House of Assembly Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3) 51 3 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Move It! Program MOVE IT! PROGRAM The Hon. S.W. KEY House of Assembly Ashford MOVE IT! PROGRAM The Hon. S.W. KEY (Ashford) (14:58): My question is to the Minister for Recreation, Sports and Racing. How is the government assisting South Australia and communities to become more involved in active recreation and sport? The Hon. M.J. WRIGHT House of Assembly Lee Minister for Police Minister for Emergency Services Minister for Recreation MOVE IT! PROGRAM The Hon. M.J. WRIGHT (Lee—Minister for Police, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:58): I thank the member for Ashford for her question and acknowledge her interest in this topic. I can inform the house that the 2009 round of the Move It! Making Communities Active program is now open to recreation and sporting organisations. There is $500,000 on offer in this funding round to worthy projects, which I am confident will deliver substantial outcomes for each of the targeted community groups. The Move It! program provides funds to community-based active recreation and sporting organisations to increase participation in, and access to, quality active recreation activities and services at the community, local and regional level. Eligible organisations are encouraged to submit projects that aim to change lifestyles over the long term by supporting people who are inactive to become active. This is a crucial element of the government's overall mission to increase the levels of participation in sport and recreation in South Australia. The Move It! program has as its basis the funding of programs that will increase participation in active recreation and sport. However, what makes the Move It! program even more effective is its funding of innovative solutions that address barriers to participation, such as a lack of transport and its targeting of specific population groups who have very low levels of participation. Support for these targeted groups has included funding for sports programs for indigenous youth in regional South Australia; programs for seniors; projects targeting people with physical and intellectual disabilities; and participation programs for women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Inactive people from low socioeconomic areas, the homeless and other marginalised sections of the population have also been successful. Since the introduction of Move It! in 2003-04, more than $3.5 million has been provided to the recreation and sport industry to support physical activity initiatives. Last year, 34 organisations received funding for a variety of programs. This year's funding round opened last Saturday and closes on 13 July, and we look forward to receiving more outstanding applications. I urge all members to encourage eligible organisations within their electorate to submit their applications for funding as we strive to get more people more active more often.