It has been a busy month for the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), with the announcement of the continuation of the Active After-school Communities (AASC) program, the launch of the Multicultural Youth Sports Partnership Program, and a great event in Canberra highlighting the Australian Government’s investment in high performance sport ahead of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

It has also been a time for the ASC to consolidate following the various restructures that have taken place over the past 12 months. As an organisation we have been hard at work on business priorities such as the development of important strategies as outlined in Australian Sport: the pathway to success. There has been good progress on many of these strategies including the National Sport Volunteer Strategy, with a first draft to be released for feedback in the near future. Last week’s National Volunteer Week was a good time to reflect on the contribution of the 1.7 million volunteers in sport, who are the driving force behind many of Australia’s sporting competitions at both the grassroots and high performance levels.

We are working to ensure that we are operating as efficiently and effectively as possible in light of the tight budgetary environment faced by Government. With record funding allocated to participation and high performance sport initiatives in the last financial year, it was not surprising that sport was not a major focus area in the 2011-12 Commonwealth Budget announcement from Treasurer Wayne Swan last week.

We must also remember that with world economies still recovering from the global financial crisis and the impact of significant natural disasters affecting the Australian economy, now more than ever we need to be smarter about how we can continue the great work within the ASC and our important role in leading and supporting Australian Sport.

2011-12 Commonwealth Budget summary

From an ASC perspective, the Budget brought some good news, including the very welcome announcement from Minister for Sport Mark Arbib that the Active After-school Communities (AASC) program will be continued in 2012.

This continuation is a clear indication of the value the Government sees in the AASC program. The program’s success is due to the commitment and hard work of staff, schools/after school care centres, community coaches and sporting organisations involved in the delivery of the program to 3270 sites around Australia.

Through the Budget announcements, Senator Arbib and Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs Kate Lundy also confirmed funding for a new program aimed at increasing opportunities for young people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to engage with sport and physical activity.
The Multicultural Youth Sports Partnership Program grants, which will be delivered by the ASC, are a key element of Australia’s multicultural youth program and will allow eligible organisations to apply for grants of up to $50 000 per annum to support the costs associated with sport.

London bound

With only 430 days to go until the London 2012 Olympics, many of Australia’s elite athletes are starting to finetune preparations with medal-winning performances firm in their sights. Senator Arbib welcomed the Rt Hon. Lord Sebastian Coe, Chair of the London 2012 Organising Committee, at an event held at Parliament House recently, which highlighted the Government’s investment in high performance sport, and also the role that Olympic and Paralympic Games can play in inspiring participation in sport.

Attended by Federal Members of Parliament and Senators, representatives from the Australian Olympic Committee, the Australian Paralympic Committee, national sporting organisations, and state and territory institutes and academies of sport, the event reflected on the achievements by many sporting greats including Herb Elliot and Ian Thorpe, with an eye to next year’s Games being another enthralling chapter in Olympic and Paralympic history.

In an inspirational and moving address by Lord Coe, he acknowledged that the  London 2012 Olympics could benefit from ‘a bit of Sydney’, declaring the Sydney 2000 Olympics as a ‘high watermark’ against which other games are measured.

Like all involved in Australian sport, I cannot wait until next year’s Olympics and Paralympics, but I also acknowledge there is still plenty of work to do in preparing our athletes, and behind the scenes, for officials and administrators, to ensure Australia sends our best possible teams.

Peter
Professor Peter Fricker OAM
Acting CEO
Australian Sports Commission