Minister for Sport Mick de Brenni has announced a $5 million program to upgrade indoor sport and recreation facilities in remote indigenous communities.
Announcing the funding as part of NAIDOC Week celebrations, Mr de Brenni said the Remote Facilities Maintenance Program would provide targeted support to 21 of Queensland’s most isolated communities.
“This program is delivered in partnership with local councils to refresh and improve indoor facilities which are used for sport and recreation activities,” Mr de Brenni said.
“We want to be able to get these works done as quickly as possible, so we are working with local government authorities to prioritise and plan for the upgrades,” he said.
“The communities which have been selected for this program all have fewer than 5000 residents and already participate in our Indigenous Community Sport and Recreation Program (ICSRP).
“Of the 21 selected communities, we’re starting with the smallest ones first because we’ve seen that smaller communities are less likely to have a lot of resources to invest in indoor sport and recreation facilities.
“The Matty Bowen Multipurpose Facility in Hope Vale, the Woorabinda Kangaroo Stadium, and the Jerry and Andrewina Hudson Sports Complex in Mapoon are among the facilities to benefit through the program.”
Mr de Brenni said the Queensland Government was investing $5 million over three years to deliver the program.
“The Queensland Government’s Building and Asset Services will oversee the delivery of works and wherever possible, we’ll be using local trades and labour where it can be applied in a cost effective and timely manner.
“We’ve hit the ground running, with facility maintenance assessments already carried out in nine communities since March 2017.
“If we work together with these communities to improve the condition of these facilities, we know we can increase community participation in active sport and recreation.”
Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Mark Furner said the funding would be instrumental in helping local communities to get active.
“We know that many communities are centred around sporting activities, especially for children and young people,” Mr Furner said.
“The more we can do to foster a love of sport and recreation activities within our Indigenous communities, the better, because the skills learnt in sport are transferable to all areas of life.”