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Administered items

Water and alpine safety

Key initiatives undertaken

The National Recreation Safety Program (water and alpine safety) provides funding to national recreation safety organisations with the aim of reducing the number of aquatic and skiing accidents and deaths in Australia. Funding is also provided for high-priority projects, including those identified by the Australian Water Safety Council in the revised National Water Safety Plan 2004–07.

In 2005–06, the Department administered funding totalling $3.615 million to the four national recreation safety organisations—Surf Life Saving Australia, Royal Life Saving Society Australia, AUSTSWIM and the Australian Ski Patrol Association—to support the general administration of the organisations and assist in the delivery of water and alpine safety programs. Special-purpose and high-priority project funding was also provided to support 20 projects (see figure 2.22).

In addition, the Government committed $1.5 million over four years from 2004–05 to Surf Life Saving Australia to support a range of activities to enable Australians to celebrate the centenary year of surf lifesaving in Australia in 2007. In 2005–06, the Department administered a grant of $400 000 to Surf Life Saving Australia for this purpose (see case study, page 83).

All organisations met the required performance indicators and payments were acquitted within the specified timeframe. The Department's annual client service survey report also showed that 100 per cent of respondents rated the Department's service as good or excellent.

Sport and Recreation (Anti-Doping) program

High-quality research

The Department administers the Sport and Recreation (Anti-Doping) program which provides funding to academic and scientific organisations to undertake anti-doping research, with the aim of improving the analytical capability for detecting the use of banned substances and doping agents in sport. The program also provides funding for Australia's annual subscription to the World Anti-Doping Agency.

In 2005–06, $3.189 million was made available under this program, of which $329 923 was used to pay the World Anti-Doping Agency subscription, $550 000 was allocated to the establishment of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Agency and the remainder was made available for anti-doping research.

Anti-doping research that improves the analytical capability of detecting banned substances and doping methods is a fundamental building block of any drug testing system. Keeping up with and, where possible, getting ahead of the latest doping practices is essential to the operation of an effective anti-doping framework.

The Anti-Doping Research Program Panel, chaired by the Department, coordinates the allocation of the anti-doping research funding and monitors the progress of projects. Research grants totalling $523 722 were made under the program in 2005–06 (see figure 2.23, page 84, for details of the projects supported).

A second funding round was initiated in March 2006. Most of the projects selected during this round have milestones that will fall due in the 2006–07 financial year.

Figure 2.22 Water and alpine safety—special purpose and high-priority project funding

Case study

2007 Year of the Lifesaver

Australia is a continent with a coastline of more than 36 000 kilometres and over 11 000 beaches. Since the early 1900s, the popularity of what was then called
'surf-bathing' has increased rapidly. Unfortunately, so has the number of swimmers who get into difficulty in the surf.

Since the formation of the Surf Bathing Association of NSW in October 1907, Surf Life Saving Australia's trained surf lifesavers have been keeping our beaches safe. In that time, they have rescued more than 500 000 people and provided first aid to a million others. Today, Surf Life Saving Australia is the largest volunteer based organisation in Australia, comprising more than 110 000 members, of which 34 000 patrol between 300 and 400 beaches throughout the country.

In addition to the $3.1 million provided to Surf Life Saving Australia in 2005–06 under the National Recreation Safety Program to support water safety initiatives, the Government is providing $1.5 million from 2004–05 to 2007–08 to support a range of initiatives to enable Australians to celebrate the centenary of lifesaving in Australia and to recognise the role of surf lifesavers in protecting Australians over the past 100 years. 2007 has been named the Year of the Surf Life Saver.

To celebrate the Year of the Surf Life Saver, the Government is supporting the celebrations and commemorative events, including:

• a landmark national travelling exhibition, which will reflect on the role surf lifesaving has played in shaping Australian beach culture. The exhibition will be launched in Canberra and will travel to all Australian capital cities throughout the year;
• a history book, which will focus on the history of Surf Life Saving Australia and the crucial role surf lifesaving has played in the emergence of Australian beach culture; and
• a series of stamps and coins to reflect the many faces of surf lifesaving.

Activities to celebrate 2007 as Year of the Surf Life Saver will commence in late 2006, and will take place throughout 2007.

1930 Cronulla March Past Team. Photo by Leon Cayley, courtesy of Surf Life Saving Australia.

Figure 2.23 Sport and Recreation (Anti-Doping) program—high-quality research 2005-06 funding (round 1)

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Australian Government assistance to stage the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne

High-quality administration of financial assistance for the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games

In 2003–04, the Australian Government provided $40 million of the $112.9 million direct financial assistance package to the Victorian Government to support the staging of the M2006 Commonwealth Games. The Department continued to administer this funding agreement in 2005–06.

In 2005–06, a second funding agreement for the remaining $72.9 million was finalised including details of how the Government's financial and other support for the Games would be recognised and acknowledged, and of how payment would be made to the Victorian Government.

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Australian Government financial support for the development of sporting facilities

High-quality administration of financial assistance

During the 2004 election, the Government committed to:

• the redevelopment of the Whitten Oval at Footscray, Victoria ($8 million);
• the upgrade of Penrith Stadium in Western Sydney, New South Wales ($10 million);
• several projects to improve sporting facilities in Tasmania (up to $7.87 million);
• the development of the Geelong Legends Sporting Boulevard as part of stage 2 of the Skilled Stadium redevelopment plan at Kardinia Park, Geelong, Victoria ($2 million);
• an upgrade of Kogarah Oval in Sydney ($8 million); and
• 27 projects to improve sporting facilities throughout Australia ($1.98 million).

During 2005–06, the Department completed eight funding agreements for the above projects and total payments of $18.097 million were made. The Department also continued to manage the ongoing projects that were funded in 2004–05.

In accordance with agreed reporting schedules, recipients of election commitment funding commenced reporting during 2005–06 on the progress of funded projects. At 30 June 2006, eight projects were completed and an additional 20 funded projects had met the required milestones. It is expected that the remaining 10 projects will meet the necessary reporting requirements and be completed in 2006–07.

In April 2006, the Government committed to:

• constructing the South Australian State Aquatic Centre ($15 million);
• establishing the National Sports Museum at the MCG ($15 million); and
• upgrading Toyota Park ($9.6 million).

The Department negotiated and finalised funding agreements for all of these projects, resulting in total payments of $39.6 million in 2005–06.

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Indigenous Sport and Recreation Program (ISRP)

High-quality program funding and grant administration for the ISRP

The ISRP aims to increase the active participation of Indigenous Australians in sport and physical recreation activities, recognising that these activities contribute to improving the health and physical wellbeing of Indigenous Australians. In 2005–06 a total of $11.536 million was expended under the following three elements of the ISRP:

• the community-based multi-regional program—funding was provided to organisations to deliver community-based sport and physical recreation activities that extend across more than one region, including major carnivals and events;
• the regional program—funding was provided mostly for community-based sport and physical recreation activities within a region, including skills development programs, access to facilities and equipment; and
• the Indigenous Sport Program—funding was provided to the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) for a network of Indigenous Sport Development Officers employed by state and territory departments and for a program that provided financial assistance to talented Indigenous athletes.

A total of 167 grants were issued under the community-based multi-regional and regional programs. Activities funded covered a wide range of sport and physical recreation activities in urban, regional and remote locations across Australia and included sporting carnivals and equipment upgrades.

Under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department and the ASC, $2.2 million was provided to support the ASC's efforts to enhance the development and provision of sporting opportunities within Indigenous communities. These funds were used for two purposes:

• employment of 28 Indigenous Sport Development Officers ($1.684 million) to work with Indigenous communities and relevant government agencies in promoting sport and physical recreation activity at the regional and local level; and
• the Elite Indigenous Travel and Accommodation Assistance Program (EITAAP) that provides financial support to Indigenous sports people selected for mainstream national and international sporting competitions. In 2005–06, 820 Indigenous sportspeople accessed funding through EITAAP totalling $485 218. This represents a significant increase of 34 per cent or 206 more people accessing the benefits of EITAAP compared with 614 sports people for the same period in 2004–05.

In 2005–06, an internal review of the program undertaken by the Department indicated strong stakeholder support for the ISRP, particularly for the Indigenous Sport Development Officers. Stakeholders expressed a preference, however, to be able to enter into multi-year agreements for the employment of these officers. The Department has commenced discussions with the Australian Sports Commission regarding the development of multi-year funding arrangements.