The Hon Rod Kemp was Minister for the Arts and Sport from Friday 23 November 2001 to Tuesday 30 January 2007. This site is available for archival purposes only.

Funding boost for Australian Sport

The Minister for the Arts and Sport, Senator Rod Kemp, today announced a funding boost of $55.7 million over four years to meet the international challenges facing Australian sport and help to deliver the sporting excellence now expected by the Australian public.

To help meet this challenge, additional funding will be used for initiatives designed to enhance high performance coaching, talent identification and to provide more sophisticated sports science and support services to elite athletes.

The additional funding is part of the Australian Government’s strong commitment to Australian sport with more than $250 million of funding for 2006–07 being provided in the Federal Budget.

“Australia has an international sporting record that is the envy of most countries in the world. While we have a relatively small talent pool of high performance athletes, we are able to compete because our elite sport system is based on the delivery of high quality, innovative programmes that are both knowledge-based and built on the latest advances in sports science,” Senator Kemp said.

“Funding will be used to enhance the programmes and activities of the world renowned Australian Institute of Sport. This will help the Institute retain its position as a world-leader in elite athlete development.

“With other countries now adopting their own elite sports systems and allocating more resources to these systems, it is becoming increasingly difficult for Australia to compete. This package will help the Australian Institute of Sport maintain our competitiveness on the international sporting field and respond to the challenges ahead.”

The Government will provide in excess of $125 million to the Australian Sports Commission in 2006–07 to deliver excellence in sports performance by Australian athletes, including those who will participate in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

$12.1 million in capital funding is also committed in 2006–07 to finalise the redevelopment of the Australian Institute of Sport and to establish an AIS training base in northern Italy.

Participation

The Australian Government is also committed to delivering an effective national sports system that offers improved participation in sporting activities by Australians in general. Through the Australian Sports Commission, the Government is working towards:

increasing the number of people participating in sport, in particular youth, Indigenous Australians, women and people with disabilities through a range of initiatives including Project Connect, Sports Leadership Grants for Women and the Targeted Sports Participation Growth Programme;
increasing the number of school children participating in structured physical activity and sport;
boosting the active membership and reach of sporting organisations and local sporting clubs; and
building the awareness of the values of fair play, self improvement and sporting achievement.

In all, through the ASC, the Government will invest $67 million in 2006-07 for initiatives that offer improved participation in quality sports activities by all Australians.

As part of this commitment, the Australian Government will invest $34.2 million in 2006–07 for the development and implementation of the Active After-School Communities Programme as part of the Building a Healthy Active Australia initiative announced by the Prime Minister to help address the issue of childhood obesity.

The ASC also provides leadership, funding, support, consultancy services, information, education and training and business tools that promote improved efficiency and effectiveness in the daily operations of national sporting organisations.

“Sport is an integral part of Australian life, and sports funding is an investment in the community in terms of national pride, improved health, economic activity and stronger communities,” Senator Kemp said.

“This year’s Budget provides direct support for sport and sport-related activities, assists Australia’s elite athletes in the lead-up to major international competitions (including the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games), maintains Australia’s tough stance on drugs in sport and seeks to encourage greater participation in sport by all Australians.

“The benefits will be enjoyed by elite athletes, national sporting organisations, athletes at grass roots level including young people, coaches, officials, volunteers, sports scientists, the sports industry, other businesses and supporters.”

The 2006–07 Budget also confirms the Australian Government’s ongoing commitment to water and alpine safety programmes with the provision of around $5.6 million this financial year. In addition, it will also provide funding of $14.9 million in 2006–07 for community sporting and recreation facility upgrades and improvements consistent with the Government’s commitment to restore the capacity of sport to contribute to building active, healthy Australian communities outlined in its Building Australian Communities Through Sport policy.

The Government has also committed to the following projects for 2005–06:

$15 million for the development of the South Australian State Aquatic Centre;
$15 million to fund the capital costs of fitting out an Australian Sports Museum at the Melbourne Cricket Ground; and
$9.6 million for an upgrade of Toyota Park at Cronulla, NSW.

In 2006–07 the Government will also provide around $12 million for programmes and services across Australia that increase Indigenous participation in sport and physical recreation and encourage community ownership and management of sport and recreation activities.

Anti-doping

Under the expanded Tough on Drugs in Sport commitment, the newly established Australian Sports Anti Doping Authority will receive around $10.6 million in 2006–07.

This includes:

$3.5 million for deterrence programmes that involve the provision of education, communication and advocacy services to all members of the sporting community;
$5.7 million for the co ordinated implementation of a programme of drug testing and investigations; and
$1.4 million for an enforcement programme that involves the management of adverse analytical findings and the presentation of cases to a tribunal, committee or other body that is hearing a doping case.

In addition, approximately $2.9 million has been set aside in 2006–07 for anti-doping research and an estimated $0.3 million will be required for Australia’s financial commitment to the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA).

“Australian anti-doping research has led to the refinement of the test for erythropoietin, contributed to the knowledge base for developing a test for human growth hormone and enhanced the use of mass spectrometry technology in drug detection,” Senator Kemp said.

“Australia’s membership of the WADA has contributed significantly to the Government’s fight against drugs in sport. WADA has publicly recognised Australia as one of the world leaders in the fight against drugs in sport.”

Supporting Information

Why is this important?

Sport is an integral part of Australian life, and the Australian Government provides funding for sport as an investment in the community in terms of national pride, improved health, economic activity and stronger communities.

Who will benefit?

The benefits of this funding will be shared by elite athletes, national sporting organisations, athletes at grass roots level, coaches, officials, volunteers, sports scientists, the sports industry, other businesses, communities and supporters.

What funding is the Government committing to the initiative?

In all, the Government has committed in excess of $250 million to sport in 2006–07.

What have we done in the past?

The Australia’s Government’s ongoing support for sport gives effect to its 2004 Building Australian Communities Through Sport election policy. This policy builds on the gains from the Backing Australia’s Sports Ability (BASA) that was implemented in 2001, in the wake of the 2000 Sydney Olympic and Paralympic Games.
BASA identified the four planks of the Government’s involvement in sport, namely:
- continued success in high performance sport;
- greater grass roots participation in sport for all ages;
- excellence in sports management; and
- stepping up the fight against drugs in sport.

8 May 2006
Media contact: Michael Christo, Minister’s Office 03 9650 7274 or 0409 040276