More kids will be walking, scooting and riding their bike to school thanks to the Allan Labor Government's Kids Active Travel Program which is inspiring healthy lifestyles for young Victorians.
Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence was joined by Member for Greenvale Iwan Walters today to announce four new projects in Hume, Melton, Geelong and Bendigo that will encourage active travel to and from primary school.
One of the projects, Park It, is delivered by Outdoors Victoria in partnership with Hume City Council and local schools and encourages families to drop off and pick up their children at local parks close to school where they walk the rest of the way in a group.
The program will also be ramping up in Bendigo, Geelong and Melton to support primary schools in disadvantaged areas with a variety of initiatives such as travel friendly technology and facilities including bike parking and storage, safety education programs and signage to promote safe travel routes to school.
The program builds on other Labor Government initiatives announced in the Victorian Budget 2024/25 aimed at getting young Victorians moving throughout the day, including Active Schools and the Get Active Kids Voucher Program.
The Kids Active Travel Program prioritises projects for primary schools in areas with high levels of social disadvantage and aims to inspire healthy lifestyle habits from a young age.
Results from the program will be captured and used to inform future active travel initiatives at other schools around the state.
For latest information about the program and successful grant recipients visit sport.vic.gov.au.
As stated by Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence
"We're determined to reverse the trend of one in four kids not getting enough exercise - walking, scooting or riding a bike to school is a great active way for kids to start the day."
"The new Kids Active Travel Program will help families in disadvantaged communities break the habit of driving to school and empower kids to get active more often."
As stated by Member for Greenvale Iwan Walters
"The times before and after school are so busy for families, which is why it's great to see this program helping young people in Greenvale to incorporate exercise into their daily journeys to and from school."
As stated by CEO of Outdoors Victoria Andrew Knight
"Thanks to this boost we can now set in motion some great new local activities that aim to create more accessible, safe and healthy ways for kids to be more active in their local community."
