-
669 talented athletes provided with travel assistance
-
$319,227 provided in latest round of the Athlete Travel Subsidy Scheme
-
Supported by Royalties for Regions
More than 660 talented athletes from across Western Australia will be given a helping hand to train, travel and compete, thanks to the latest round of subsidies from the State Government’s Athlete Travel Subsidy Scheme.
Sport and Recreation Minister Mia Davies said the scheme was designed to assist families with young athletes aspiring to represent WA and ultimately Australia.
“The subsidy offsets out-of-pocket travel and accommodation costs associated with attending eligible training camps and competitions within the sport’s official talent development pathway at a regional, State and national level,” she said.
The program supports athletes registered with a State sporting association and aged between 13 and 21. Since 2013, $1.49 million has been provided to 3,287 athletes in 75 sports.
“Travelling to train and compete can be expensive so these subsidies make travel a little more easier,” Ms Davies said.
Of the 669 successful recipients in this round, 418 were metropolitan athletes who received $152,400 and 251 regional athletes received $166,827.
Administered by the Department of Sport and Recreation over four-years, the $2.75 million Athlete Travel Subsidy Scheme is part of the Supporting Community Sport Initiative. $1 million is earmarked for metropolitan athletes and an extra $1.75 million is funded from the State Government’s Royalties for Regions Program to support regional athletes.
Regional Development Minister Terry Redman said Royalties for Regions was helping to improve opportunities for regional athletes, as sport and recreation played a central role in creating vibrant and sustainable communities.
“Many regional athletes are excluded from State and national representation at sporting events due to ongoing travel requirements and associated costs. It is important talented young people are given representative opportunities regardless of where they live,” Mr Redman said.
Fact File
-
The next round opens on September 12, 2016 for eligible events, with start dates from May 15 to December 15, 2016
-
For more information, visit http://www.dsr.wa.gov.au/funding/individuals/athlete-travel-subsidy-scheme
