RECOMMENDATIONS
CHAPTER 3: WHAT ARE THE RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE THREE LEVELS
OF GOVERNMENT?
(1) That the Commonwealth Government adopt a leadership role
in facilitating the provision of sporting and recreational facilities
by Commonwealth, State, Territory and Local Government and the private
sector.
Leadership should be provided in facilitating:
a) research (see recommendation 13, paragraph 6.16; recommendation
15, paragraph 7.30; recommendation 17, paragraph 7.37; recommendation
25 paragraph 8.82; and recommendation 26, paragraph 8.83);
b) the development and setting of standards for facilities for international,
national, state, regional, and local use;
c) support for, and promotion of, compatible systems for data collection
and information sharing (see recommendations 3 to 6, paragraph 4.30);
d) the identification of needs and priorities;
e) coordinated planning (see recommendation 8, paragraph 4.45; recommendation
9, paragraph 4.46);
f) the dissemination of best practice (see recommendation 11, paragraph
5.60; recommendation 13, paragraph 6.16; recommendation 14, paragraph
7.27; recommendation 25 paragraph 8.82); and
g) the establishment of a framework to encourage investment in facilities
by government and the private sector (see recommendations 23 and 24,
paragraphs 8.77 and 8.78; recommendation 25, paragraph 8.82; recommendation
26, paragraph 8.83; recommendation 32, paragraph 9.43; recommendation
34, paragraph 9.47) (PARAGRAPH 3.33)
2) That the following principles be incorporated if a Commonwealth
program were to be established for the funding of sporting and recreational
facilities:
a) the program should be established and conducted in the context
of extensive consultation and coordination with other stakeholders (recommendation
27, paragraph 9.15);
b) the Commonwealth Government should not provide full funding;
c) funding should be for the construction of new facilities or the
upgrading of existing facilities - it should not be for recurrent costs;
and
d) the program should address targeted equity issues in the provision
of facilities (see recommendation 12, paragraph 5.64; recommendation
29, paragraph 9.26). (PARAGRAPH 3.34)
CHAPTER 4: WHAT ARE THE EXISTING AND FUTURE REQUIREMENTS FOR SPORTING
AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES?
(3) That the Commonwealth Government jointly fund, with the State
and Territory Governments, a national audit of all sporting and recreational
facilities. (PARAGRAPH 4.30)
(4) That funding for the audit be ongoing so that it can be updated
regularly. (PARAGRAPH 4.30)
(5) That the carriage of the audit rest with the Australasian
Facilities Committee, assisted by representatives of Local Government,
sporting and recreational organisations, the private sector, the educational
sector, and other interested parties. (PARAGRAPH 4.30)
(6) That data collected by the audit be linked through a geographic
information system to other data and form the basis for decisions about
future needs for facilities. (PARAGRAPH 4.30)
(7) That the Australasian Facilities Committee, augmented by
representatives of the organisations nominated in recommendation 5, develop
a consistent system of grading facilities for all sports for use in conjunction
with the audit and database. (PARAGRAPH 4.31)
(8) That the Department of Industry, Science and Tourism provide
funding for an augmented Australasian Facilities Committee to coordinate
a national plan for facilities which are suitable for international competition.
The plan should be prepared in consultation with State and Territory Governments,
sporting organisations, and representatives of other potential users.
(PARAGRAPH 4.45)
(9) That the Department of Industry, Science and Tourism contribute
funds for the regional planning of sporting and recreational facilities.
Funding should be provided for use with regional organisations of councils
and other local government groups, on condition that State and Territory
and/or Local Government also contribute funds, and ensure that all stakeholders
are consulted during the development of the plans. (PARAGRAPH 4.46)
(10)That the Standing Committee on Recreation and Sport and the
Australian Sports Commission nurture the operation of consultative networks
between all interested parties in the provision of sporting and recreational
facilities at all levels. (PARAGRAPH 4.47)
CHAPTER 5: COST-EFFECTIVE PROVISION OF NEW FACILITIES
(11) That the Department of Industry, Science and Tourism provide
funding to enable the augmented Australasian Facilities Committee to assemble
and publish information on the planning, design and management of sporting
facilities and disseminate the information as widely as possible. (PARAGRAPH
5.60)
(12) That the Department of Industry, Science and Tourism provide
financial assistance for the provision of facilities for communities without
reasonable opportunity to access appropriate facilities despite the best
efforts of the private sector, State, Territory and Local Governments,
sporting organisations, and the local community. (PARAGRAPH 5.64)
CHAPTER 6: MAXIMISING THE USE OF EXISTING FACILITIES
(13) That the Department of Industry, Science and Tourism fund
the augmented Australasian Facilities Committee to identify, research
and disseminate best practice in maximising the use of existing facilities.
(PARAGRAPH 6.16)
CHAPTER 7: FACILITIES IN EDUCATIONAL AND DEFENCE ESTABLISHMENTS
(14) That the Department of Industry, Science and Tourism fund
the augmented Australasian Facilities Committee to assist with the assembly
and dissemination of information on best practice in the shared development
and use of sporting and recreational facilities by schools and the local
community. (PARAGRAPH 7.27)
(15) That the Department of Industry, Science and Tourism and
the Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs provide
funding to assist a joint Commonwealth/State investigation of the options
for using financial incentives to encourage greater public use of school-based
sporting and recreational facilities. (PARAGRAPH 7.30)
(16) That the Department of Employment, Education, Training and
Youth Affairs have, as one of its criteria for funding sporting and recreational
facilities in schools, shared use of the facilities with the local community,
or offer augmented grants to encourage joint use. (PARAGRAPH 7.30)
(17) That the investigation of options for using financial incentives
to encourage greater public use of school-based facilities, as proposed
in recommendation 15, also consider the application of these incentives
to facilities in tertiary institutions. (PARAGRAPH 7.37)
(18) That the Department of Defence examine the feasibility of
opening more widely to public use any of its sporting and recreational
facilities for which there is a demand, provided that this can be done
without prejudice to the operation of the bases where the facilities are
situated. (PARAGRAPH 7.46)
(19) That when planning new facilities, the Department of Defence
include the desirability of designing the facilities to maximise the possibility
of shared use with the public. (PARAGRAPH 7.47)
(20) That the Department of Defence consider entering into joint
agreements with Local or State Governments to develop sporting and recreational
facilities. (PARAGRAPH 7.48)
(21) That the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works
consider whether it should investigate, when examining projects on defence
force bases, how far the proposed designs maximise the possibility of
community access to facilities. (PARAGRAPH 7.49)
CHAPTER 8: FUNDING OPTIONS
(22) That while not seeking to encourage increased gambling,
in the event of gambling associated with telecommunications and air travel
being approved for introduction, the revenue derived by the Commonwealth
Government should be directed to funding sporting and recreational facilities.
(PARAGRAPH 8.73)
(23) That reform of the structure and operations of the Australian
Sports Foundation be implemented immediately. Priority should be given
to:
a) distancing the Foundation legally, physically and administratively
from the Commonwealth Government and its agencies, including the Australian
Sports Commission;
b) enrolling State, Territory and Local Governments as agents for
the Foundation and enhancing the Foundation's promotional abilities,
so that the Foundation is more effectively marketed;
c) removing the discretion that the Foundation currently has in determining
how donations are spent by enabling donors to direct their donations
to specific projects; and d) extending the Foundation's charter to include
recreational as well as sporting facilities.
(PARAGRAPH 8.77)
(24) That the Department of Industry, Science and Tourism:
(25) That the Department of Industry, Science and Tourism provide
funding to assist the augmented Australasian Facilities Committee:
(26) That the Department of Industry, Science and Tourism provide
funding to assist the augmented Australasian Facilities Committee:
CHAPTER 9: COMMONWEALTH FUNDING FOR SPORTING AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
(27) That the Standing Committee on Recreation and Sport consult
widely, with a view to advising on a cooperative framework for distributing
proposed Commonwealth funds for sporting and recreational facilities in
disadvantaged communities. (PARAGRAPH 9.15)
(28) That the grants program by which Commonwealth funding for
sporting and recreational facilities is distributed follow best practice
in its design and operation, as set out by the Australian National Audit
Office. PARAGRAPH 9.23)
(29) That the criteria on the basis of which Commonwealth funding
will be provided to the states and territories for regional sporting and
recreational facilities, include:
a) established need;
b) regional plans;
c) business and management plans and agreements which cover use, occupancy,
program management and the appointment of an independent manager;
d) financial viability, unless health or social justice objectives
indicate otherwise;
e) preference for joint use, multi-purpose facilities co-located with
other significant public places;
f) involvement of sports organisations and target user groups in the
design and management of the centre;
g) attention to the needs of target groups; and
h) encouragement of emerging and non-organised sporting and recreational
activities which have a demonstrated need and level of participation.
(PARAGRAPH 9.26)
(30) That disadvantaged communities that apply for funding for
sporting and recreational facilities:
(31) That the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission
be encouraged to continue to construct sporting and recreational facilities
through Community Development Employment Projects, and ensure that projects
are appropriately resourced and managed and respond to the needs of the
whole indigenous community. (PARAGRAPH 9.38)
(32) That the Department of Industry, Science and Tourism and
the Treasury review, and advise on, the feasibility and advisability of
establishing a Commonwealth revolving loan fund for the construction of
sporting and recreational facilities. (PARAGRAPH 9.43)
(33) That the Commonwealth Government provide $50 million a year
for the next five years for all items of expenditure recommended in this
report. PARAGRAPH 9.46)
(34) That if a revolving loan fund is endorsed by the review
proposed in recommendation 31, that review should also recommend to the
Minister for Sport and the Treasurer the best means of financing the fund's
establishment. (PARAGRAPH 9.47)
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