FairPlay QLD Government Sport Vouchers: Are You Eligible?

This article will give you the information you need to know about the FairPlay QLD Sport Vouchers.

Are you looking to find out more about FairPlay Government Sports Vouchers? We know that right now family finances are being stretched and this scheme is here to help!

Thousands of young Queenslanders can kickstart their favourite sport or activity as the State Government’s FairPlay vouchers has launched!

Each year FairPlay supports up to 50,000 Queensland parents, carers and guardians with children aged five to 17 to receive a voucher valued up to $150.

This will help low-income families experiencing cost-of-living pressures to access sport and active recreation programs.

Parents, carers and guardians who hold a current Services Australia Health Care Card or a Pensioner Concession Card are encouraged to apply.

More than 177,000 FairPlay Vouchers have been redeemed since the program’s inception in 2019.

An investment of more than $26 million contributed towards reducing the cost of sports memberships, registration or participation fees.

FairPlay is part of a suite of Palaszczuk Government initiatives aimed at helping Queenslanders with national cost-of-living pressures.

Clubs and active recreation providers participating in or wanting to participate in FairPlay can find more information at www.qld.gov.au/fairplayvouchers.

SwimStart, as announced in May, is a new program opening in late 2023 to assist parents to introduce Queensland kids 0 to 4 years to swimming.

Eligible parents, carers, or guardians can now register their interest in SwimStart vouchers, which will have a value of up to $150.

Register your interest and be kept up to date on SwimStart at: www.qld.gov.au/recreation/sports/funding/swimstart.

Sport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said:

“We know getting young Queenslanders involved in community sport or active recreation helps improve their long-term health and wellbeing.

“We don’t want to see financial circumstances be a barrier to young Queenslanders getting on a team, connecting with friends, and staying active and healthy.

“A FairPlay voucher could be a game-changer for a young athlete with aspirations of representing their country at the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.

There are many sports and activities to choose from including cricket, tennis, football, basketball, netball, scouts, roller skating, equestrian, canoeing, BMX, cheer-leading, and martial arts.

Am I eligible for the FairPlay government sport vouchers?

Parents, carers or guardians can apply for a voucher valued up to $150 for their child/young person. These vouchers can be used towards the cost of membership, registration and/or participation fees for eligible activities with registered physical activity providers. There is a limit of 1 voucher per child per calendar year.

You can apply if your child:

• is a Queensland resident aged from 5 to 17 years (inclusive) at the time of application.
• did not receive a FairPlay voucher this year.
• holds, or whose parent, carer or guardian holds, a valid Department of Human Services Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card with the child’s name on it.

Important note: If you are experiencing financial hardship but don’t meet the eligibility criteria, you can seek to apply through a registered referral agent.

To find out if your family is eligible for the FairPlay vouchers make contact using the information below. 

Referral agents

Registered referral agents assist families in genuine financial need to access FairPlay vouchers.

If you have previously been approved as a referral agent for the Get Started Vouchers program, you do not need to re-register for FairPlay. The government will contact existing providers with further information about the next round of FairPlay.

All new referral agents will need to complete an online registration for FairPlay.

Find out more

More information is available at this link.

• call 13QGOV
• email fairplayvouchers@npsr.qld.gov.au

What sport and recreation clubs are participating?

There are thousands of registered activity providers onboard across the state with a sport or activity to help young Queenslanders get involved in 2024. More are being added all the time. For a full list of the clubs, which you can sort by postcode and/or sport, click here.

Using the FairPlay government sports vouchers

Once you have determined that your chosen club accepts the vouchers and you have received your voucher, you then must present the voucher to your chosen club.

• Ensure the club is on the list as one that accepts the vouchers.
• Present to the club at time of registration and before the expiry date.
• The voucher will cover the costs of membership and/or participation up to the value of $150. You will be expected to cover any costs outside of that figure. 

Remember, vouchers are issued on a first come first served basis and there are a limited number of vouchers allocated per round. Once they run out, there are no further vouchers, so get in quick!