500 delegates attend 2022 Parks and Leisure Australia National Conference

Returning for its first face to face event in three years, Parks and Leisure Australia has welcomed more than 500 delegates to its 2022 National Conference, staged at Melbourne Park.

Opening on Sunday, and continuing today with a series of site visits, the conference celebrated the myriad of outcomes of our parks and recreation to provide health, activity, socialisation and environmental settings and outcomes, as well as acknowledging that parks are where sporting elite performance has its start.

Over 500 delegates from across Australia attended the conference to share ideas and collaborate on themes including recreation and physical activity, horticulture and gardens, parks and open spaces, sport and the health, economic and socio- economic benefits of our parks and recreation industry.

With the theme ‘Grassroots, Where It Starts’ the conference has been an opportunity for the industry to come together, reconnect and network after two years of virtual conferences due to the restriction on travel and gathering during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The conference also saw PLA issue what it called the ‘Melbourne Statement’ calling on local, state and Federal governments, along with industry partners, to back four key actions, urging parties to:

1. Prioritise investment in delivering greener places and healthier communities in our cities and regions to improve the health of Australians and to become climate resilient places.

2. Partner in our urgent and collective response to a health and climate emergency.

3. Develop and implement a national urban health infrastructure and tree canopy targets in our cities and regions.

4. Commit to Gender Equity.

Click here to read the PLA’s full Melbourne Statement.

Image: Melbourne Park's CENTREPIECE awaits delegates at the 2022 Parks and Leisure Australia National Conference. Credit: Parks and Leisure Australia/Facebook.