Supporting equitable access to sport and recreation

Published on 04 June 2024

Council has endorsed the Melbourne East Region Sport and Recreation Fair Access Policy.

The four-year policy was developed collaboratively by six Eastern Region Councils - Knox, Manningham, Maroondah, Monash, Whitehorse and Yarra Ranges. It aims to ensure a consistent, fair approach to the allocation of community sport and recreation infrastructure across the Eastern Region while implementing principles of the Victorian Government’s Fair Access Policy Roadmap.

Mayor of Maroondah, Councillor Kylie Spears, said the Fair Access Policy also aims to address barriers known to be experienced by women, girls, transgender and gender diverse people when accessing and using community sports and recreation infrastructure.

“Council is pleased to endorse the Melbourne East Region Sport and Recreation Fair Access Policy, in collaboration with our fellow Eastern Region Councils.

“While recent trends show there has been a significant increase in girls and women participating in sport and recreation activities across Victoria, feedback has also shown that gender inequity continues to be a major barrier, with women and girls in traditionally male-dominated sports often being denied access to premium sporting infrastructure or given access at inconvenient times,” Cr Spears said.

“By identifying and addressing participation barriers such as these, the Fair Access Policy will help support gender equitable access to sporting and recreation facilities in Maroondah and throughout the Eastern Region while also fostering a culture of gender equality for everyone in our communities.”

Each Council in the Eastern Region will implement the Fair Access Policy’s principles in their municipality while using diverse approaches and working in partnership with local and state sports and recreation leagues, associations and clubs to achieve gender equality for people of all genders. 

The Fair Access Policy follows on from the Melbourne East Regional Sport and Recreation Strategy, which was also developed by the Eastern Region Councils and endorsed in December 2022.

You can read more about the Melbourne East Region Sport and Recreation Strategy Fair Access Policy in the agenda and the attachments from Council’s meeting on 27 May 2024.