A HEALTHY, ACTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL AUSTRALIA

The Liberal Nationals Government has today unveiled Sport 2030, a comprehensive plan to reshape the face of Australian sport and build a healthier, more physically active nation.

 

Sport 2030 will help to get more Australians more active, more often, drive sporting excellence and success, safeguard the integrity of sport, and strengthen the sports industry.

 

It will position sport and physical activity through the next decade and beyond for all Australians and reflects the Government’s strong commitment to link sport, physical activity and preventive health.

 

Sport 2030 recognises sport plays a very significant role in Australia’s economy — from our biggest cities, to regional and remote communities —and we need to maximise these benefits.

 

The Sport 2030 vision is for Australia to be the world’s most active and healthy sporting nation, known for its integrity and sporting success.

 

As part of this vision, the Australian Sports Commission will be rebranded as Sport Australia and will champion the rollout of Sport 2030, maintaining a strong focus on sport and the sport sector, while working more broadly to get Australians moving.

 

Sport Australia will also play a key role in helping the Government to provide better access to sporting facilities through the Community Sport Infrastructure Grant Program announced in the 2018-19 Budget.

 

The program will provide grants of up to $500,000 for small to medium scale sporting infrastructure projects, encouraging greater community participation in sport and physical activity.

 

Program guidelines are available on the Sport Australia website

 

Alongside Sport 2030, the Government has also released the Review of Australia’s Sports Integrity Arrangements, conducted by an eminent panel headed by the Hon James Wood AO QC.

 

The Wood Review is the most comprehensive examination of Australia’s sports integrity framework ever undertaken and the Government looks forward to working with stakeholders to protect Australian sport from growing integrity threats, ensuring it is clean, fair, safe and inclusive for decades to come.

 

The Review of Australia’s Sports Integrity Arrangements can be found on the Department of Health’s website.

 

 

As a nation, we are less active than ever with two thirds of adults and one quarter of children overweight or obese.

 

Under Sport 2030, the Government will reframe sport policy to include physical activity, as well as organised and high performance sport, and commit to reducing inactivity amongst Australians by 15 per cent by 2030.

 

This will mean that participation in sport and physical activity will be ramped up across the country so every Australian can be either playing sport, be part of it, or engaged in healthy, active living.

 

There will be a greater focus on teaching swimming to school age children, making swimming a skill for life.

 

As part of a range of programs aimed at helping parents to give their children the best start in life, an Early Childhood Activity Strategy will be developed to improve the quality and amount of physical activity for children under five.

 

Sport and physical activity organisations will also be encouraged to give greater consideration to the needs of the least active people, and people with a disability, when designing programs and projects.

 

A key aspect of Sport 2030 is the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) evolving to regain its status as a world leader in high performance excellence whilst continuing to drive investment and allocate resources to deliver high performance outcomes through the best programs, coaches, sports scientists, support staff, facilities and research.

 

The AIS will build on the work that has already been carried out with state-based institutes and sports academies to further streamline and maximise pathways for pre-elite and elite athletes.

 

This work will be complemented by partnerships with national sporting organisations, universities and the private sector to identify, improve and share new and emerging sport ideas, technologies and practices.

 

The AIS will also have a renewed and increased emphasis on athlete wellbeing through the provision of programs that prepare athletes for life as well as sport.

 

As part of the renewed focus for the AIS, the Government will consider a business case relating to the redevelopment of the current facility in Canberra.

 

 

Ensuring the continued protection of Australian sport against a deteriorating integrity threat environment is a key part of Sport 2030. 

 

In line with its terms of reference, the Wood Review addresses key national and international threats to the integrity of sport.

 

The Review, which represents the most comprehensive examination of Australia’s sports integrity arrangements ever undertaken, made 52 recommendations across four key themes - better combatting match fixing; strengthening the anti-doping framework; establishing a National Sports Tribunal to arbitrate disputes, including doping matters; and a National Sports Integrity Commission to coordinate Australia’s national and international response to sports integrity threats.

 

The findings of the Review represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect the integrity of Australian sport and the Government has established a Sports Integrity Review Taskforce to drive the development of a coordinated whole-of-government response which will improve our ability to meet current, new and emerging threats to sports integrity.

 

Sport 2030 also considers the safety of children as a paramount issue.

 

In this regard, Safe Sport Australia is being established to assist community-based sporting organisations to oversee child safe environments.

 

 

Sport 2030 recognises that sport plays a very significant role in Australia’s economy, generating around three per cent of our national GDP and providing an estimated $83 billion in combined economic, health and education benefits.

 

This contribution will be enhanced by Australia continuing to host successful major sporting events, building partnerships and exploring commercial opportunities with the private sector, and encouraging a greater role for philanthropy.

 

The Government is strengthening the role of the Australian Sports Foundation, to attract greater philanthropic donations.

 

The Foundation already has a unique tax deductible status to raise money to develop sport at all levels and the increased scope will help it to grow donations to between $200 and $300 million within 10 years.

 

The Government will also consider developing a Sport Industry Strategy to help to identify and unlock further opportunities and growth.

 

Australia’s first national sport plan can be found on the National Sport Plan website: www.sport.gov.au