A hockey festival in the Wheatbelt, a community event featuring Commonwealth Games champions, and a wind surfing championship in Carnarvon are just three events that are due to go ahead thanks to the State Government's Country Sport Enrichment Scheme.
In all, six initiatives will share $85,000 in funding, including:
- $10,000 to the Broome Barracudas Swimming Club to conduct a WAIS swimming camp in the Kimberley in October 2020, which will include swim clinics for young athletes, coaching sessions for club coaches and community engagement;
- $20,000 to the Commonwealth Games Australia (WA Division) to stage the Champions 2 Country in the Pilbara in November 2020. The initiative involves Games champions conducting school visits, coaching clinics and club/community skill clinics;
- $15,000 to help stage the Carnarvon Windfest in January 2021, a windsurfing and kitesurfing event which will attract participants from around Western Australia;
- $22,000 to the West Coast Fever netball club to enable it to play a pre-season event in Kalgoorlie in March 2021;
- $10,000 for the WA Hockey Association to stage the Wheatbelt Festival of Hockey in Northam in May 2021, which will include a Premier League hockey match along with community initiatives to increase participation and capacity-building opportunities; and
- $8,000 to Netball WA to hold a Netball League match in the Wheatbelt town of Pingelly in July 2021.
The Country Sport Enrichment Scheme is administered by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.
The scheme provides support to organisations to deliver high-level events or competitions or provide access to sport development opportunities for regional Western Australia.
It also aims to conduct international, national or State sporting events or competitions in regional Western Australia, as well as utilising elite athletes to promote the benefits of sport and physical activity and deliver sport development opportunities in regional WA.
As stated by Sport and Recreation Minister Mick Murray:
"I am very pleased that this scheme will enable athletes around Western Australia to either take part in elite events or to take their skills to the next level.
"Some of our greatest athletes and sports stars come from WA's regions, and this scheme will not only help them develop but it will help inspire other members of their communities to become more physically active."
