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.

(24) That the Department of Industry, Science and Tourism:

a) provide one-off seed funding to the reformed Australian Sports Foundation to enable it to establish itself securely; and

b) arrange a further independent evaluation of the effectiveness of the operation of the Australian Sports Foundation after five years. (PARAGRAPH 8.78)

(25) That the Department of Industry, Science and Tourism provide funding to assist the augmented Australasian Facilities Committee:

a) to coordinate the collection and dissemination of best practice models for joint ventures between the private and public sectors, and for other forms of cooperation between the two sectors; and

b) to identify barriers to more extensive and effective cooperation and ways of removing or reducing them. (PARAGRAPH 8.82)

(26) That the Department of Industry, Science and Tourism provide funding to assist the augmented Australasian Facilities Committee:

a) to identify measures that would actively encourage joint private and public sector involvement in the provision of sporting and recreational facilities; and

b) to report on these measures to the Sport and Recreation Ministers' Council. (PARAGRAPH 8.83)

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:

a) be encouraged to make financial contributions towards the cost of the facilities at a level that takes into account the communities' financial capacity and in-kind contributions; and

b) be able to demonstrate the ability to support the ongoing management, operation and maintenance of the facilities.(PARAGRAPH 9.31)

(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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