Ms FINOCCHIARO - 2014-05-14
The Country Liberals government’s successful Sport Voucher Scheme is being expanded to provide more opportunities for our children to live active and healthy lives. Can you please outline to the House how yesterday’s $5m boost for the scheme in the 2014 budget will help prevent drowning in the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for her question. The Northern Territory is leading the way in preventing drowning. We are setting national benchmarks and punching above our weight when it comes to this. We had a pretty rough start to 2014, with six children drowning and one tragic death of a toddler, so it is timely that the government steps up and invests in drowning prevention measures, which is where the focus is with our Sport Voucher Scheme.
Any child aged zero to five who is not yet enrolled in pre-school or school will be eligible for vouchers to use on learn to swim lessons only. The toddlers must have first completed the government’s free Water Safety Awareness program to be eligible for those new vouchers. It was a scheme introduced by the previous government in 2003, a very good scheme which has been warmly received, and we have now added to that, bolted on this great new scheme to the tune of around $5m with the Sport Voucher Scheme.
The Water Safety Awareness program provides five free water safety lessons for children aged zero to five. Since the program began, more than 9000 children under five have completed the scheme. Once they have completed the scheme, they are eligible for Learn to Swim Vouchers. Under the new scheme, toddlers and parents will be able to claim the $100 voucher twice a year if their child completes the Water Safety Awareness program.
Parents can apply each year for the vouchers until their child turns five or is enrolled in pre-school or school, after which they will be eligible for the Sport Voucher Scheme, which they can still use. For example, if they are five and are still not at school, they are eligible for the Sport Voucher Scheme, which they can roll into learn to swim programs.
It will kick in from 1 July 2014. The Northern Territory is leading the way with our drowning prevention measures. There have been 14 drowning deaths in the Northern Territory this financial year, with six in the first seven weeks of 2014, so it is a serious problem. Drowning is silent and, as parents, you would all know that if you turn your back for a second, it is very easy for your kids to get into trouble.
The new $200 Learn to Swim Vouchers will ease the financial burden on families. It is all part of easing the cost of living for Northern Territorians in the budget handed down by the Treasurer yesterday.
I urge all parents, if you have not put your kids through the Water Safety Awareness program, do so, then you can tap into the brand new Learn to Swim Vouchers.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for her question. The Northern Territory is leading the way in preventing drowning. We are setting national benchmarks and punching above our weight when it comes to this. We had a pretty rough start to 2014, with six children drowning and one tragic death of a toddler, so it is timely that the government steps up and invests in drowning prevention measures, which is where the focus is with our Sport Voucher Scheme.
Any child aged zero to five who is not yet enrolled in pre-school or school will be eligible for vouchers to use on learn to swim lessons only. The toddlers must have first completed the government’s free Water Safety Awareness program to be eligible for those new vouchers. It was a scheme introduced by the previous government in 2003, a very good scheme which has been warmly received, and we have now added to that, bolted on this great new scheme to the tune of around $5m with the Sport Voucher Scheme.
The Water Safety Awareness program provides five free water safety lessons for children aged zero to five. Since the program began, more than 9000 children under five have completed the scheme. Once they have completed the scheme, they are eligible for Learn to Swim Vouchers. Under the new scheme, toddlers and parents will be able to claim the $100 voucher twice a year if their child completes the Water Safety Awareness program.
Parents can apply each year for the vouchers until their child turns five or is enrolled in pre-school or school, after which they will be eligible for the Sport Voucher Scheme, which they can still use. For example, if they are five and are still not at school, they are eligible for the Sport Voucher Scheme, which they can roll into learn to swim programs.
It will kick in from 1 July 2014. The Northern Territory is leading the way with our drowning prevention measures. There have been 14 drowning deaths in the Northern Territory this financial year, with six in the first seven weeks of 2014, so it is a serious problem. Drowning is silent and, as parents, you would all know that if you turn your back for a second, it is very easy for your kids to get into trouble.
The new $200 Learn to Swim Vouchers will ease the financial burden on families. It is all part of easing the cost of living for Northern Territorians in the budget handed down by the Treasurer yesterday.
I urge all parents, if you have not put your kids through the Water Safety Awareness program, do so, then you can tap into the brand new Learn to Swim Vouchers.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016