Position
The department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries
expects all West Australians to have the same opportunities as their
eastern states counterparts to participate and compete in the national
sport system.
Purpose
A strong and equitable national sport system ensures that all athletes are provided with the same opportunities. The National Sport and Active Recreation Policy Framework
signed by Ministers of Sport and Recreation in 2011 provides a
mechanism for engaging the whole sport and recreation industry in the
achievement of national goals. In order to achieve the objectives
outlined in the Framework, inequities in the existing system need to be
resolved.
Issues
Hosting national championships
Every state and territory should to have the opportunity to host
national championships. Hosting national championships can result in a
series of benefits, such as facility development, development of
personnel, exposure of the sport and talent identification.
The State Government contributes funding to recognised State Sporting Associations (SSA) through the Sports Lotteries Account to
enable Western Australian (WA) state teams and athletes to travel and
compete in national championships. In addition, the department has
introduced supporting strategies such as the Athlete Travel Subsidy
Scheme to ensure WA based eligible athletes are provided the same
opportunities to compete as their eastern counterparts.
The department expects National Sporting Organisations (NSO) to adopt
an equitable approach to national championships that enhances the
nationwide development of their sport and provides all eligible
jurisdictions with an opportunity to these events.
Fare equalisation
On 12 November 2004, the Sport and Recreation Ministers’ Council
decision (Minutes 12 November 2004) endorsed the following principle
regarding fare equalisation:
The travel costs of participation in national competitions and sport development initiatives (such as meeting, working parties,
officials training, etc.) should be equal for all representative
players and key officials (coaches, managers, umpires).
The fare equalisation principle is integral to the sustainability of a
national sport system. National Sporting Organisations should have the
relevant policies and practices in place in order to adhere to the
principles of fare equalisation.
No jurisdiction should be disadvantaged due to the tyranny of
distance. Equity in travel costs to national events should be an
intrinsic value in the national sport system.
National league teams
Over the past two decades national league competitions have become an
important part of the Australian sporting landscape. These competitions
are viewed as a means to providing:
- Elite competition and athlete development pathways towards national representative teams
- Profile of the sports across Australia
- A potential revenue base for the NSO.
Work completed by the Standing Committee on Recreation and Sport
determined that it is likely that there is a saturation level at which
Australian capital cities can no longer support additional teams and
unable to support additional leagues. Any general economic downturn will
negatively impact upon sport sponsorship and the health of a national
league. With this in mind, the department has concerns when national
league governing bodies make decisions in isolation and do not consult
with the impacted State Government or SSA who support their existence.
The most successful national leagues, in terms of financial
viability, have a fundamentally sound product which is fun to play and
watch on television and a competition that is evenly balanced. The department continues to support WA-based national league teams and
expects all NSOs and league governing bodies to engage more frequently
with impacted jurisdictions on key operational decisions regarding their
competitions.
Contacts
Senior Policy Officer
Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries – Sport and Recreation
Telephone 61 8 6552 7300
References
Endorsed
01 February 2015
Review
01 February 2017