Australian Sports Commission Annual Report 1998–99 Australian Sports Commission Australian Sports Commission Annual Report 1998–99 Australian Sports Commission © Australian Sports Commission 1999 ISSN 0816–3448 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission from the Australian Sports Commission. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction should be directed to: Publications Manager Australian Sports Commission PO Box 176 Belconnen ACT 2616 For general enquiries concerning the Australian Sports Commission Tel: (02) 6214 1111 Fax: (02) 6251 2680 or visit our web site: www.ausport.gov.au Designed by Di Walker Design, Canberra Printed by Paragon Printers, Canberra Letter of Transmittal The Hon Jackie Kelly MP Minister for Sport and Tourism Parliament House CANBERRA ACT 2601 I have pleasure in presenting to you the Annual Report for the Australian Sports Commission for 1998–99. The report has been prepared to conform with the requirements of the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997 (CAC Act) as required under section 48 of the Australian Sports Commission Act 1989. The Commissioners of the Board are responsible under section 9 of the CAC Act for the preparation and content of the Report of Operations in accordance with the Finance Minister’s Orders. The Board resolved to adopt the Report of Operations at its meeting on 4 October 1999 as a true and concise portrayal of the year’s activities. In the past year Commissioners have worked hard to provide a vision for the future of sport in Australia and in determining the role that the ASC will have in guiding sporting organisations in the post-Olympics era. We can look forward to an industry built on a foundation of knowledge and support which will be self determining and professionally managed. This report highlights the continuing success of the programs of the ASC, including the Australian Institute of Sport, and provides an assessment of performance against the criteria set for the ASC in its Annual Operational and Strategic Plans for the 1998–99 financial year. I commend this report to you as a record of our achievements. Yours sincerely Peter T Bartels Chairman Australian Sports Commission 4 October 1999 Contents Letter of Transmittal iii Mission Statement vi Report of Operations Chairman's Review 2 Report on the 1998 Commonwealth Games 4 Executive Director's Report 6 Overview 12 The Board 12 Organisation Structure 14 Budget 16 Planning and Accountability Framework 17 Legislative Reporting Requirements 17 Internal and External Scrutiny 17 Indemnities and Insurance for Officers 18 The Australian Sports Foundation 19 Customer Service Charter 19 Year 2000 Problem Report 19 Freedom of Information 19 Group Performance Reports 21 Australian Institute of Sport 22 Sports Development and Policy 31 Sport and Business Services 40 Appendixes 1 Financial Statements Australian Sports Commission 50 Australian Sports Foundation 76 2 Staffing Overview 96 3 Grant Allocations to Sports 98 4 AIS Scholarship Program Performances 1998–99 102 5 Recent International Successes for Australian Sports 108 6 Olympic Athlete Program: Performances of Summer Olympic Sports 1998–99 111 7 Summary of Compliance 113 8 Contact Officers 114 9 Sponsors 115 10 Acronyms 116 Index 117 Mission Statement To enrich the lives of all Australians through sport Objectives Seven major strategies support the ASC’s objectives and are outlined in the Strategic Plan: The Strategic Plan for 1998–2001 sets out our • Provide national leadership and direction in primary objectives as: enhancing the management capabilities of sports • the development and maintenance of an delivery agencies effective national sports infrastructure • Provide high quality national integrated support • improved participation in quality sports programs for athletes and sporting organisations activities by Australians • Promote ongoing improvement in international sporting performances • excellence in sports performance by Australians. • Encourage more people to play sport through implementation of all the sports elements of These encapsulate the objects of the Australian Sports Active Australia Commission (ASC) as stated in the Australian Sports • Examine avenues to diversify and increase the sport Commission Act 1989. resource base • Further develop our information, research and management capabilities to assist in meeting our responsibilities as national leaders in the development and support of sport • Continue to improve the internal effectiveness and efficiency of the ASC, increasing its responsiveness to its stakeholders’requirements vi Australian Sports Commission – Annual Report 1998–99 Report of Operations Chairman’s Review Last year I reported on a series of outstanding accepts this reality. We are concerned, however, that international performances by our elite our international competitors continue to be heavily athletes. The same trend continued for funded by governments, often through sports 1998–99 and these achievements are well lotteries and that this practice appears to be growing. documented in the pages of this Annual Report. There is no need for me to single out Australian sport, post 2000, needs to be more individual results. Our athletes performed professional, outward-looking, client focused and exceptionally well across a broad range of self-sustaining. The Board spent a great deal of time sports, Olympic and non-Olympic. during the year independently researching our past and future responsibilities and commitments. We It was a year in which we made final adjustments to have looked beyond the immediate future and the Olympic Athlete Program and the Sports determined our role in a post-Olympic era. Assistance Scheme. The Board took deliberate steps Management undertook an environmental scan to to ensure that our funding is now performance based. evaluate the services and funding provided to elite In respect of the OAP, it is directed toward the athletes nationally and to identify areas of athletes and sports that are likely to be our best duplication between programs at the Australian performers in the Sydney 2000 Olympics and Institute of Sport (AIS) and state institutes and Paralympics, while funding to sporting organisations is academies. These issues are fundamental to our based on achieving agreed outcomes within each vision for post-2000 sport and the policy options sport’s management plan. In a sense the hard work is that will lead to the vibrant, progressive sports now behind us. Training, competition, coaching, industry that we all desire in the next decade. In sport science and support programs are now fully in June the Board published its findings under the title place — the rest is up to the individual and the The Australian Sports Commission — Beyond 2000. prevailing conditions on the day. I know that our athletes will do us proud. The Board strongly endorses the pivotal position of national sporting organisations in managing their While our attention is still firmly on Sydney 2000, it is sports and the role of the ASC in providing assistance fair to say that we are also looking to the future. to them. We seek a strategic approach by sporting Funding for the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) is organisations and we will provide greater flexibility to based on four-year cycles linked to the Olympics and those who can demonstrate sustained improved there were genuine concerns about a post-Olympic performance. We also strongly endorse the hiatus. This would be totally counter-productive to contribution that is now being made by state the great achievements that have occurred in recent institutes and academies and look forward to the years in Australian sport. The Board has addressed this eventual amalgamation of these bodies, with the AIS, issue and I am pleased that the government into one national institute. The AIS, nevertheless, responded by providing a substantial budget for the needs to maintain its place at the cutting edge of post-Olympic cycle. Much credit for this must go to developments in world sport and will seek to enhance the Minister, Jackie Kelly, whose enthusiasm and its capabilities, such as in the area of research and knowledge, coupled with her empathy with sport as a development in the sport sciences. former elite rower and an active club hockey player, has been a valuable asset to Australian sport. The Active Australia initiative continued to grow and consolidate. By providing a focus that brings together Nevertheless, ASC funding, post 2000 will be adversely all existing participation programs of the ASC and affected by the termination of the OAP. The Board works in partnerships with Commonwealth 2 Australian Sports Commission – Annual Report 1998–99 departments, the states, local governments and NSOs, development and we are delighted to be making Active Australia is well placed to capture the euphoria such a major contribution to sport. Mindful of the and enthusiasm of the Sydney Olympics and to advantages SportNet will engender to sporting develop participation at grassroots levels as a direct organisations, through benefits to membership, and to by-product. The initiative also addresses the particular the ASC, through more efficient communication and issues encountered by women, Indigenous Australians reporting mechanisms, the Board agreed to provide and people with disabilities who participate in sports additional funding to national sporting organisations programs, and