MINISTER FOR RACING & SPORT
The Hon. Jane Howlett - MLC
I am extremely pleased to be able to continue on as the Minister for Sport and Recreation. Since taking on this role last year, I have gained a very strong understanding of the importance that sport plays in the lives of so many Tasmanians, with positive impacts on physical and mental health, community and social wellbeing. In many cases, sport is the glue that brings communities together. Our Government has a clear Plan to secure Tasmania’s future and invest in the sporting infrastructure the State needs. There is a lot of work to do over the next four years, and we have hit the ground running to deliver the best outcomes possible for sporting clubs and organisations around Tasmania. We are working with Football Tasmania to deliver $10 million of facility upgrades at key soccer locations around the state. Our investment in upgrading facilities will create significant opportunities to develop our local talent, while creating jobs and providing economic benefits to Tasmania. It will also help Tasmania’s push to host camps for international sides during the Women’s World Cup in 2023, further helping to showcase Tasmania and inspiring women and girls to play the world game. We’re doubling the value of our Ticket to Play voucher program, which has now seen more than 14,000 vouchers issued under the 2020-21 program. These vouchers provide assistance for families on fixed incomes that may struggle with the costs associated with joining a sporting club. Every young Tasmanian deserves to lead an active and healthy lifestyle and we will do everything we can to encourage and support them to achieve this.
We are also doubling our ‘Improving the Playing Field’ Grants Program to assist with upgrades to change rooms, toilets and shower facilities, lighting, security, fencing, parking, scoreboards, drainage and other works. We’ve committed tens of millions of dollars to upgrade our major sports stadiums so that Tasmanians can continue to enjoy elite level sports, while also providing funds to upgrade community sports facilities around the State. As part of our new Stadiums Trust, we will also investigate the feasibility and location for a new rectangular stadium in the south of the state. We will also provide a $10 million Solar Power Sports Club no-interest loan scheme for solar system installation including hot water and/or batteries, to help sporting clubs save money on their energy bills. These are just a few examples of the commitments made by our Government to ensure that Tasmanians have the opportunity to participate in sport and recreation activities, and have access to the modern fit for purpose facilities that they deserve.
We know that sporting clubs and organisations around Tasmania are counting on our Government to deliver and that’s exactly what we intend to do.
MInister Howlett presenting the 2020-21 Women in Sport Coaching Scholarship to Hobart’s Amanda Punch (swimming) and Launceston’s Danielle Carstens (netball)
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