ACT Sport and Education Minister Andrew Barr has agreed to consult on a proposal from Government backbencher and member for Ginninderra Mary Porter to coordinate the use of school facilities by sporting organisations.

Ms Porter, who has been speaking with community sporting organisations and ACTSport - the largest sport and recreation industry body in the ACT, representing 74 organisations - said it could be a mutually beneficial arrangement, as sporting organisations could provide services to schools in return.

''We need to explore what benefits can be gained from this cooperation, for example the way that sporting organisations could provide coaching for the schools during [school hours] or after hours,'' Ms Porter said. ''There is a need at the schools to get the kids active and there's also these clubs needing the facilities, so it could be a win-win.'' Ms Porter said the idea came from the fact that the Federal Government's $16.2 billion Building the Education Revolution component of the stimulus package - of which the ACT has received $230 million - required the newly built facilities to be made available for community use.

For more on this story, see today's Canberra Times.