Sports Australia demand Equestrian Australia hand back money

Sport Australia has criticised Equestrian Australia for not being forthcoming about implementing recommendations to improve safety from two inquests into the deaths of young athletes.

Funds question: Sport Australia has questioned whether or not Equestrian Australia has employed a full-time safety officer, despite being given $200,000 to do so. Picture: Patrick Gee

THE Australian Sports Commission has demanded equestrian sport’s national governing body return any unspent money it has received from the government agency.

The ultimatum was one of three issued by the ASC in an explosive letter signed by Sport Australia chief executive Robert Dalton and Australian Institute of Sport chief executive Peter Conde in a letter hand delivered to Equestrian Australia’s Sydney address on June 3.

The ASC’s surprise request led EA’s four remaining board members to place the organisation into voluntary administration last Tuesday, with board member John Glenn telling members the withdrawal of funding placed EA at risk of insolvency.

the amount of money due to be returned to the ASC remains unclear.

The ASC letter also informed EA that the commission would not be issuing EA with $450,000 for “core funding” that was to be paid this year, and that responsibility for EA’s high performance program would be transferred to the supervision of the AIS.

Mr Dalton and Mr Conde said it was the fundamental structure of the sport’s national governance that has proven itself “manifestly unfit for purpose and now needs to be overhauled”.

There are currently only four directors instead of the required six due to numerous resignations, including eight within the last 16 months, and three chairs.

“No other sport funded by the ASC has experienced this level of board turmoil,” the letter said. “It is self-evidently an unacceptable situation that does not serve the interests of the sport.”

One of the reasons listed for the cancellation of this year’s core funding was EA’s failure to adequately implement recommendations from Coronial inquiries into the deaths of young athletes Olivia Inglis and Caitlyn Fischer in 2017.

The ASC granted EA $200,000 early last year to employ a full-time national safety manager and additional safety measures following the inquiries.

“EA has not been forthcoming with reporting transparently the progress of this implementation process as required under its Sports Investment Agreement,” Mr Dalton and Mr Conde said.

Roger Kane was hired as EA’s inaugural national safety officer in April 2017, but his part-time role drew to an end after three years in March. The role was funded by Willinga Park Equestrian Centre owner Terry Snow who donated $250,000 towards safety initiates in the sport.

The issue of accountability arises repeatedly throughout the ASC’s the letter, echoing comments from outgoing board member Gillian Canapini about her frustration obtaining critical information about how government funding was to be spent.

“I was told I shouldn’t ask questions. I didn’t get the information I needed. I would like to know what the money EA gets for high performance (program) is spent on,” Ms Canapini said.