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New Zealand Sports Minister Murray McCully is considering splitting the funding and support of high-performance sport from the New Zealand Sport and Recreation agency (SPARC).
McCully recently explained that that he was open to the idea of a clearer delineation between high-performance sport and the recreation sector, the two major arms of SPARC.
Whether that came about through splitting high-performance sport away from SPARC's control, or ring-fencing it within its current environment would become clearer after consultation with national sports organisations.
McCully said he wanted to take high-performance sport "to the next level", which could be achieved through a more structured high performance programme and greater certainty around funding.
However, the New Zealand Herald quoted national sporting organisations (NSOs) as seeing little "upside" to separating recreation and high-performance sport.
Triathlon NZ National Coach Greg Fraine, told the Herald that "I am very happy with our relationship with SPARC and the way both parties are working to achieve our goals. I am of the opinion if it is working very well what is the need for change? I see no benefits, immediate or future."
BikeNZ High Performance Manager Mark Elliott also told the newspapers that he could not see a "heck of a lot of difference" adding that his job was to come up with a strategic plan for his sport and sell that plan and the direction of his sport to SPARC to gain funding, âin terms of high-performance sport, we have autonomy anyway."
A spokesman for Minister McCully said NSOs were still being canvassed for their views stating that âthe Minister is aware there are quite a few ideas out there about the most effective way to proceed and he wants to give people a chance to put forward their suggestions before he makes any decisions."
High-performance sport was allocated $38 million in this year's Budget, from a total of close to $67 million for the sport and recreation vote.
SPARC also receives revenue from the New Zealand Lotteries Grant Board, which in recent years has totaled over $30 million, money which is invested into community sport and sport development and is not targeted for high-performance fields.

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