The Sport and Recreation Minister, Hon.Terry Waldron, and his advisor Michael Cutler, recently attended a WASF Board meeting and a breakfast meeting with profile one State Sport Associations.

The WASF Board meeting provided the Minister with the opportunity to present his observations of his first six months in Office and answer questions from the Board.

The Minister covered a range of topics during his presentation including: 

• Sport and recreation facilities in WA including delaying a decision on a major stadium development and implication for other projects
• CSRFF funding being extended to $20 million for each of the next four years
• The Review of Sport and Recreation in Regional WA - The Watson Report
• The re-opening of Logue Brook Dam
• The State Trail Bike Strategy
• The upgrade of Barbagello Raceway
• The desire to build stronger relationships with the Federal Government

During the meeting, the Minister congratulated WASF for the successful staging of the 2008 ANZ Sports Star Awards, and its continued support to the sport and recreation industry.

Mike Allenby, WASF Chairman, thanked the Minister for his attendance and acknowledged his commitment and enthusiasm for the sport and recreation portfolio.

The first Ministers breakfast meeting for 2009 took place on 18 March for profile one sport and recreation organisations. These forums offer the industry an opportunity to be updated about key items and raise questions.

The opportunity to consult with sport and recreation organisations is highly valued by the Minister and he will continue to attend breakfast meetings throughout the year. A range of issues were discussed during the meeting, including:

• Exploring the benefits of linking the sport and recreation industry with the health agenda
• The strong social and community benefits of sport and recreation
• The importance of local decision making to address local needs
• The access to National Parks and other areas for sport and recreation groups

WASF looks forward to continuing our relationship and regular contact with the Minister to enable future development in the industry.

The Blue Ribbon Clubs Launch was held on Friday 13 March at the City of Bayswater Civic Centre.  The Blue Ribbons Club program is an incentive based accreditation scheme which provides clubs and groups with the skills and knowledge required for a well managed club. 

This joint program with the Cities of Bayswater and Swan involves approximately 160 sporting clubs and community based sporting groups.  Mayor Magro, City of Bayswater and Mayor Zannino, City of Swan attended the program launch (pictured below).

WA Sports Federation supports this excellent initiative that provides training for community club personnel.  Clubs are assessed, educated and then practice a wide range of good club management areas - from alcohol management and health promotion through to budgeting and planning, good governance and club administration practices.

When clubs have completed all sections in the Blue Ribbons Program they will complete an online survey and meet with a Blue Ribbon Officer who will confirm that all aspects of the program have been adequately completed by the club.

This program advocates the importance of providing healthy, sustainable and community orientated clubs through the generic tool - Blue Ribbon.  The initiative provides clubs with both tangible and non tangible benefits which makes the program more appealing.

Blue Ribbon status will enable clubs to leverage further sponsorship, funding and membership opportunities.

For more information about the Blue Ribbon Clubs contact Leigh Cover leighc@bayswater.wa.gov.au or 9272 0976. 

'Gaining the Edge' will be theme of the 2009 Northern Regions Recreation Conference, to be held on 26 May at Cable Beach Club Resort in Broome.

Anyone interested in issues affecting Northern WA now and in the future are encouraged to attend the conference.

Presenters include Mrs Carol Martin MLA, Member for Kimberley; Paul Rosair, Director Major Regional Projects, Department of Local Government and Regional Development and Jenn Moris, Chair of Healthway.

For more information about the conference click here.

The Department of Sport and Recreation offer a range of training opportunities for the sport and recreation industry.  The upcoming courses include:

Presenter/Facilitator Training Course -  5 April 2009.

This recently developed course will provide an opportunity for sport and recreation organisations that wish to train their presenters, but do not want to pursue the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.  This course will be an informative forum and is designed for the beginner and experienced presenter. READ MORE

Dealing with Conflict and Difficult People Seminar - 5 May 2009

Whether your role is that of an umpire, referee, coach or administrator, you will find this seminar very helpful.  You will be presented with the opportunity to share experiences and find solutions to situations.  READ MORE

Member Protection Information Officer Course - April and May 2009

This revised course provides members of sport and recreation organisations with an opportunity to increase their understanding of harassment, discrimination and how to create safe environments in sport and recreation and to learn practical skills to take on a Member Protection Information Officer role.  READ MORE

For any further information about training opportunities contact Jonelle Burns jonelle.burns@dsr.wa.gov.au

WA Sports Federation has been working with the Heart Foundation to encourage working West Australians to invest their $900 tax bonus in their future by spending the funds on health and wellbeing.

WA Sports Federation and the Heart Foundation have been advocating the message that using the additional household funds to support sport, active recreation and physical activity pursuits is a smart way to invest in future health and well being.

Rob Thompson, WA Sports Federation, said the tax bonus provided a timely opportunity to pay for sport and recreation activities.

"The tax bonuses can stimulate the economy and kick-start a new wave of activity in Western Australia" Rob Thompson said.

"Purchasing sport equipment or clothing, joining sport and active recreation clubs, or investing in some sport coaching can have positive benefits for both individuals and families.

"This bonus can help build local community networks as more people can afford to participate in community sport and recreation."

Trevor Shilton, Director of Cardiovascular Health at the Heart Foundation, said an investment in physical activity could actually save money in the longer term for those families under financial pressure.

"These are tough financial times for some families, and the tax bonuses can help ease the pressure in some household budgets to enable investments in future health," Mr Shilton said.

"Being active does not need to cost much and can sometimes actually save people money.

"For example, the tax bonus could be used to purchase bikes which can reduce the overall costs of parking and transport if people choose to cycle to work, school or the shops.

The Heart Foundation and the WA Sports Federation agreed that participation in sport, active recreation and physical activity could be positive for the health and wellbeing of people and families if they face uncertain times ahead.

"When people and families are under financial stress, participating in sport or active recreation can improve overall wellbeing and improve relationships" Mr Thompson said.

"Whether that is joining a club, a walking group or visiting the park as a family, people can find strength and friendship in their community"

The cost of physical inactivity in Western Australia is estimated at $1.5 billion each year but this is expected to increase exponentially over the next 10 years given the ageing population and upward trend in obesity and chronic disease.

The Federal Government's $900 tax bonus for single income families commenced on 11 March 2009. The tax bonus for working Australians will be paid from April 2009.

WA Sports Federation encourages all Members to advocate this message to its members and the wider communities of WA.

The NIB Foundation Community Grants program is now open!

The Community Grants will provide one-off support for local health-focused programs that will make a difference to health and wellbeing for the community. Organisations keen to establish locally-based initiatives which will make a difference to wellbeing of the community are sought through this program.

For 2009, preference will be given to programs which are Hunter region-based and which focus on one of the following areas:

• Wellbeing - promoting physical fitness, nutrition, mental and social wellbeing of the community
• Equity and Access - enabling those living in regional, rural and remote areas to participate in activities which enhance their quality of life
• Education and Training - providing widespread access to resources and information to improve community awareness of health-related issues

Although the Hunter region is identified as a priority area, organisations in Western Australia are still eligiable to apply.

Applications close on Friday 17 April 2009.  For more information see http://nibfoundation.com.au/community_grants.html