SPORT PARTICIPATION FIGURES

Ms BETTISON (Ramsay) (15:01): My question is to the Minister for Recreation and Sport. Can the minister inform the house of the latest sport participation figures?

The Hon. R.B. Such: A quantum leap.

The Hon. T.R. KENYON (Newland—Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for Recreation and Sport) (15:01): These figures are very good, thank you, member for Fisher—participation in rugby is going very well. I thank the member for Ramsay for her question. It has long been a goal of this government to maximise the number of South Australians leading an active, healthy lifestyle, and participating in sport and recreation. The health benefits of an active lifestyle are well documented, and I am pleased to inform the house today that efforts such as the Be Active campaign are starting to produce some great results. The latest ABS General Social Survey figures show that the participation rate of South Australians in sport and recreation is above the national average.

A survey conducted in 2010 indicated that an impressive 76 per cent of South Australian adults participated in a sport or recreational activity, compared with 74 per cent across the rest of Australia. On top of this fantastic participation figure, our love of sport was clearly evident in a number of other survey results, which had South Australia measuring above the national average: 41 per cent of South Australian adults participated in a sport or physical recreation group; and 18 per cent did unpaid voluntary work for a sport or physical recreation organisation. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them very much for their work in our community. They contribute to our community, they help build a better community and, again, I thank them for it. Sixty per cent attended a sporting event, compared with the national average of 56 per cent.

These are really promising results, and a credit to this state's sport and recreation clubs, which are clearly providing an engaging experience for their members and participants. Despite these strong results, the state government will continue its work as part of our strong commitment to increasing the participation rate of South Australians in physical activity. Two of the most important avenues for grassroots sports clubs to access funding assistance, the $2.35 million Active Club program, and the $7.195 million Community Rec and Sport Facilities program, are currently open, and I urge all members to encourage their local clubs to think about projects that will help them get more people involved in sport, and to get their club applications in before the 30 April closing date.