Media Releases

Member for Swan Hill, Peter Walsh is encouraging parents and guardians to ditch the car and walk their children to school next Friday.
The Nationals MP said participating in National Walk Safely to School Day on May 7 would send a healthy message to children about adopting a more active lifestyle.
“Active kids are healthy kids. Studies tell us that children need a minimum of one hour of physical activity a day and walking to school may be a simple way of seamlessly incorporating exercise into a child’s routine,” Mr Walsh said.
“More than a quarter of Australian children are overweight or obese and this initiative is a small step in addressing that frightening statistic.”
Mr Walsh said Walk Safely to School Day aimed to promote the health benefits of walking, create good walking habits, improve children’s road-crossing skills and reduce car dependency habits.
Experts also promoted the mantra that a healthy kid starts with a health breakfast, he said.
“A piece of fruit, some cereal or bread and some cheese, yoghurt or milk at breakfast time is all that is needed to kick-start children into a day of active learning and physical activity,” Mr Walsh said.
“Studies show that children who eat breakfast tend to avoid mid-morning concentration slumps and are less likely to eat junk food later in the day and this helps combat childhood obesity.
“I encourage parents and guardians to make National Walk Safely to School Day the first step to better health for their children.”