkie said.
“Fifty per cent of all children aged 0 to six in the NDIS are autistic and yet there are very long delays in their funding support.
“Intervening early is critical and without it these children will not make the gains they need to.”
ERRANT TECH TITANS’ MULTI-BILLION HIT
By Anna Caldwell
Teach giants like Facebook and Google will be hit with fines that could reach into the billions and their executives will face years in jail under world-leading Australian laws to be introduced to parliament next week.
The legislation, first flagged in The Daily Telegraph this week, will crack down on failures to remove violent videos, posts and photos online.
The final plans for the penalties can be revealed after PM Scott Morrison was not satisfied big tech executives were prepared to take responsibility for the potentially dangerous material after meetings in Brisbane this week. Companies will now face fines of up to 10 per cent of their platform’s global annual turnover, or three years jail for executives, depending on who is responsible.
The laws, the toughest in the world, are expected to come into force within a fortnight. The PM said the companies had to ensure their products “are not exploited by murderous terrorists”.
CHILDREN’S TRAUMA CENTRE NAMED AFTER ANITA COBBY’S MOTHER
By Jack Houghton
Children who have lost a loved one to murder will be given treatment at a world-first youth trauma centre in Western Sydney.
The Coalition will contribute $6.1 million towards the centre named Grace’s Place in honour of murder victim Anita Cobby’s mother Grace Lynch.
Member for Banks David Coleman said the centre will be located in the Western Sydney suburb of Doonside and operated by the Homicide Victims Support Group.
“Grace’s Place will include residential accommodation, meeting rooms, a music room, indoor and outdoor play spaces and gardens,” he said.
It will provide clinical care and learning skills on how to survive the trauma through a 10-week residential program.
“Services will be provided at no cost to children, young people and their families from around Australia.
“This federal funding, which was committed to in MYEFO, is in addition to $3.3 million committed by the NSW Government for Grace’s Place.”
Minister for Health Greg Hunt said the centre will be safe place and healing centre for children and young people and their adult carers.
“Each year, an average of 129 people are victims of domestic or family homicides in Australia. A small number may also be affected by homicide in other circumstances,” Minister Hunt said.
“We have an ongoing commitment to support the mental health of Australians.”
Grace’s Place Committee Member Angelo Cusumano said the funding would help young people deal with the trauma of losing a loved one to homicide.
“I lost my father when I was 13 and my brothers and sister didn’t have anything like Grace’s Place growing up. It’s great to be able to see the vision of Grace’s Place finally come together,” Mr Cusumano said.
“We have been working on this project for some time now, and it’s fantastic to be able to witness it progress to the next level.
“Children and young people will soon have the right environment and support to learn how to cope and trust the world once again.”
The Morrison government will spend $4.7 billion on mental health this financial year.
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