Australians deserve better support to become more physically active.

Sign the petition and join the Campaign to ensure candidates for the 2019 Federal Election act quickly to promote Access, Fairness and Quality in the development of policy that supports over six million people not active enough to be more physically active.

The opportunity to lead an active life needs to be supported at a range of levels, and in many cases, it is factors outside the direct control of individuals that determines individuals’ ability to be more active.

All levels of government and other key stakeholders have a large role to play in supporting individuals to live a more active life from building cities that encourage activity, to appropriately funding and resourcing physical activity in healthcare.

With the launch of ESSA for an Active Nation, ESSA is shining a spotlight on physical activity.

We want every person to experience the physical, mental and social health benefits of living an active life.

We want physical activity and exercise to be valued through appropriate policies, resourcing and funding.

We want to make sure that being active is not reserved for only those that can afford to pay.

We are calling on you and the people you vote for to support over six million people insufficiently active through:

• enshrining Access, Fairness and Quality in the development of health, aged care and disability policies on exercise services provided by accredited exercise scientists and physiologists.

• committing more resources in the next Federal Budget to ensure all Australians can access quality exercise services provided by accredited exercise scientists and physiologists.

Campaign History

ESSA has been campaigning behind the scenes for many years, to raise awareness about the benefits of being active.

In 2006, the then Health Minister, the Hon. Tony Abbott MP, took the first step by adding accredited exercise physiology services to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS). This decision triggered steady growth in the recognition of exercise physiology services. In selected private health insurance schemes, people can now get rebates for these services.

Internationally, Australia is a leader in this space, being one of the few countries that has dedicated referral pathways to exercise services. But we recognise the need to do more!

In many cases, access to these schemes is limited to people who have a diagnosed medical condition, whereas we know promoting opportunities for physical activity throughout life means people are more likely to stay healthy.

The number of subsided services is often limited to five services in total across all allied health professionals (e.g. dietitians, podiatrists, psychologists and exercise physiologists), meaning a person’s ability to pay can determine access. Sadly, it is those who can least afford to pay who could realise the greatest gains through being more active who miss out.

A person’s location can determine access. In a country that has considerable wealth and prosperity, unequal access to services based on location is just unfair! In launching ESSA for an Active Nation, we want to draw on our industry alliances and the Australian people to demand better.

ESSA calls on our friends and supporters to join with us and help in advocating to the Federal Government to support our efforts to develop a more Active Nation.

Sign our petition now.