Portfolio — 22 August 2026

The Minister for Sport and Minister for Communications announced a $576,196 grant to Dolphins Football Club on Mackay's northern beaches to build dedicated facilities for women and girls [TA-260822-infras-722ab89a90d6]. The funding will deliver two change rooms, accessible showers and toilets with baby-change facilities, and a referee room with private amenities [TA-260822-infras-722ab89a90d6].

The grant sits within the Play Our Way program, a $200 million government initiative supporting local projects that remove barriers for women and girls in sport [TA-260822-infras-722ab89a90d6].

The Minister described Play Our Way as "the most significant commitment to women's and girls' sport" and said the government wants "every Australian to enjoy the benefits of sport and physical activity without barriers" [TA-260822-infras-722ab89a90d6]. Club President Dannielle Hancock said the new facilities would make the club a safe and inclusive space, strengthening its community role [TA-260822-infras-722ab89a90d6].

**Program trajectory**

This announcement continues the Play Our Way program's pattern of investing in community-level sport infrastructure for women and girls [TA-260822-infras-722ab89a90d6]. The grant builds on earlier messaging linking sport investment to community wellbeing, maintaining the program's focus on expanding participation opportunities [TA-260822-infras-722ab89a90d6].

The day's media release carried no Communications portfolio content; the Minister's activity was entirely within the Sport portfolio. The Dolphins Football Club grant exemplifies the local infrastructure investments the Play Our Way program funds to remove barriers for women and girls in community sport [TA-260822-infras-722ab89a90d6].