Federal Government launches $28.9 million activity grants program

Federal Minister for Sport Bridget McKenzie has today launched a $28.9 million grants program which will enable sport and physical activity providers to get Australia’s population moving.

The Move It AUS - Participation Grants Program, to be managed by Sport Australia, aims to help Australians reach the goal set in the Federal Government’s Sport 2030 report to reduce inactivity amongst the population by 15% over the next twelve years. 

The four year program is part of the 2018/19 Federal Government Budget investment of over $230 million in a range of physical activity initiatives.

Introducing the program, Senator McKenzie advised “the nation’s first-ever sports plan - Sport 2030 - sets a goal to ensure Australia is the world’s most active, healthy nation and the Sports Participation Grants Program is part of our ongoing commitment to achieving this goal.

“Our goal is to get more Australians more active more often.

“We have set the aspiration, put out a call to action and are supporting this with a significant investment to unlock ideas and passion through our partners and communities.

“We know that through increased participation, we have a larger pool from which the new elite athletes of the future will come from.

“We want Australians to heed advice from the health experts – adults should ‘Move It’ 30 minutes a day and children 60 minutes a day.”

The Federal Department of Health’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines advise adults aged 18 to 64 years should accumulate 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate intensity physical activity or 1.25 to 2.5 hours of vigorous activity each week. Children should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day.

National, State and Local Government sports organisations and physical activity providers are encouraged to apply for the grants, with key targets including inactive communities, increasing activity for women and girls and addressing the barriers related to participation in rural, remote and low socio-economic locations.

The Sports Participation Grants Program follow the launch of the Better Ageing Grants, aimed at Australians over 65, and the Community Sporting Infrastructure Grants, all aimed at helping Australians ‘Move It’ for life – and have the opportunity and facilities to ensure that happens.

Applications for the Sports Participation Grants Program open on Monday 7th January and close on 18th February 2019.

Guidelines and details on the application process will be available on Monday 7th January at sportaus.gov.au/participationgrants 

Click here to view the Federal Department of Health’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines.

Image courtesy of Gold Coast City Council.