Royal Life Saving Society secures funding to review Northern Territory report on swimming pools in remote areas

Royal Life Saving Society Northern Territory is among the seven sporting and community organisations to share in $675,000 delivered by the Northern Territory Government for programs in communities across the Territory.

Among the funding, which also includes backing for Paralympics Australia, Football NT and Netball NT, Royal Life Saving NT will receive $50,000 to review the ‘Swimming pools in Remote Areas of the Northern Territory’ report.

Six other sporting organisations will also receive funding to deliver programs in communities across the Territory.

Funding has been allocated to:

Alice Springs Town Council: $150,000 for the development and service delivery of programs in Alice Springs and surrounding communities.

Paralympics Australia: $150,000 to establish a partnership with Paralympics Australia to develop and implement a Categorisation and Identification of athletes' pathways program

Football NT: $100,000 for pathways and development in regional and remote locations including Alice Springs, Katherine, Darwin and surrounding regions.

Northern Territory Major Events (Athletics NT): $100,000 towards placing a bid to host the Oceanic Athletics Area Championships in 2026.

University of Western Australia: $75,000 for physical literacy program at 15 schools across the Big Rivers, East Arnhem, Barkly and Top End regions at a school-wide level over two years.

Netball NT: $50,000 to support regional and remote pathways for young indigenous netballers

The second round of the Northern Territory $6 million Sports Vouchers Scheme is also now open.

Sports Vouchers ease the cost of living on families by subsidising the fees of participating in 350 sport, recreation and cultural activities by $100 for children enrolled in an urban school from transition to Year 12.

Remote and regional schools will work with their communities to determine the most appropriate use of the voucher scheme to suit the needs of students and their families.

Parents of children under five, or who have turned five but will not be enrolling in transition or primary school that year can apply for two $100 Learn to Swim Vouchers each year per child.

Since July 2023, more than 35,000 sports vouchers were issued along with more than 5000 Learn to Swim vouchers.

Each initiative aligns with the NT Sport and Active Recreation Strategic Plan: 2021-25, which sets out how to encourage participation in sport and active recreation among all Territorians, particularly at the grassroots level.

Seven sporting organisations will also receive a total of $675,000 to deliver programs in communities across the Territory.

Commenting on the investment, Northern Territory Minister for Sport, Kate Worden stated “investment in sport and recreation is about so much more than funding a game or the infrastructure behind it, it's about investing in the players and the people too.

"Sport has an incredible ability to bring communities together and make a positive impact on people's health and wellbeing, long after the final whistle has blown.

"We will always look at how we can fund organisations like these to encourage participation in sport and support players and local communities to get involved."

Football NT Chief Executive, Bruce Stalder added "the NT Government grants that Football NT has received over the years have ensured the game has continued to have a significant role in the community.

"The current grant is enabling us to deliver a variety of activity from bringing a women and girls team from Alice Springs to compete in the NT Women's Challenge Cup semi-final at Darwin Football Stadium, to providing an opportunity for hundreds of the Timorese community in Darwin to celebrate the return of the Timor Sea Cup.

"The funding will also be used to assist with special football events that raise awareness of NT road safety, Donate4 Life, mental health services, Remembrance Day and cultural and linguistically diverse community support agencies."

Image: Children enjoying the Wadeye Swimming Pool. The Wadeye Swimming Pool is the subject of a feature in the latest issue (#162) of Australasian Leisure Management.

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