PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd announced 17 new sports academy programs across Western Australia, Victoria and the Northern Territory in his Closing the Gap report to parliament today.
The annual report's been promised by Mr Rudd to show what his government's doing to close the gap between indigenous Australians and the rest of the community in health, education and jobs.
The prime minister said the new sports academies would bring the total number in such programs to 10,000.
The academies, 10 of them for girls, are planned regional areas including Broome, Bunbury and North Albany in Western Australia, Katherine and Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, Bendigo and Ballarat in Victoria and Townsville in Queensland.
New football academies will be established at Jabiru and Gunbalanya in the Northern Territory and at Bairnsdale, Warrnambool, Swan Hill, Robinvale and Mildura in Victoria.
