According to NSW Labor Leader Chris Minns, a November 2022 report from Sport NSW, found community sport organisations are still receiving the same level of funding today as they were when Sydney staged the Olympics in 2000 – over two decades ago.
“As a result, it has left community sport in a state of crisis and chronic underfunding,” he said.
If elected, NSW Labor has agreed to step up the Organisation Support Program funding to $5 million in 2023-24 and $10 million per year in the years after. The program assists peak sporting bodies and identified organisations to build capacity, invest in governance processes and create and deliver sport and recreation activities as well as competitions at all levels in NSW.
It will also include supporting programs and activities to increase girls and women’s participation in sport.
Shadow Minister for Sport and State MP for Granville, Julia Finn, says the funding will help sports organisations grow participation for women’s sport while also keeping up with changing rules, regulations, technology and compliance requirements.
“Mums and dads who run smaller sports group are writing grant applications in their spare time after work and are often unfairly pitted against more well-resourced organisations,” she said.
Chris Hall, Chair of Sport NSW, welcomed the announcement and said many smaller sports were volunteer run and funding could be used to put on an employee for the first time to really increase the capacity for governance, more and improved programs and competitions, and really target an increase in female participation.
