Chris Minns vows to increase sport funding with $10m injection

Labor leader Chris Minns has pledged to pump millions into sporting organisations across NSW that have been stagnating at the same funding they received during the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Labor leader Chris Minns has pledged to pump $10 million into sporting organisations across NSW that have been stagnating at the same low level of funding they received during the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

The move would address an $8 million shortfall identified by Sport NSW that has crippled grassroots sporting organisations struggling on a fraction of the funding ladled out in other states.

“Sports organisations and clubs are often held together by the passion of volunteers, parents and families and it’s time that we had modern funding arrangements to match the modern challenges faced by these groups,” Mr Minns said.

“This funding will help improve programs and increase female participation and leadership pathways right across sport in NSW.”

The shortfall in funding for sports administrators was identified by Sport NSW in its Playing Catch Up report late last year that also found the lack of investment in sporting facilities meant 10,000 children who want to play basketball are being turned away each year.

Chris Minns with St George Dragons NSWRL Women's Premiership players Georgie Brooker, Grace Clarke, Amy Jagelman, Emma Perrin and Taylah Watson. Picture: Jonathan Ng

It found sporting bodies in NSW were trailing far behind other states.
Basketball in Queensland receives $400,000 in funding compared to just $55,000 in NSW and Queensland volleyballers net $231,000 while their counterparts in NSW struggle on just $15,000.

NSW Labor has promised to step up the Organisation Support Program funding to $5 million in 2023-24 and $10 million every year after.
Tied into that will be incentives to increase female participation in sport. Sport NSW will also receive $250,000 to boost its female leadership and coaches programs.

Volleyball NSW chief executive Baz Wedmaier said the additional funding would provide a major boost to the sport.

“The additional core funding would increase our ability to support coach and club development, engage with places to play and enhance our participation and performance programs,” he said.

Mr Minns’ proposed $10m chas injection will help sports like NSW kids volleyball. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Michelle Anderson, St George women’s rugby league co-ordinator, said that extra funding to encourage women to coach showed that sport was evolving.

“Bringing a women’s perspective into any sport is motivating,” she said.

Sport NSW chairman Chris Hall said extra cash would help sporting codes that were attempting to deal with complex governance requirements ranging from data security to child protection on funding as low as $100 a week.

“These payments have been frozen in time since the year 2000 which has meant inflation has eaten away at these grants by over 67 per cent,” he said.

“Some smaller sports are volunteer run. This increase could be used to put on an employee for the first time to really increase the capacity for governance, more and improved programs and competitions, and really target an increase in female participation.”

Sport Minister Alister Henskens met with officials from Sport NSW last week to discuss the NSW Government’s response to the funding crisis highlighted by the report. Talks are continuing.

Mr Hall said: “Sport NSW continues to work with the Government and we are hopeful they will match this announcement and implement the recommendations in our Playing Catch Up report.”