HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STANDING COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, RECREATION AND THE ARTS Reference: Funding of community sporting and recreational facilities PERTH Tuesday, 22 July 1997 OFFICIAL HANSARD REPORT CANBERRA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STANDING COMMITTEE ON THE ENVIRONMENT, RECREATION AND THE ARTS Members Mr Truss (Chair) Mr Anthony Mr Harry Jenkins Mr Robert Brown Miss Jackie Kelly Mr Billson Dr Lawrence Mr Eoin Cameron Mr Martin Mrs Crosio Mr McDougall Mr Entsch Dr Southcott Mr Hockey The committee is to inquire into: whether the Commonwealth Government should be involved actively in funding in full or in part local community sporting and recreational facilities and, if so, whether the Commonwealth Government should have a dedicated program to fund sporting and recreational infrastructure; determine (as far as possible) existing and future requirements for national, regional and local community sporting and recreational facilities and inquire into ways in which better utilisation can be made of existing community and educational facilities for sporting and recreational pursuits; inquire into alternative options which may exist for funding national, regional and local community sporting and recreational facilities including, but not limited to, private sector funding and funding via the Australian Sports Foundation; and make recommendations to the Minister for Sport, Territories and Local Government on matters arising from the Terms of Reference WITNESSES ARCHER, Mr Michael, Chief Executive Officer, Shire of Katanning, 16-24 Austral Terrace, Katanning, Western Australia .............................................. 600 ASH, Mrs Denise Ann, Secretary, Carine Calisthenics Club, c/- 3 Mica Court, Carine, Western Australia 6020 .......................................................... 637 BARRETT, Mr Peter Lance, Manager, Facilities, Policy & Planning Branch, Education Department of Western Australia, 151 Royal Street, East Perth, Western Australia 6004 . 576 BENNETT, Mr Neil, Geraldton Council, PO Box 101, Geraldton, Western Australia ........... 600 BRIMAGE, Mr Graham, Director, Recreation, Ministry of Sport and Recreation, PO Box 66, Wembley, Western Australia 6014 ........................................... 576 BUSCH, Mr Jack, Executive Director, Ministry of Sport and Recreation, PO Box 66, Wembley, Western Australia 6014 ................................................... 576 HALL, Mr Graeme John, Recreation Services Coordinator, City of Melville, PO Box 130, Applecross, Western Australia .............................................. 600 ILFIELD, Mr Peter John, Elected Board Member, WA Sports Federation, Stephenson Avenue, Claremont, Western Australia .............................................. 623 MORRIS, Mr Darryl, President, Calisthenics Association of Western Australia Inc., Gray Drive, Midvale, Western Australia 6056 ............................................ 637 MORRISSEY, Mrs Coralie Anne, Member, Board of Directors, Calisthenics Association of Western Australia Inc., Gray Drive, Midvale, Western Australia 6056 ................. 637 OSBORNE, Mr Malcolm John, Manager of Development Services, Shire of Katanning, 16-24 Austral Terrace, Katanning, Western Australia .................................. 600 PECH, Mr Kenneth Ernest, President, Western Australian Municipal Association, 15 Altona Street, West Perth, Western Australia ........................................ 600 PLESTER, Mrs Jillian, Treasurer, Carine Calisthenics Club, c/- 3 Mica Court, Carine, Western Australia 6020 ............................................. 637 QUINLIVAN, Mr Patrick George, Manager, Recreation Services, City of Armadale, Orchard Avenue, Armadale ....................................................... 600 SHANAHAN, Mr Timothy Michael, Executive Director, Western Australian Municipal Association, 15 Altona Street, West Perth, Western Australia ....................... 600 RYAN, Mr John, President, WA Sports Federation, PO Box 57, Claremont, Western Australia . 623 STUBBS, Mr Roger, Vice-President, Western Australian Municipal Association, 15 Altona Street, West Perth, Western Australia ........................................ 600 WELCH, Mr Robert, Executive Director, WA Sports Federation,PO Box 57, Claremont, Western Australia ....................................................... 623 WILSON, Mr Gratton, Committee Member, WA Sports Federation, PO Box 57, Claremont, Western Australia ....................................................... 623 WYATT, Mr Cedric, Chief Executive Officer, Aboriginal Affairs Department of Western Australia, First Floor, Capita Centre, 197 St Georges Terrace, Perth, Western Australia 6001 ................................................................. 576 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STANDING COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, RECREATION AND THE ARTS Inquiry into the funding of community sporting and recreational facilities PERTH Tuesday, 22 July 1997 Present Mr Truss (Chair) Mr Billson Mr Eoin Cameron Mr Entsch Mr McDougall The committee met at 2.15 p.m. Mr Truss took the chair. 575 ERA 576 REPS Tuesday, 22 July 1997 BARRETT, Mr Peter Lance, Manager, Facilities, Policy & Planning Branch, Education Department of Western Australia, 151 Royal Street, East Perth, Western Australia 6004 BRIMAGE, Mr Graham, Director, Recreation, Ministry of Sport and Recreation, PO Box 66, Wembley, Western Australia 6014 BUSCH, Mr Jack, Executive Director, Ministry of Sport and Recreation, PO Box 66, Wembley, Western Australia 6014 WYATT, Mr Cedric, Chief Executive Officer, Aboriginal Affairs Department of Western Australia, First Floor, Capita Centre, 197 St Georges Terrace, Perth, Western Australia 6001 CHAIR—Ladies and gentlemen, I declare open this public hearing of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment, Recreation and the Arts for its inquiry into the funding of community sporting and recreational facilities. Since this inquiry was advertised last November the committee has received over 280 submissions and has visited New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia for public hearings and inspections. At its public hearings, the committee has had before it state and local government, sporting organisations and providers of facilities. Today the committee will hear from similar groups in Western Australia about their views on the provision of sporting and recreational facilities. The witnesses today represent the government of Western Australia, the Western Australian Municipal Association, the Western Australian Sports Federation, the Calisthenics Association of Western Australia and the Carine Calisthenics Club. Committee hearings are recognised as proceedings of the parliament and warrant the same respect as proceedings of the House of Representatives. Evidence given before the committee is protected by parliamentary privilege. Witnesses will not be asked to take an oath or make an affirmation. However, they are reminded that false evidence given to a parliamentary committee may be regarded as a contempt of the parliament. The committee prefers that all evidence be given in public but, should witnesses at any stage wish to give evidence in private, they may ask to do so and the committee will consider such a request. I now call the representatives of the government of Western Australia. We have received submissions from you and authorised their publication. Do you propose any changes to the submissions? Mr Busch—No changes but I would like to add some comments to put matters into context. CHAIR—If there are no changes, I now invite you to make an opening comment. Mr Busch—Thank you for the opportunity to attend today. In Western Australia we have had a sustained history of more than 20 years of providing funding to community facilities. During that time the funding program has been known as the community sporting and recreation facilities fund. It has been approached on the basis that local community needs are identified and they drive the project development. The state government has provided funding of up to one-third of the cost of a project with the remaining funding coming from local government, community groups and other sources. What it does mean, of course, is that there is a multiplier effect in terms of the value of the projects that are generated as a result of those state government fundings. Tuesday, 22 July 1997 REPS ERA 577 Whilst there has always been an emphasis on the importance of planning and design for community facilities that has been given greater priority over the past four years and there has also been a particular emphasis on management of those facilities. That approach has, from our point of view, been based very much through publications, seminars, advisory services—I mention here that we have regional offices throughout the state so we provide those advisory services on a state wide basis—and then also the expectations and requirements that we have associated with our community sporting and recreation facilities funding applications. Graham Brimage will briefly discuss and make available some examples of publications that have been used as part of that campaign. An important part has been the degree of confidence that there will be future funding, so that we work on a rolling triennium funding. That means, for example, that funding will be made available for 1998-99 and for the two years thereafter. People are already aware that funding will be made available so they can plan and look ahead to the fact that there will be funding. Part of the