• Fair access is about sport and active recreation being available to everyone, so everyone can fully participate and reach their full potential.
• The policy will be the official position of Council and the City of Greater Bendigo and establish the key principles that govern decision-making on Fair Access.
• The action plan will be a list of actions that the City and clubs can try to achieve the policy principles.

We want sport and active recreation to be available to everyone. It is difficult for some people to take part in sport and active recreation. Fair, inclusive and safe opportunities can mean different things to different people. This project is about sharing experiences to identify opportunities to increase participation.

This project is about considering the needs of women, girls and gender diverse people, in addition to men and boys. It will also consider other factors that may affect a person participating, such as:

• age
• cultural background
• ability
• religion
• sexual orientation

Victorian Government’s Fair Access Policy Roadmap supports this project. Councils across Victoria will be developing Fair Access policies and action plans.

This project will develop actions for clubs and organisations to try to:

• reduce barriers
• create new participation opportunities.

This means new ways to attract participants, such as: players, volunteers and officials. It also helps clubs and organisations to remain eligible for funding opportunities.

Sport includes:

• informal sport e.g. playing tennis with a friend, and
• organised sport e.g. playing in a competition

Active recreation is leisure time, non-competitive, physical activity for exercise or enjoyment.

Examples of sport and active recreation include:

• Walking or running
• Hiking
• Swimming
• Gym
• Active Play (at playgrounds / play centre)
• Cycling/Bike riding
• AFL
• Group fitness classes (e.g. Aerobics, Yoga, Personal Training)
• Netball
• Fishing
• Basketball
• Golf
• Tennis
• Dancing/Ballet/Calisthenics
• Soccer
• Cricket

Participation includes a range of roles, such as: player, volunteer, committee member, umpire, official, spectator. We want to hear from you even if you don't currently or always participate in sport or active recreation.