The government in Queensland, Australia, has established a AUD 45 million fund to make sure local sport and active recreation facilities are safe, accessible, inclusive and more efficient.

The program supports projects that upgrade facilities to meet local community activity.

There are two categories for eligible projects:

• Inclusive and Accessible – changerooms and amenities that meet universal design principles.
• Safe, Quality and Efficient – field of play and ancillary facilities to meet activity requirements at a community level.

Organisations eligible for funding are:

• registered with an Australian Business Number (ABN); and
• deliver or coordinate an eligible activity/ies; and
• operate as a not-for-profit, local, regional or multi activity sport or active recreation organisation (with an objective of sport or active recreation) that is incorporated under one of:
o Associations Incorporation Act 1981 (Queensland)
o Corporations Act 2001 (Commonwealth)
o Co-operatives National Law Act 2020
o Corporations (Aboriginal & Torres Strait) Act 2006 (Commonwealth); or
• is a Queensland local government; or
• is an incorporated sport or active recreation State Level Organisation managing infrastructure or auspicing an affiliate organisation, with infrastructure for local community use where there is not a professional team in residence; or
• is a National Sport Organisation operating in Queensland under a governance model recognised by the Australian Sports Commission, managing infrastructure or auspicing an affiliate organisation, with infrastructure for local community use where there is not a professional team in residence; or
• is a State-wide, multi-location sport and active recreation organisation, whose branches/sites are not separately incorporated.

Key dates

The application window opens on 27 September and closes on 16 November 5pm AEST. Successful projects will be announced in March 2024. The projects will have to be completed by November 2025.

Funding

Projects must align to one of the below funding categories:
• Inclusive and accessible – $30 million for new and upgraded changerooms and amenities that meet universal design principals or
• Safe quality and efficient – $15 million for new, upgraded and end-of-life field of play and ancillary facilities to meet activity requirements at a community level.

More information can be found here.