Sport Australia boss Kate Palmer stands down

Kate Palmer will not seek to renew her contract as chief executive of Sport Australia.

Kate Palmer will not seek a new contract as CEO of Sport Australia.

The body in charge of funding elite sports will have a new boss next year, with Kate Palmer announcing she will not seek to renew her contract as chief executive of Sport Australia.

Her departure comes amid a review of both Sport Australia – formerly known as the Australian Sports Commission – and the Australian Institute of Sport.

Palmer, former boss of Netball Australia, said she was proud of what she had achieved in the role, which she has held since 2017. “I believe in, and am pleased with, the progress we have made in helping Australians become more active, in improving the physical literacy of children and driving governance and management improvement across sport,” she said.

Sport Australia chairman John Wylie said Palmer had achieved significant milestones in the past three years.

“Kate has led an ongoing process of building capability and of governance reform among national sports organisations and put in place important safeguards to protect children in sporting environments,” he said.