WELCOME BACK TASSIE!
WELCOME BACK TASSIE!
Under this initiative, successful applicants will receive the voucher in the 2020-21 financial year, and will be able to choose to redeem the $200 against one sport, or split $100 between a winter and summer sport. As Minister for Sport and Recreation, I am very proud of this important initiative which gives young Tasmanians the opportunity to feel part of a team, to learn new physical skills, to gain leadership experience and to have some fun along the way. The Tasmanian Government is investing significant funding to upgrade a wide range of sport and recreation infrastructure including $68.5 million for the upgrade of the Derwent Entertainment Centre as a world class entertainment and sporting facility including $20 million for a community four-court multi-sport facility for use by a range of sports including basketball, netball, futsal, volleyball and gymnastics. Tasmania will finally re-enter the National Basketball League for the first time in 25 years after the league finalised its agreement with the Tasmanian Government to issue a license to participate in the 2021/22 NBL Season. At a time when Tasmania needs jobs we are delivering. This project is set to generate hundreds of local jobs, attract investment and generate significant economic activity. There is no doubt a Tasmanian NBL team with increase the profile of basketball in our state, which will benefit home- grown talent in players, coaching and administration. The Tasmanian Government continues to be the greatest supporter of fostering genuine sporting pathways from grassroots to elite level. The Sponsorship Agreement between our Government and the National Basketball League will provide for 14 home games in Tasmania, 11 of which will be at the Derwent Entertainment Centre and the remainder in the north of the State. We will now begin the process of building the Tasmanian club with Tasmanians now having the opportunity to submit up to three possible names for the new team. This is a tremendous opportunity to embrace our brand new team. I look forward to not only hearing what Tasmanians come up with for the potential name of the club, but eventually attending the first home game of the new team on home soil.
MINISTER FOR RACING & SPORT Jane Howlett
S porting clubs and organisations play an enormous role within our State and in many areas they are the glue that brings communities together. Community sporting clubs around the country have suffered an enormous financial toll from the corona-virus pandemic, with local sponsorship and membership income plummeting since March, when most restrictions were first introduced. As a Government, we acknowledge the difficulties being faced by sporting clubs and participants across Tasmania as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a broad range of competitions, rosters and events interrupted in accordance with Public Health advice. Even after restrictions on sport continue to lift, many clubs will take much longer to recover. Our Government was the first in Australia to announce grants to maintain employment in sporting associations following the collapse in revenues such as registration fees, gate receipts, bar and canteen takings. The Tasmanian Government is continuing to support the State’s sport and recreation organisations through the challenges faced as a result of COVID-19. While maintaining employment is a key priority, we also want to ensure that interruptions to sports competitions don’t lead to a long-term decline in participation. Tranche One of the COVID-19 Sport and Recreation Grants Program provided peak sporting organisations with grants of up to $150 000 to assist with maintaining employment for six months in eligible sporting organisations facing reduced revenue streams due to the pandemic. Under tranche one of our $2 million support package 25 organisations were successful in their funding bid. Importantly, this has ensured 187 Tasmanians will remain in their jobs through this crisis, ensuring continuity for the community sports that help to keep Tasmanians fit, healthy and connected.
Tranche two of our sport and recreation COVID-19 support fund is now open. Tranche Two will have a focus on returning to play and assisting grassroots sporting clubs with their recommencement so they can get back to enjoying the benefits of community sports as Tasmania recovers and rebuilds from COVID-19. Total funding of $914,000 will be made available for clubs to access in order to purchase new equipment to improve the quality and safety of the sporting experience for its members, or to help fund requirements such as COVID-19 related signage and sanitisation stations. In addition to this support, our Government recently announced a $10 million Improving the Playing Field Fund, which will provide grants to local councils, sporting clubs and associations to improve playing facilities across Tasmania to maintain and build participation across sporting codes following the COVID-19 pandemic. This grant program will also provide a major stimulus to the construction industry across urban and regional Tasmania. Grants of between $25,000 and $250,000 will be made available for capital works such as; change rooms, toilets, shower facilities, accessibility, lighting, security, fencing, scoreboards, drainage and other civil construction works. Improving the Playing Field will support all participants – women and men of all ages, girls and boys– with applications now open. Lastly, our Ticket to Play Program has been a great success, allowing thousands of eligible young Tasmanians the opportunity to participate in their chosen sport. I was pleased to recently announce that we will be doubling the support available under the program from $100 to $200 for eligible applicants, aged from 5 to 17, to access the Ticket to Play voucher and engage in sport for potentially the very first time.
In recent weeks, we have also seen the Football Federation of Australia securing for the first time ever, the As One 2023 bid to jointly host the FIFA Women’s World Cup with New Zealand Football. The Tasmanian Government was very proud to have contributed to and supported the bid. This is a great win for Football in Australia and presents some excellent opportunities for Tasmanian fans to enjoy world-class football stars here in our state, with the possibility of three group stage matches at UTAS Stadium in Launceston. The Women’s World Cup is a major event on the international sports calendar. It has the ability to attract global media presence and significant broadcast audiences around the world, and we welcome the enhanced economic and social benefits this tournament will bring. In closing, I want to sincerely thank all Tasmanian sporting organisations, including players, coaches, officials, supporters and volunteers for their understanding and resilience during this difficult period. For further information on funding opportunities for participation in sport and active recreation in Tasmania, and to assist the ongoing development of Tasmania’s sport and recreation sector, you can visit the below link. www.communities.tas.gov.au/csr/sportrec/funding_grants
THA HOSPITALITY—REVIEW: SEPTEMBER 2020 | 32
THA HOSPITALITY—REVIEW: SEPTEMBER 2020 | 33
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