Mr Greg Hartung, Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Chairman, has today (20 November 2009) responded in a statement to the Crawford report, released earlier this week.

Speaking from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where he is attending the General Assembly of the International Paralympic Committee, Mr. Hartung said that a large portion of the report aligned with the new direction the ASC had adopted over the last 12 months.

‘The situation has changed significantly since the Crawford review commenced some 14 months ago,’ Mr Hartung said.

‘We released our Report to Sport just over a month ago now which outlined the direction the ASC was taking sport in Australia

‘You will see in the Report to Sport that the Commission has taken significant action to drive improved alignment and cohesion in Australia’s sport system.’

Some of the changes being implemented by the ASC include:

1. The development of a draft collaborative partnership agreement between the Australian Institute of Sport and Australia’s system of state and territory owned institutes and academies of sport.
2. Development of Australia’s first National Elite Athlete Support Scheme.
3. The implementation of a new planning and monitoring framework with Australia’s sporting bodies covering pathways to podium.
4. Reforms to the National Talent Identification and Development program to be better aligned with Australia’s sporting bodies.
5. An overhaul of the service delivery model of the Australian Institute of Sport to more effectively service Australia’s elite athletes.
6. Changes to the national Athlete Career and Education program to be more effective in its delivery and coordinated in its activities with state and territory institutes and academies of sport.

The ASC has also shifted its focus to one of working collaboratively with its system partners, as well as furthering its role in recognising the importance of sport participation.

‘This is exactly the kind of activities that Crawford has recommended the Commission undertake and we have already embraced this approach to leading Australian sport,’ Mr Hartung said.

‘The ASC is working extremely well with the Australian sports system and this is being led by our Board and management team.

‘ASC has highly skilled and internationally sought-after staff who have delivered highly professional service to Australian sport. It is important that the ASC retains these staff going forward.

‘A recent survey conducted for the Commission by Newspoll clearly indicates strong support by sport for the direction and approach developed by the Commission over the last year.’

Between 98 per cent and 100 per cent of national sporting organisations support ASC’s proposed new direction and approach.

‘The ASC will now work with the Minister for Sport to provide a response to the Crawford report and the recommendations that are suggested.

‘There are 39 recommendations that have been made by Mr Crawford and each of these needs to be responded to with care and due diligence.’