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Netball Australia and its eight Member Organisations have announced that they are entering a “new era” with the endorsement of governance reforms that aim to alignment grassroots and community netball with Suncorp Super Netball and the Origin Australian Diamonds program.

Following criticisms in the landmark State of the Game Review, released last December, which said netball’s governance was "outdated" and that there was a "a lack of trust" in how it operates, the game has made what it calls “several difficult choices and decisions in order to forge a vibrant and sustainable future for the sport”.

One of the most significant reforms was set out in recommendation 2.1 which called for a Special General Meeting to adopt a range of governance reforms that would create ‘’a significant opportunity for stability, development and alignment to underpin strengthening of Australian netball.”

Following months of collaboration and discussion, netball’s eight voting Member Organisations, further supported by Netball Australia, last night unanimously endorsed reforms that will create the foundation for a more dynamic, efficient and innovative administration of Australia’s number one participation sport.

Key elements of the agreed reforms include:

• Merging the Netball Australia Board and Super Netball League Commission into a single nine-person Board with six directors appointed by the Netball Australia Board and three elected by Member Organisations.
• The Super Netball Commission will merge with the new Netball Australia Board, which will run the Suncorp Super Netball competition.
• After nine years on the Netball Australia Board, the last four as Chair, Paolina Hunt has resigned as Chair and Director of Netball Australia, effective immediately. This facilitates the transition to a single Board, and provides certainty around leadership of the organisation for the current Netball Australia Chief Executive recruitment process.
• Directors Elizabeth Hunter, Catriona Larritt and Terri Meadmore have also stood aside with thanks and appreciation for their critical contributions to netball.
• Marina Go will become the inaugural Chair of the newly-formed board following the unanimous endorsement of her fellow Directors.
• Following a unique election process, it was determined that Marina Go (Chair), Wendy Archer, Mitch Catlin, Todd Deacon, Peter Legg, John O’Sullivan, Jane Seawright, Gabbi Stubbs and Michael Thomson will serve as inaugural Directors in 2021.
• Subsequent Director terms will be staggered to ensure continuity.
• Commitment to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and athlete representatives are appointed to Board positions in accordance with the State of the Game Review recommendations.
• Newly constituted Nominations Committee is comprised of an independent external chair, an Netball Australia representative and one current member organisation President, chosen by the member organisations.

The approval and adoption of the reform package represents one of the most significant structural changes in netball’s long history. It is also the bedrock from which other critical State of the Game Review recommendations can be reviewed, discussed and ultimately adopted.

Crucially, the change was made possible by the recognition of netball’s Member Organisations that the long-term future of the sport required the drive, determination and co-operation of all states and territories, rather than a top-down approach.

Operationally, the new governance system provides the flexibility and organisational agility to ensure that the skillsets of Directors will be both complementary and responsive to changes in the broader economic, social, commercial, technological, governmental, and other landscapes.

A single Board will also facilitate whole-of-sport strategic decision-making that runs from netball’s vast grassroots community through pathways to Suncorp Super Netball and the Origin Australian Diamonds.

Finally, the new Nominations Committee structure will help ensure that the many stakeholders critical to netball’s health are considered and represented as the Board evolves over time.

Significant structural reform inevitably involves change, and the entire netball family once again thanks our out-going Directors Paolina Hunt, Elizabeth Hunter, Catriona Larritt and Terri Meadmore for their commitment, leadership, and insights.

Lower image: Marina Go has been unanimously endorsed to lead the new Netball Australia Board which merges the previous Board and the Super Netball League Commission.

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