Australian Sports Commission issues statement in response to media claims on spending

February 14, 2020

The Australian Sports Commission has responded to claims of extravagent spending, initially made in The Australian newspaper, releasing a statement that emphasises its investment in sport.

While not addressing the claims about spending on consultants, training and consultants, the statement does point out how the Federal Government agency's its staff complement has shrunk in recent years.

Using its official title, rather than its current Sport Australia brand, the statement reads:

The Australian Sports Commission makes the following comment in relation to (the) media.

The ASC is the largest investor in Australia’s Olympic and Paralympic campaigns by a very large margin.

Over the past four years, we have proudly invested more than $500 million in preparing our athletes and teams for the upcoming 2020 Games in Tokyo.

Investing in our Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games sports and athletes is by far the largest allocation of our annual budget.

While we are very strong supporters of Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games sports, this is far from the only thing we do.

Under our Act, the ASC has a broad mission and mandate to promote and invest in sport and physical activity across Australia.

We invest in a wide range of programs, including:

• Sports participation programs around the country
• Improved physical movement and skills for Australian children and teens
• Improved opportunities for women and girls in sport
• Professional development of sports administrators, coaches and high performance staff
• Community awareness of the importance of physical fitness and wellbeing

The modernisation and reform of traditional governance structures in Australian sporting organisations.

These are investments in national long term health and wellbeing. They’re also the foundation of success for tomorrow’s Olympians and Paralympians, not just today’s.

We are conscious that our funding is public money and endeavour to be prudent with it. As noted in the ASC Annual Report for 2018/19, in the past seven years the Average Staffing Level at the ASC has been reduced from 790 to 444 - a 44% reduction. At the same time, high performance grants to sports have increased from $106 million to $147 million.

We continually look for opportunities for further operational cost savings within our organisation, but believe they are relatively small in the context of the broader funding challenge that we face, after numerous years of reduced long term base Budget appropriation, to keep providing the service that we do for Australian sport.

The ASC believes the AIS campus in Canberra needs a redevelopment after 40 years of service to Australian sport, and is currently pursuing a project to that effect with the Australian Government.

We’re proud of the role we play for sport and physical activity at all levels in our country.

14th February 2020 - Sport Australia slammed for extravagant spending on offices and consultants

13th February 2020 - National Audit Office advises 43% of successful Federal Government sports fund projects were ineligible

11th February 2020 - Australian Institute of Sport announces latest Talent Program intake

5th February 2020 - Sport Australia confirm Robert Dalton as acting Chief Executive

4th February 2020 - Former Sports Minister Bridget McKenzie bypassed Sport Australia board to authorise $2.5 million grant to Netball Australia

4th February 2020 - Kate Palmer departs Chief Executive role at Sport Australia

24th January 2020 - Executive who worked on Infrastructure Grant Program no longer at Sport Australia

16th January 2020 - Audit Office sports grants report cites ‘conflict of interest’ at Sport Australia

23rd December 2019 - Belgravia Leisure supports Sport Australia’s ‘Find Your 30’ campaign

11th December 2019 - Kate Palmer apologises for ‘unauthorised access’ following Sport Australia email hack

10th December 2019 - Fitness Australia names Sport Australia executive and Glen Eira Leisure manager as appointed Directors

30th November 2019 - AIS and Sport Australia look to increase leadership depth and diversity in sport

12th November 2019 - Sport Australia announces strengthening of National High Performance Sports Strategy

8th November 2019 - Sport Australia advice ignored by former Federal Sports Ministers in award of community sport infrastructure funds

29th October 2019 - Sport Australia and Parks and Leisure Australia agree partnership

28th October 2019 - Kate Palmer to step down from Sport Australia Chief Executive role

15th October 2019 - Sport Australia releases Position Statement on Physical Literacy

5th August 2019 - Sport Australia releases Corporate Plan to guide increases in participation in sport and physical activity

24th July 2019 - Australia to send largest ever team to Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

10th June 2019 - Sport Australia Chief Executive recognised in Queen’s Birthday Honours

27th May 2019 - Sport Australia and AIS welcome new Minister for Sport

13th May 2019 - Sport Australia misses opportunity at remarkable SportAccord Gold Coast

13th April 2019 - Sport Australia Chief Executive backs Fitness Australia’s new physically activity goals

4th April 2019 - Sport Australia’s John Wylie welcomes Federal budget funding boost

25th February 2019 - Sport Australia launches second phase of ‘Move It AUS’ campaign

13th February 2019 - Sport Australia welcomes creation of new integrity agency

7th September 2018 - Sport Australia Chief Executive intervenes in FFA governance dispute

6th August 2018 - Sport Australia launches ‘Move It’ campaign to encourage physical activity

1st August 2018 - Sports Commission to rebrand as Sport Australia

20th July 2018 - Social media stars paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to promote Girls make your Move campaign

8th May 2018 - Report suggests Australian Institute of Sport to shed 40 jobs at Canberra base

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