Funding for Physical Activity – Where is it?

By Dr Phil Hamdorf (President, Australian Association for Exercise and Sports Science) and Russell Withers (formerly Executive Officer, Recreation South Australia)

"The Customer Can Have Any Colour He Wants So Long As it's Black" -Henry Ford

Is this the philosophy that the Federal Government is applying to the funding of physical activity in 2001? The policy adopted in May of this year (in a media release from the Federal Minister for Sport and Tourism on 31 May 2001) makes it clear that participants can have any physical activity they want as long as it's sport.

The media release outlines how $550 million will be spent over the next four years through the Backing Australia's Sporting Ability - A More Active Australia plan. It is clear that recreation and fitness have, once again, been left out of the funding equation. Of that $550 million, only $7.8 million has been earmarked to support National Recreation Safety Organisations (specifically water and alpine). This is the only allocation made to recreation, no allocation has been made to fitness and there is no indication of a similar funding package planned for these sectors.

This interpretation is supported by the recent announcement by the Australian Sports Commission that the focus of the Active Australia strategy will be "initiatives that demonstrate a direct effect on increasing grass-roots sports participation in local clubs and associations" (www.sportnet.com.au/activeaustralia/national/new_direction.htm).

The strategy, over two years, targets twenty "large sports with an already extensive club infrastructure" (www.sportnet.com.au/activeaustralia/national/new_direction.htm) and that, in many instances, already attract major sponsorship, advertising and media royalties. From a recreation perspective, it appears that the Federal Government is backing reduced options for participants, which in turn will lead to a not-so-healthy nation of young people and adults.

"I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members" - Groucho Marx

Ironically, by putting all of its eggs in the sport basket, the Federal Government is ignoring the statistics published in the ABS report, Participation in sport and physical activities (1999 – 2000, Cat. 4177.0). The figures on page fourteen of this report indicate that more adults participate in non-organised physical activity than in organised physical activity and that this is the case in every adult age group for both men and women. Further to this, the demographics of our society show a dramatic shift in the size of the ageing population, indicating a need for appropriate recreational activities for the maintenance of good health. The sports club model does not necessarily provide these opportunities.

If this remains the Federal Government’s stance the following questions deserve some consideration.

• What funding is available for the development of recreation and fitness?
• How do the ABS figures above support the Federal Government's assertion that this is "a sports policy for all Australians"? (www.isr.gov.au/sport_tourism/SportRecreation/sportstrategy.html)
• What funding is available to ensure that participants have continued access to non-organised physical activity?
• How will a lack of funding for facilities for non-organised physical activity provide for a more active Australia when the majority of active Australians engage in this form of activity?
• How will organised recreational activities continue to feed participation in sport through "come and try" programs and by increasing fitness, coordination and confidence to a level where participants are able to consider involvement in the competitive arena?
• What consideration is there for people who are unable or unwilling to participate in sport due to the higher risk of injury, its competitive nature, images of "sports hooliganism" and other factors?
• How will the new Active Australia strategy be implemented without pulling the rug out from under the recreation organisations and local governments who have already embraced the previous strategy in good faith?
• How is Active Australia relevant to sectors other than sport and how will it be supported in those sectors?
• What initiatives and strategies will be put in place to implement and maintain the original framework, philosophy and goals of Active Australia intended to increase and enhance life long participation and realise the social, health and economic benefits as well as develop an "across communities" infrastructure for opportunities and support services?

Australian Sports Commission funding should support all activities related to increasing the level of physical activity amongst the community and not just those targeted at sports participation. Sport is vital to the well being of our community, but of equal value and importance is participation in non-organised or less structured physical activity opportunities.

The Federal Government must support all sectors and programs involving physical activity (ie sport, recreation, fitness, etc.) if their policies are to contribute to the better health of the entire Australian community.