Young volleyball stars spiked from national event
UPDATE: Government red tape was preventing hundreds of students from Brighton Secondary School from getting to their national volleyball tournament. I was successful in calling on the bureaucracy to get out of the way and let these students enjoy what they’ve been training towards for years!
MEDIA RELEASE
The Opposition is calling on the Malinauskas Labor Government to step in and support hundreds of young volleyball players who are set to miss out on the largest school-based sporting event in the Southern Hemisphere due to excessive bureaucratic government restrictions.
Families with children who participate in specialist volleyball programs at Brighton Secondary School and Heathfield High School were informed late last week that only four teams from each school will be able to participate in the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup on the Gold Coast later this year, following a “risk assessment”.
Leader of the Opposition David Speirs said on the surface the decision appeared to be over the top.
“It’s disappointing hundreds of students are about to miss out on a major opportunity due to bureaucracy gone mad,” Mr Speirs said.
“Families have told me how devastating it was being unable to attend this important and prestigious event over the past two years due to COVID, but curbing the number that can attend this year’s competition makes very little sense.
“Peter Malinauskas has shown he’s quite happy to quickly to step in and overturn decisions when it comes to events like music festivals.
“I’m now urging him to step up and support our rising sports stars of the future.”
Shadow Minister for Education, Training and Skills John Gardner said the opportunity to compete in this national competition is a huge drawcard for the Special Interest Volleyball Program.
“Brighton Secondary and Heathfield High are renowned for their volleyball programs with many graduates going on to compete at the Olympics, so it’s heartbreaking to hear hundreds of students are set to be overlooked for an opportunity they’ve trained so hard for,” Mr Gardner said.
“This is a big milestone in these students’ schooling journeys, so I hope some common sense prevails and all kids who are eligible are given the chance to attend.”
