Activity day highlights the growing importance of outdoor recreation in WA
DLGSC hosted its annual Industry Activity Day, an event that brings together stakeholders from both local and state government agencies with the outdoor recreation sector.
This year's event was held at the Herdsman Discovery Centre in Wembley and included a trail walk for participants showcasing the extensive community benefits that outdoor active recreation offers.
More than 80 attendees participated in a guided educational “walk and learn” session, which included a Welcome to Country from Mr Neville Collard.
The day serves as a platform for connecting State Government with the outdoor active recreation industry and provides an opportunity to share information, launch new initiatives, and reinforce the role of outdoor recreation in improving physical, mental, and social wellbeing.
To further boost participation, DLGSC also announced funding of $600,000 available under 2 grants programs — Outdoor Active Recreation Participation and Hiking Participation. Grants of up to $25,000 for hiking and $50,000 for outdoor active projects are open to community, sporting and recreation groups as well as local governments.
Hiking has seen a recent significant rise in popularity, with approximately 211,000 Western Australians participating in bushwalking in 2022–23, a 41% increase from the previous year. This growth underscores the importance of hiking as both a recreational activity and a means to improve physical and mental health.
The day also marked the launch of Outdoors October, a month-long campaign aimed at promoting the benefits of outdoor activities. Now in its 11th year, Outdoors October is hosted by Outdoors WA and supported by DLGSC. The theme for 2024, "Get Outside for Mental Health," focuses on the connection between outdoor recreation and mental well-being.
Outdoors WA CEO Neil Le Febvre said global scientific research highlights the very real links between engaging in the outdoors and improved physical and mental health.
“Just two hours a week in nature has been found to be the gold standard for improving your health so it’s great to see government supporting initiatives that will encourage more people to get outside.” Neil said.
In addition to launching Outdoors October, the Industry Activity Day unveiled the WA Hiking Trail Management Guidelines — a joint project led by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) in partnership with DLGSC — which provides direction for the development and management of hiking trails in WA.