Western Australian Minister for Sport and Recreation Mick Murray has revealed how a first-hand insight at the Shooting Stars site in Mullewa has been one of the highlights of his term of Government.
An initiative of Netball WA and Glass Jar Australia, Shooting Stars is an educational program that uses netball and other tools as vehicles to achieve its primary vision of increasing school attendance rates for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls living in WA’s remote communities and regional towns.
The program now boasts more than 350 students across eight delivery sites, of which Mullewa is one.
Speaking at the announcement of the new naming rights for the Gold Netball Centre, Minister Murray detailed an inspirational visit he made to Mullewa District High School in December 2017.
The Minister’s experience included watching a game of netball, a tour of the Shooting Stars Room, and a presentation and Welcome to Country in the Library, with some fantastic speeches from student leaders.
“It was one of highlights of my term of Government,” Minister Murray said.
“The kids were playing outside and the integration between the whole group was really something.”
“They went from 40 per cent school attendance to 70 per cent.”
“You think about that, what you’ve contributed there.”
“It was one of the special moments that I’ve seen in sport and indigenous sport. Mullewa – predominantly indigenous kids out there – increasing school attendance from 40 per cent to 70 per cent and one of those girls is now going on to university, so well done.”
Shooting Stars Executive Officer Fran Haintz said it spoke volumes that the Minister’s visit had left such a lasting impression.
“It was fantastic to have Minister Murray visit our Mullewa site,” Haintz said.
“We are proud of the outcomes we are achieving all across the State and it’s wonderful that the Minister is so supportive of what we do.”
“We’ve long enjoyed a strong relationship with the State Government, and look forward to that continuing into the future.”
