Sports Vouchers Program

Mr McBRIDE (MacKillop) (14:47): My question is to the Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing—and I am sorry, she has been a busy minister this afternoon. Will the minister expand the Sports Vouchers program to include young people in years 10, 11 and 12? Mr Deputy Speaker, with your leave and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr McBRIDE: The Sports Vouchers program, while welcome, provides $100 discounts to assist with a range of activities for children in reception to year 9. The state government's Recreation, Sport and Racing Strategic Plan 2021-2025 found that only 14 per cent of young people were meeting the National Physical Activity Guidelines. Expanding the program to include older children will help keep them active and assist parents with the cost-of-living crisis.

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD (Reynell—Minister for Child Protection, Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:48): Thank you so much to the member for MacKillop for his question and also for his really long-term, enduring and deep commitment to sporting clubs in his community and to how we can grow the participation of children and young people in sport and recreation and have them experience all the benefits that that brings.

I know that the member for MacKillop continues to be very active in the sporting world himself; I think he is umpiring some finals this weekend, which is wonderful. I know you have been a long-term advocate for all the benefits of children and young people being involved in sport and recreation—the physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing benefits. I share that passion for doing what we can for children and young people, including those children and young people who are most disadvantaged in our community. I am very committed to helping to ensure they have those same opportunities to experience those benefits.

One of the programs that has been so successful in helping to break down barriers to participation and the experiencing of those many benefits is our Sports Vouchers program. As I know the house knows, this program was introduced in 2015 and, since that time, more than 650,000 vouchers have been claimed at a value of about $54 million, which is just brilliant. What I can tell you is that, since 2015, there has been a various evolution of the program. At various times it has been expanded to include year 8s and year 9s. It also went from $50 to $100. It was expanded to include dance and Learn to Swim.

Most recently, in the last budget, I was so proud—and it has been so incredibly well received—that we have now doubled the Sports Vouchers program so that a child can receive two vouchers or $200 worth of vouchers every year and, also, it has been expanded to include music. As we know, many young people experience those benefits of being involved and being active through playing an instrument, being part of a choir or a band or being involved in whichever way they choose. I am really proud that, from 1 January, that doubling and that expansion will occur.

What I can also tell the member for MacKillop is that we have been very conscious about the need to continue to look at the sports voucher and how we can expand it. The Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing has recently partnered with the University of South Australia to develop an evaluation framework for the sports vouchers, given they have been in, and been successful, for that period of time. That framework will analyse any barriers to and the cost of participation so that it can help us inform any future expansion and make sure that we target any future expansion to where those vouchers are needed the most. I look forward to continuing our conversation. I welcome any ideas about what we can consider in terms of any future expansions, and I will certainly keep the member for MacKillop updated.