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Local
Government and State Sporting Organisations
Sport and Recreation Forum Report
Unley
Community Sports Centre – Tuesday 29 May 2001
A.
Introduction – purpose of the forum
The issue of the
relationship between local government and state sporting
associations had been an area of interest to key agencies
involved in the delivery of sport and recreation.
As a result of numerous discussions and collaboration
between the Local Government Recreation Forum, Sport SA and the
Office for Recreation and Sport it was agreed that there was a
need to conduct a Local Government Sport and Recreation Forum to
identify and address the issues around building better
partnerships between sport and local government.
A steering committee
was established to plan and conduct the forum.
An independent facilitator Jeff Dry was engaged and
invitations were sent out to all local councils in SA and all
state sporting associations.
The forum was set for Tuesday 29 May to be held at the
Unley Sports and Community Centre.
Over 60 people
responded to the invitation to attend however on the day some 50
gathered for the forum which saw a collection of representatives
from local councils (14), both metropolitan and country, State
Sporting Associations (39), other relevant agencies including
Sport SA, Office for Recreation and Sport, Recreation SA, SPARC,
Life Be In It, the Anti Cancer Foundation and Sports Medicine SA
and several community groups.
The purpose of the
forum was to explore the relationships between local government
and sport with the view to exploring how to further strengthen
these relationships.
Kathy Stanton (CEO
– Sport SA) in welcoming all those present introduced the
theme of the forum that being to explore the partnerships
between local government and sport.
Sport SA had a role to play in providing a voice for
sport in this state and so it was important to use this forum to
formulate and forge those partnerships.
Brett Hill (Port
Adelaide Enfield Council) reaffirmed that the conference was
aimed at addressing a need identified in many recreation plans
of local councils. Councils
recognised the need to liaise more closely with sporting
associations. The
hope for the forum was to identify issues and create discussion.
Brett identified his
possible outcomes for the forum were to get a decision to form a
working group to further explore this partnership between sport
and local government and the development of closer links between
the two groups as a result of the forum.
Jeff Dry as
facilitator introduced the day with his hope that through the
forum process and workshop discussions, there would be a bonding
between local government and state sporting associations.
The approach for the
day was to look at what forum participants wanted to get from
the day; what current relationships existed between local
government and state sporting associations; what are the current
trends impacting upon sport and recreation delivery and
provision as they impact upon local government and state
sporting associations; what currently are the roles of state
sporting associations and local councils and how are these
perceived by each group; what are the major issues facing both
groups in working more closely together and finally what actions
and strategies can be suggested for dealing with these issues.
In setting the scene
for the forum some background was provided on what research and
development had occurred in the past in relation to the area of
local government sport and recreation from a federal government
perspective.
The Australian
Sports Commission and the then Confederation of Sport had
commissioned a study in 1993 which looked at sport and
recreation provision in local government.
This study was known as the Jak Carroll report.
The study identified that the missing link in sport and
recreation was the relationship between local government and
state sporting associations.
Opportunity was then
provided to forum representatives to share their views on what
they hoped to get out of the forum. The common theme was the
desire to have better communication and cooperation between the
two key partners so that better opportunities for both were
created. Most local
councils and state sporting organisations faced the same
challenges although rural councils voiced their concern that any
decisions made had to be cognisant of their special needs.
A more coordinated approach to the provision of sport was
more likely to lead to a more effective use of resources both
human and financial. The
issue of sport and recreation provision was seen as much broader
than just that of facility provision although this is a
significant area of conflict with regards to not enough
facilities being available, the issue of joint usage and shared
facilities.
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B.
Current situation
The forum then heard
about a number of examples that exist of current good practice
models that illustrate positive working relationships between
local government and sport.
These included cases where local councils had been
pro-active in assisting with the amalgamation of several lawn
bowls clubs, providing funding along with the community for
facility development, promoting and implementing joint usage of
sporting facilities and other examples where sport had taken the
lead to improve participation opportunities for community
children and working with councils to improve the administration
of community clubs.
C.
Trends
impacting upon Sport
The forum was then
asked to consider the trends which impact upon sport and
recreation provision currently.
It was agreed that unless key decision makers from both
sport and local government are aware of such trends then their
knowledge base will be limited as it is these trends which will
help shape the future direction of sport and recreation
provision.
Participants were
divided into small workshop groups with each group made up of
local government and state sporting association representatives.
The key trends identified were that there has been an
increase in the amount of leisure time available but this is not
being used, as it should be.
Despite there being a much greater choice of sport for
people to consider there has been a shift from traditional sport
to an increase in passive, leisure type pursuits with more
people also preferring to participate in the fast food sports as
it does not involve the same type of commitment as club sport
does. A lack of physical education in schools has had
significant impact upon determining young people’s
participation in sport yet at the other end of the age scale
there is a greater demand for older adults sport as evidenced in
the growth of such activities as Masters sport competitions. Any
increase in participation is being countered by the lack of
facilities and the increased expectation of the users to the
standard and availability of these facilities for their sport.
Sport is becoming
too expensive for those participating and those trying to
provide and administer the sport and the sporting facilities and
this issue is compounded by the need to cater for sport being
more about entertainment than participation and the lack of
sponsorship that sport seems to be able to attract at community
level.
Governments at all
levels are committed to increasing participation in sport
because of the social issues related to healthy lifestyles,
reduction of obesity etc but they are not prepared to match this
with the amount of dollars that are being made available except
in the area of elite sport.
Sport may be in
trouble in the future unless it can arrest the decline in
volunteers, meet the need to provide for the increased
expectations of better club management and the need for
accredited coaches and official at all levels of sport.
Jeff Dry then gave a
presentation on the findings from Australian and New Zealand
research on the issue of current trends and the impact they have
on sport and recreation provision.
The overhead presentation which was presented to the
forum is captured in the following summary.
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What are the major
trends and challenges facing sport over the next few years?
- Consumer
society
(“I demand more
for my dollar”) – people more demanding in customer
service and quality of service
Implication - no
longer can we assume the captive market we once had –
sport/leisure has to become more competent to deal with
today’s consumers – people want different types of
opportunity
Which means –
clubs need to offer more than just the game/activity – what
about individual coaching or social or business opportunities
– for what people invest in dollars what does the club
provide?
- Choice
and competition
(“There’s too
much to choose from”) – far greater range of
activities now competing for what little time people now
have available for leisure
- do people want to get wet or hot or put up with
forfeits or are they happy to watch TV or go to indoor
sports at less commitment?
Implication –
clubs/sports may die – young adults/teenagers being wooed by
other interest (study, work, and pleasure) – sport needs to
have appeal
Which means – give
the customer what the customer wants and rebrand the variety of
benefits from participation – consider what your
competition/opposition is offering that has appeal
- Shrinking
time
(“I don’t have
the time”) – pace of life has increased dramatically
– we are more wired and more tired – participants and
volunteers no longer have the time they once had
Implication –
activities or commitments that require a large amount of time
are under threat – where large numbers of support people are
required this is a problem – participants are looking for
activities that fit with their time schedules and this is not
necessarily a season long commitment
Which means –
express or fast food sport is the answer for these people -
accept the need for and create the instant volunteer who is able
to commit for a short term project rather then long-term
commitment – attract people for a purpose not a reason –
adapt to changing work practices (internet) which help
administer clubs – target specific groups as volunteers (eg
retirees, unemployed) – consider paying for volunteers
- Disappearing
and reappearing communities
(“I don’t belong
anywhere”) – no longer have the traditional
community that we belong to, as there is more migration and
movement in and out of communities – people tend to live
more insular lives
Implication –
future of community clubs is declining, as clubs based on place
will become less relevant –
Which means -
greater need to offer localities with more than one sport
offering – clubs need to diversify and attract greater mass
– clubs need to offer more to appeal such as greater variety
of activities suitable for different family members – clubs
need to consider how to attract members from outside of the
local community and use of internet is a great opportunity
- Wealth
gaps (“I’m not made of money”) –
the cost of participation is increasing with the growth of
indoor sports and clubs charging higher fees to cover loss
of members and extra administration costs now being demanded
– people have less income to devote to participation as
much of it goes to leisure pursuits involving spectating
Implication – it
is becoming too expensive for many people to participate –
user pays policies at local government level are having a
detrimental impact upon community involvement
Which means –
people will pay for something they perceive is of value –
local councils need to consider what their community priority is
about i.e. provision of quality of life activities
- Family
meltdown
(“It’s your turn
to have the kids”) – what of the modern family as it
once was – family breakdown creates problems of time
commitments for parents, costs to participate and demands
from separated parents
Implication –
families that play together stay together - how do sports appeal
to family groups?
Which means –
clubs need to cater for families and promote themselves as
family friendly places offering activities for adults and
children at the same time in the same place
- Metro
magnetism
(“I’m off to the
big smoke”) – there are enormous problems for rural
communities and sports involvement through lack of numbers,
extra costs to participate and range of valuable
opportunities
Implication –
cities cannot cope with the demand and rural towns are lamenting
the lack of opportunities
Which means –
demographic trends need to be considered more realistically
- Greed
is good
(“back when I was
your age”) – people today want and desire much more
than in the past with the generation of young people now
being so self-centred
Implication –
young people do not value the concept of community service and
so the traditional volunteer system is under threat as this
group matures into leadership roles.
Young people expect high levels of service and value for
money
Which means – the
concept of voluntarism needs to be rebadged as a self-interest
not an altruistic activity.
Commercial not community models need to be considered.
Activities need to focus on excitement and risk and so
the growth of extreme sports
- Health
bonanza
(“Age doesn’t
matter it’s how you feel”) – people are becoming
more preoccupied with health issues – we are becoming an
older population and older adults are also demanding more
leisure opportunities be provided for them – we are also
getting fatter as a nation
Implication –
commercial operators are hitting the niche market – ageing
population will create a growing economic strain on
government’s budget allocations for physical activity as well
as in super payments and health care costs
Which means –
sports need to cash in on the current health and physical
activity messages through an alignment with these philosophies
– sports need to show how they can offer the benefits people
are looking for – sports need to modify their approach without
losing their core property
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D.
Current
roles of State Sporting Association and Local Government
The next phase of
the forum again involved workshopping in small groups.
The session explored the current roles of sport and local
government. Representatives from both local government and state
sporting associations outlined their specific roles in the
provision of sport as well as giving their perception of what
the other did. There
was a general sense of agreement about these roles.
Local Government was seen as a provider of facilities,
services, programs and human resources to administer and
implement community sport and recreation, a coordinating agent
for community sport provision through its promotion and
communication, a vehicle for assisting local clubs with their
operations and management of their sport.
Sporting
Associations were seen as being responsible for the programming
and management of the sport at state, regional and local level
and all things associated with that such as promotion of the
sport, communication to key partners, training and development
of the sport’s resources such as club administration, coaches,
officials, volunteers etc.
Sport was responsible for determining the future
direction of their sport through community consultation and
research and planning that is consistent with the overall
direction as set by the national body and in partnership with
the various levels of government.
The next session
looked at the key issues facing local government and state
sporting associations and what actions could be put in place to
address these issues?
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E.
Future
actions/strategies to address the current key issues
Again working in
small groups, discussion focussed on what actions could be
introduced by both state sporting associations and local
government authorities to address the issues relevant to them.
The key issues had been previously identified as those
which were the highest priority for local councils and sports to
address and this had come from the discussion of what
participants wanted to get from the day.
Key issue 1
Communication and Cooperation
Some actions put
forward from the forum included using Sport SA leadership to
coordinate local and state government and State sporting
associations to further develop strategies from this forum. By
sports clubs and local councils appointing a contact person to
service this area it was agreed that communication would be
enhanced for this area and a directory of sporting association
representatives and local government representatives would help
rectify many of the current problems of internal and external
communication at all levels of sport from association to local
government.
Where local councils
communicate with local clubs a copy should be sent to the
corresponding state sporting association to strengthen the
communication channels and keep all parties informed.
On the information aspect it was agreed that there should
be more information sharing that would benefit both partners.
For instance sporting clubs could conduct seminars and
meetings in local government areas on specific topics of
interest. A “How
To” manual for sports to deal with local government and vice
versa is a resource that needs to be developed but no decision
was made on whose responsibility this would be.
Key issue 2 -
Facilities
A critical issue for
local government and sport as it impacts so much upon the
programs and activities that are offered by sport. It was agreed
that State sporting associations be consulted when new local
facilities are being considered by local councils.
A more coordinated approach in relation to future major
facility development and other crucial sport and recreation
issues would be enhanced with lobbying by both state sporting
associations and local government so as to provide a joint
positioning statement.
There was also
consensus that there is need for a statewide facilities plan
funded by state government and in conjunction with local
government and state sporting associations
The issue of
joint/shared usage is of major significance and one which needs
a detailed investigation. State
sporting associations should be provided with a database of
available sporting facilities with the view to considering
shared facility usage.
Key issue 3 - Fees
and charges/Funding
Despite there being
no easy answer in this issue a number of excellent strategies
were suggested. There is a need to introduce consistent and
equitable fees and charges across all local councils when
involving community sport but it was also felt there needed to
be an element of flexibility to deal with special circumstances
such as local councils providing options in the fees and charges
for facility use (i.e. if club does its own maintenance then it
should receive a fee reduction) and councils offering subsidies
to sporting clubs that provide for disadvantaged special
population groups (disability, ethnic, women etc).
Local government
needs to take a leadership role when it comes to educating and
informing local sports clubs in matters such as the need to
educate clubs about the impact and implementation of GST and for
sporting associations wanting to be involved in development for
their clubs.
.
Key issue 4 - Club
Development
Management
improvement for sporting clubs was seen as a priority for both
sport and local government. It was agreed that sports clubs need
to have a club management plan to be able to access funding or
specific grants and local councils can offer assistance in this
area as can the state sporting body. Where councils do not have
this expertise within their resources they need to consider
bringing in external expertise when working on club development
with community sporting clubs.
The Australian Sports Commission resource on Volunteer
Management/Club Administration were recognised as being a vital
resource to be promoted and implemented.
Currently courses are being offered by Office for
Recreation and Sport through local councils and state sporting
associations.
Key issue 5 - Ground
use
Similar issues as
discussed with the fees and charges key issue but the forum
wanted specific actions addressed here.
Agreed that clubs need to work together in joint usage
and sharing of facilities and so leading to a sharing of costs,
maintenance etc. A
major concern for the more popular traditional sports of
football, soccer and cricket was the issue of sports extending
their seasons creating conflict of use. Sporting clubs need to
work together under the guidance of local government to
coordinate the use of facilities so this practice is addressed
for the benefit of all users. Perhaps there is a need for a
forum between local government and state sport associations to
define the issue of seasons for sports that have potential for
conflict of use. There
was a feeling that the use of school facilities could be better
utilised and sport and local council should work on this.
Key issue 6 -
Sponsorship
This issue was seen
as one of the lower priorities for action.
Accepted that local government needs to provide knowledge
to clubs and associations on what money (grants) is available to
access. This can be assisted by councils advertising the human
resources they have who may be available to assist clubs with
sponsorship proposals. More
emphasis should be placed on local government assisting clubs
find their own grants/sponsorship (such as councils identifying
potential local businesses as possible sponsors) rather than
council just handing out funds all the time
Key issue 7 -
Volunteers
Both local
government and sport agreed that unless the volunteer area was
addressed quickly the delivery of sport at the community level
was going to be in jeopardy.
Actions suggested included clubs improving on their
recognition of volunteers and local government developing a
training and recognition program for sport and recreation
volunteers in their community.
Again the resource of the VMP/CAMP program need to be
better utilised and promoted.
F.
Summary
It was very clear
that upon each workshop group reporting on their
actions/strategies for future implementation there was an
obvious pattern emerging that showed significant agreement
between all groups. There
was a sense of excitement from forum participants that the forum
had addressed its objectives and the outcomes had been achieved.
From the workshop
groups and feedback sessions there appears to be four key
findings that emerged:
- The
need for more detailed research from both local government
and state sporting associations to address a number of the
key issues from the forum. Research on the trends that are
impacting upon current and future sport delivery will help
sport and local government determine their future directions
and activities and planning. There has been little evidence
of research having been conducted but where it has,
significant gains and benefit have been noticeable.
- State
Sporting Organisations and sport generally appears to have
more to gain from the strengthening of the partnership than
perhaps local government given that sport and recreation is
only one of the key priorities for local government.
Sport is more reliant on local government for support
and assistance in areas such as funding and facilities than
local government needs sport.
It is therefore incumbent on sport to work
strategically on building and maintaining these partnerships
particularly at the community level where the majority of
sport occurs.
- It
has been clearly identified that a coordinated approach by
both local government and sport will create a much more
effective and supportive environment for the delivery and
provision of community sport.
Leadership by Sport SA and the Office Of Recreation
and Sport to ensure this working partnership continues in
the future is crucial.
- There
are excellent models of good practice that currently exist
between sport and local government and these need to be
highlighted and communicated to the relevant agencies and
steps taken to collect and collate future models that might
be introduced.
A number of follow
up actions/recommendations were suggested and agreed to.
- That
forum notes be produced and circulated to all participants.
Jeff Dry to arrange for final draft of forum notes to
be written up and provided to Sport SA.
- That
a forum steering group/task force be established to meet and
determine actions resulting from forum report.
Sport SA and ORS to liaise on this matter.
- That
the local government recreation forum email list needs to be
widened to include interested state sporting associations.
Peter Nicholls accepted responsibility for this.
- That
local councils produce a formal statement of their roles in
relation to sport and recreation provision and that this
statement should be reviewed every 2 years
- That
local councils implement a regular consultation
process/mechanism for working with State Sporting
Organisations on matters relating to the outcome from this
forum
- That
State Sporting Organisations appoint local government
liaison officers to deal with specific local government
issues
- That
State Sporting Organisations consult with local government
when developing regional facility plans for their sport
- That
forums such as this one be continued in the future
- That
State Sporting Organisations need to provide leadership and
support to their member clubs to help them cope with change
and deal better with local government authorities
The final outcome
from the forum was the challenge issued to all participants to
take from this forum at least one action that will be
implemented in the very near future.
Participants were encouraged to share the details of the
forum with their staff and boards.
The forum was
concluded with final comments from both Sport SA and Local
Government representatives with an undertaking that the actions
from the forum will see a more coordinated approach to the
delivery and provision of sport at community level as a result
of the discussions and networks that occurred during the day.
Report prepared by
Jeff Dry
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Local
Government Sport and Recreation Forum
Workshop groups – summary of
findings
Session 2 – Case
studies of current relationships that exist
- Lawn
Bowls – work of Unley Council in assisting a number of
clubs to amalgamate
- Port
Pirie – community sporting bodies combined to provide
funding for a new indoor stadium
- Port
Pirie – Masters games concept involved 33 sports and the
support and assistance of state government has led to
abetter relationship between sport and government
- City
of Tea Tree Gully – issue of joint use of school grounds
as sporting facilities to meet the need from increased
demand by community sports groups
- Baseball
– Mt Gambier example of cooperation between local
government and sporting bodies has led to creation of best
regional facilities in baseball and other sports
- City
of Onkaparinga – issue of upgrading “tired” indoor
facilities has seen the need to hold discussions with
stakeholders about the future direction with the aim of
creating better communication between key partners in
meeting the needs of all players
- Soccer
SA – from an association-imposed condition a soccer club
has taken a lead in forming a joint venture with other
sporting clubs with the support of the council
- Soccer
SA – often sporting bodies impose conditions on ground use
that councils find hard to deal with
- Baseball
– through the cooperation of Baseball, TTG Council and
local schools a strong partnership led to increased
opportunities for local community children wanting to play
baseball
- Sport
SA – raised the issue of needing to consider local
residents because they have the power to be very strong
lobbying agents when future use of sporting facilities are
being planned
- Gymnastics
SA – the significant contribution of the Active Australia
provider concept has seen many community clubs assisted in
becoming more viable
Session 3 – Trends
impacting upon sport and recreation today
Leisure time
Despite supposedly
having more leisure time people are spending more time at work
Debate about the
amount of leisure time available
Changing work
patterns
Shift from
traditional sport
Shift from formal to
informal sports
Fast food sports –
all rights and no responsibility – growth of unstructured
sports
Lack of commitment
to club sport
Decline in
membership of traditional sports
Lengthening of
traditional seasons
Specific populations
Lack of physical
education in schools and decreased focus on sport in schools
Growth of lifetime
sports to cater for the ageing population
Growth of older
adult competitions such as Masters Games
Greater choices
available to young people
Facilities
Increase in
expectations of facilities
Facilities being
tendered out to private organisations
Increase in
expectations of service quality
Increased costs in
maintaining facilities
Need to have
multiple usage of facilities
Increased costs
Escalating costs to
participate in sport and to maintain facilities
Sport as a business
Growth of sports
tourism
Sport now seems to
more about entertainment than participation
Increased television
coverage of sport
Development of
technological aspects such as impact of computer games
Growth of vocational
opportunities in the sport industry
Legal issues
Increase in legal
issues/litigation and risk management in particular related to
sports facilities
Healthy lifestyle
Growth of lifestyle
diseases such as drugs
Government issues
Increased government
awareness of need for increased participation and promotion of
healthy lifestyle
Increased government
assistance and expenditure on sport both at state and federal
level
Pressure by other
government agencies seeking the available funds
Justifying funding
spent on elite sport
Increase in local
government consulting with wider community such as establishing
community networks
Management issues
Awareness of need to
have better management in sports clubs
Increased emphasis
on training and education and accreditation of coaches and
officials
Community sports
clubs not having experienced or qualified personnel to
administer the club
Lack of skilled
volunteers
Sponsorship
Less sponsorship
available to sports clubs in a period where more sponsorship is
being sought to cover increased costs
Session 4 – Current roles of State Sporting Associations and
Local Councils in relation to provision of sport and recreation
This session was
conducted as a small group workshop.
State Sporting Associations – what do you believe to be the
role of local government in the provision of sport and
recreation? Only representatives from State Sporting
Associations were able to make comment on this question.
Facilities
To provide the
facilities/ infrastructure of parks and reserves and gymnasiums
etc
To provide access to
those facilities by sport and local community
Using rate payers
dollars to provide facilities
Consultation and
cooperation
Provide coordination
of community sport and recreation for all sports
Work with state
bodies to develop relevant policies and improve the quality of
club services that contribute to better provision of community
sport (wet weather policies)
Work with schools
and business to identify possible joint/shared facilities
Provide partnerships
with local sports groups and links to the community
Club development
Support clubs to
help them remain viable and operational
Communication
A medium to
communicate to local residents
A sounding board for
active sports clubs
Promotion
Encourage
participation in council areas
Develop sport and
promote healthy lifestyle issues to the community
Create new
opportunities for community sport and recreation including for
minority groups as well
Promote leisure
facilities and services to the community
Resources
Supply full time
recreation/sport development officers
Local Government
Authorities - what do you believe to be the role of State
Sporting Associations in the provision of sport and recreation?
Only representatives from local government were able to make
comment on this question
Coordination/management
Programming and
managing the sport
Provide an umbrella
structure to sporting clubs by providing strong links between
clubs and state body
Responsible for
accountability of local clubs through assisting in
administration to help them remain viable
Drive the
development and improved management of clubs
Drive Active
Australia
Promotion/communication
Encourage local
member organisations to promote at a local level
Promote and provide
sport development through activities such as come and try events
Communication of
sport’s long-term strategies
Cooperation and
consultation
Lobbyist
organisation to represent sport at other tiers of government and
commercial business
Act as liaison
between sporting organisations to help meet common needs through
partnerships
Work cooperatively
with local authorities and local government to give advice on
development and facilities
Joint responsibility
with local government in encouraging participation at community
level
Consult with local
government on the use of facilities
Provide strong links
between clubs and state body
Research
Provide relevant
research data on current trends to local government
State Sporting
Associations - what do you believe to be your role in the
provision of sport and recreation? Only representatives from
State Sporting Associations were able to make comment on this
question
Management
Manage the
sport/foster “the game”
Create an
environment for people of all ages to participate
Need to liaise and
communicate with grass roots level clubs
Provide a range of
services at club level including sponsorship, funding etc
Provide program
management and competition coordination
Planning and
development of the sport including coaching, officiating and
administrating
Talent
identification
Promotion
Promotion of the
sport generally as well as the wider role of state bodies to
member clubs
Local Government
Authorities - what do you believe to be your role in the
provision of sport and recreation? Only representatives from
local government were able to make comment on this question
Services
Provide for the
whole community not just elite sport or most popular sports
Provision of
community profiles to elected members
Develop local
regional recreation plans
Assist clubs with
application of funding
Provision of
technical and professional advice on sports matters
Facility development
Development
opportunities for new facilities and maximum use of current
facilities
Provision of
regional facilities and competition standard facilities
Training and
education
Provision of club
management and training opportunities
Funding
Provision of grants
for development of sports clubs
Using ratepayers’
dollars efficiently and promoting this to community
Club development
Empowerment of local
clubs
Identify trends and
provide for those needs at community level
Research between
local government and state sporing associations
Create and provide
social well-being for wider community development
Session 5 – Key
issues facing local government and state sporting associations
– what actions can be put in place to address these issues?
Communication
and Cooperation
- Use
Sport SA leadership to coordinate local and state government
and State sporting associations to further develop
strategies from this forum
- Sporting
clubs to use a post office box as their mailing address
- Encourage
sports clubs and local councils to appoint a contact person
for this area
- Sports
clubs use local media to advertise and communicate to local
government
- Develop
a directory of sporting association representatives and
local government representatives
- Rectify
problems of internal and external communication at all
levels of sport from association to local government
- Networks
being established to discuss issues in specialist areas
involving people of common interests
- A
need for appreciation of both sides of arguments between
sport and local government through communication
- Arrange
regular meetings between local clubs/state sporting
associations and local councils
- Communication
between state association, local government and state
government to deal with district level facilities
- Where
local councils communicate with local clubs a copy should be
sent to the corresponding state sporting association
State
sporting association develop a database of their clubs for each
local government area
- State
sporting association be invited to meetings with community
clubs
- Sporting
clubs conduct seminars and meetings in local government area
- State
sporting association to supply a development for each
country region area
- Sport
SA be invited to attend the current Local Government
Recreation Forum
- How
to manual for sports to deal with local government and vice
versa
- Annual
workshop between sort and local government
- State
sporting association focus on player and coach development
- Local
government focus on facilities and infrastructure
- SSO
and LG focus on quality improvement and management
Facilities
- Consideration
be given to establishing a high quality location which
houses a number of sports
- State
sporting associations be consulted when new local facilities
being considered
- When
lobbying on major sport and recreation issues have both
state sporting associations and local government provide
joint positioning statement
- Local
government to promote processes for facility development and
local government to ensure state sporting associations are
aware of process
- Local
government to use research to identify community needs and
trends and to provide answers and strategies for sporting
clubs
- Need
for a statewide facilities plan funded by state government
and in conjunction with local government and state sporting
associations
- Work
to have submissions for new or improving of facilities
compiled by both state sporting associations and local clubs
to add weight to the submission
- State
sporting associations be provided with a database of
available sporting facilities with the view to considering
shared facility usage
Fees and charges/Funding
- Need
to introduce consistent and equitable fees and charges
across all local councils
- Councils
need to offer subsidies to sporting clubs that provide for
disadvantaged special population groups (disability, ethnic,
women etc)
- Encourage
local government to provide options in the fees and charges
for facility use (i.e. if club does own maintenance then a
fee reduction
- Need
to educate clubs about impact and implementation of GST
- Costs
for family should be reduced to make it more attractive so
that participants can expect dollars worth of value for
registration cost
- Local
government can assist in the education of clubs and
association s in this area
- Development
of a fees and charges model for clubs
- State
Sporting associations are encouraged to become Active
Australia providers
- State
sporting association consider decrease in costs to increase
junior participation
- Councils
subsidise costs for sporting associations wanting to be
involved in development for their clubs
Club Development
- Management
improvement seen as a priority for sport
- Clubs
need to have a club management plan to be able to access
funding or specific grants
- Sporting
association network helps identify common issues
cooperatively
- Councils
need to consider bringing in external expertise when working
on club development with community sporting clubs
- Councils
to provide training such as Volunteer Management/Club
Administration courses being offered by Office for
Recreation and Sport
- Seen
as the prime responsibility of state associations in
conjunction with state and local government
- Offer
discounts and incentives to Active Australia providers
Ground use
- Clubs
need to work together in joint usage and sharing of
facilities and so sharing of costs, maintenance etc
- Need
to consider current problem of sports extending their
seasons creating conflict of use
- Sporting
clubs need to work together under the guidance of local
government to coordinate use of facilities particularly in
school facilities
- Councils
to do research to identify where it is necessary to work
towards amalgamation of clubs
- Need
for forum between local government and state sport
Associations to define the issue of seasons for sports that
have potential for conflict of use (football and soccer with
cricket)
Sponsorship
- Local
government need to provide knowledge to clubs and
associations on what money (grants) is available to access
- Clubs
need to consider targeting of sponsorship
- Clubs
need to allocate a portfolio to a sponsorship person
- Councils
need to advertise the human resources they have who are
available to assist clubs with sponsorship proposals
- More
emphasis should be placed on local government assisting
clubs find their own grants/sponsorship rather than council
just handing out funds all the time
- Councils
to identify potential local businesses as possible sponsors
Volunteers
- Councils
and clubs need to improve on their recognition of volunteers
- Local
government to develop a training and recognition program for
sport and recreation volunteers
- Local
government need to maintain a database of sport and
recreation volunteers
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