Canberra has remained the most active community in Australia for the past ten years according to independent national research released today.

The Exercise, Recreation and Sport Survey (ERASS) is a joint initiative of the Australian Sports Commission and the state and territory governments. The survey started in 2001 and measures the frequency, nature and type of activities of persons aged 15 years and over for exercise, recreation and sport during the 12 months prior to interview.

ERASS 2010 shows:

• 87.8 per cent of Canberrans are participating in some form of exercise, recreation or sport - up from 83.4 per cent in 2001 and up 5.5 per cent on the national average
• 86,000 Canberrans participated at least five times a week representing 30.7 per cent of Canberrans aged 15 years or more
• 22.8 per cent of Canberrans participated three times a week

The ACT Labor Government invests heavily in helping Canberrans gain the benefits of an active healthy lifestyle.

Minister Andrew Barr started the annual Minister’s Physical Activity Challenge (now known as Active Kids Challenge) to help primary school aged kids to be active at school and develop the habits that will help them become active and healthy adults. That’s why we are investing in programs to ensure older Canberrans continue to stay active through programs such as Actively Ageing.

And that’s why we are investing more than any previous ACT Government in building and upgrading sporting facilities such as the Lyneham Sports Precinct, a multi-purpose playing field and aquatic centre at Gungahlin and developing plans for new facilities in the Molonglo Valley.