My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Sport, Recreation and Youth Affairs, James Merlino. It is in relation to the Significant Sporting Events program. As detailed on the Department of Planning and Community Development’s website, the Significant Sporting Events program will assist sporting, community and event organisations to deliver significant sporting events in Victoria. The program will provide funding to support events that are regionally significant or national or international in focus and are recognised by the relevant sporting authority.
Members may be aware of such events in their own electorates. In the Western Victoria Region an event called the South West Games has been running for 27 years and has grown to become an integral part of the south-west region’s sporting culture.
The South West Games is a regional multisport event that has in recent years involved over 6000 participants aged between 6 years and 100 years. It is recognised that the event generates in excess of $600 000 in direct economic benefit to the south-west region and provides a club development program for participating clubs.
The continuation of and support for these events is vital for community development and grassroots sport and vital for providing opportunities to interact and stay healthy for people of all ages and abilities. I congratulate the minister on making this grants program available. Applications for the Significant Sporting Events program are closed and are now in the process of being considered.
The South West Games are held in early November each year, and thus planning is well and truly under way for the event.
I am also aware that other applications are in for other events that will be held shortly. Therefore I ask the minister if applications can be sorted to identify imminent events and if the consideration of these applications can be fast-tracked. This will help organisations running the events that will be held in the near future to be aware of the result of their applications as soon as possible so they can plan around the outcome.