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.

Australian Institute of Sport Integrated Sport System

The Australian Government will provide $55.7 million over the next four years to the Australian Sports Commission to further enhance the performance of our elite athletes.

“This support will help Australia retain its position as a world-leader in elite athlete development and maintain its capacity to compete on the world sporting stage,” said the Minister for the Arts and Sport, Senator Rod Kemp.

“This package recognises that Australian sport is facing strong challenges from many of our international competitors. It also recognises the constraints of our relatively small pool of potential high performance athletes, resulting from our small population.

“It will increase the capacity and capability of the Australian sport system to develop athletes who can deliver the levels of sporting excellence now expected by the Australian public.”

In all, 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.

The package addresses four key areas:

1. High performance athlete development

1. $4.8 million over four years to establish a national talent identification network, regional and sport-specific talent identification initiatives and implement a talent transfer programme.
2. $8.8 million over four years for a special talent identification scheme focussing on the unique potential and needs within the Indigenous community.
3. an additional $7.2 million over four years to supplement high performance funding of targeted sports to promote regionally significant sports, and other sports with significant potential to improve their results in international competition.

2. Coaching

$4.6 million will be allocated over four years to identify, train and retain elite coaches to oversee the development of Australia’s high performance athletes.

3. Sports science

To stay internationally competitive, critical areas of need in the sports sciences that underpin elite athlete development, will receive $8.7 million over four years.

4. Sports excellence at the AIS

1. A further $15.7 million will be invested in the AIS scholarship programmes to enhance the training, development and competition opportunities.
2. To maintain the excellence of the AIS’s programmes, an additional $6.0 million will be provided over four years to increase the capacity of the Institute to deliver world class support services.

Supporting Information

Why is this important?

• This support will help the Institute retain its position as a world-leader in elite athlete development and maintain Australia’s capacity to compete on the world sporting stage.

Who will benefit?

• Australia’s elite athletes.

What funding is the Government committing to the initiative?

• $55.7 million over four years

What have we done in the past?

• The Australian Government’s ongoing support for elite athletes is consistent with 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

When will the initiative conclude?

• The Budget makes provision for the Australian Institute of Sport Integrated Support for Sport initiative for four years from 2006–07.

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