Sport
4 July, 2024
Council adopts draft Fair Access Policy
The Central Goldfields Shire Council has adopted its first draft Fair Access Policy, in line with the Victorian Government roadmap which was introduced this week. The policy is an Australian first, which is designed to ensure that all people are...

The Central Goldfields Shire Council has adopted its first draft Fair Access Policy, in line with the Victorian Government roadmap which was introduced this week.
The policy is an Australian first, which is designed to ensure that all people are given sufficient access to community sports facilities and infrastructure.
The goals of the policy, as written by the Central Goldfields Shire Council, are outlined as follows:
Community sports infra-structure and environment are genuinely welcoming, safe and inclusive
Women and girls, men and boys, gender diverse people, and people with disability will have opportunities to participate in all aspects of community sport and active recreation
Women and girls, men and boys, gender diverse people, and people with disability with have equitable access to and use of community sport infrastructure
Women and girls, men and boys, gender diverse people, and people with disability should be equitably represented in leadership and governance roles
Encourage and support all user groups who access and use community sport infrastructure to understand, adopt and implement access, and use policies that support gender equity, participants with diverse needs and overcoming access issues
Provide support and, where achievable, prioritise access to council resources to all user groups who demonstrate an ongoing commitment to equitable access and use of allocated community sport infrastructure.
The Fair Access Policy was endorsed at the council meeting on June 25, and community feedback on the policy is now encouraged until 3 pm on Friday, July 19, via www.engage.cgoldshire.vic.gov.au/accessforall.
The website will invite women, girls, and LGBTQI+ women to share their experiences in participating in sport, which will also help provide a greater framework around future editions of the Fair Access Policy.
The Council Recreation team will also work with sporting clubs and community groups to educate on fair access and how the policy affects them.
Mayor Liesbeth Long said the draft was an important mile- stone for sporting clubs across the district.
“Physical activity and exercise are so important for our health and wellbeing and for that reason we want to see as many people as possible being active,” she said.
“To do this, we need to break down some of the barriers to participation that we know many in our community are experiencing — particularly women and girls, gender diverse people and people with disability.
“The Fair Access Policy will bring about positive change as it will give us the actions both council and our local sporting clubs need to take to ensure local sport is accessible to everyone.
“We encourage our community to take the time to read the Draft Policy and provide feedback. At the same time, we’d also love to hear from women, girls and LGBTQI+ women about what their experiences are.
“Your experiences will not only help inform future actions of the Fair Access Policy but also a program of events and activities that will feature as part of This Girl Can week later in the year”.