COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Official Committee Hansard SENATE ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE ARTS REFERENCES COMMITTEE (Subcommittee) Reference: Women in sport and recreation in Australia THURSDAY, 3 AUGUST 2006 MELBOURNE BY AUTHORITY OF THE SENATE INTERNET The Proof and Official Hansard transcripts of Senate committee hear- ings, some House of Representatives committee hearings and some joint committee hearings are available on the Internet. Some House of Representatives committees and some joint committees make avail- able only Official Hansard transcripts. The Internet address is: http://www.aph.gov.au/hansard To search the parliamentary database, go to: http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au SENATE ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE ARTS REFERENCES COMMITTEE Thursday, 3 August 2006 Members: Senator Bartlett (Chair), Senator Adams (Deputy Chair), Senators Lundy, Ronaldson, Webber and Wortley Participating members: Senators Abetz, Allison, Bernardi, Boswell, Bob Brown, George Campbell, Carr, Chapman, Colbeck, Conroy, Coonan, Crossin, Eggleston, Chris Evans, Faulkner, Ferguson, Ferris, Fielding, Forshaw, Humphries, Joyce, Ludwig, Ian Macdonald, McGauran, McLucas, Mason, Milne, Moore, Nash, Nettle, O’Brien, Payne, Robert Ray, Scullion, Siewert, Stephens and Watson Senators in attendance: Senators Lundy, Ronaldson and Wortley Terms of reference for the inquiry: To inquire into and report on: a. the health benefits of women participating in sport and recreation activities; b. the accessibility for women of all ages to participate in organised sport, fitness and recreation activities, with additional reference to state and federal programs, including; I. the number of women actively participating in organised sport, fitness and recreation activities; II. characteristics of women not participating in organised sport, fitness and recreation activities (including , for example, socio-economic strata, age, women with a disability, Indigenous or Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) women); III. constraints, including strategies to overcome the constraints that may prevent these women from participating; IV. the effectiveness of current state and federal grant programs that encourage women to participate; V. the retention and attrition trends of grass roots participation, including comparisons with male athletes at a similar level; VI. the remuneration, recruitment, retention and attrition of elite female athletes, including comparisons with elite male athletes; VII. retention of athletes competing in senior and open age state and national sporting competitions, with possible strategies to retain female competitors in elite and sub-elite competition; VIII. opportunities and barriers for national team members and competitors in international competition; and IX. the financial status, success and viability of women’s national league competitions, including strategies to improve these factors; c. the portrayal of women’s sport in the media, including: I. the role of the government to regulate and review the coverage of women’s sport in the media (print, radio and electronic); II. the influence of pay television on the coverage of women in sport; III. the promotion and publicity of women’s National League competitions, IV. the financial status and success of women’s national leagues. V. strategies to improve the amount and quality of media coverage for women’s sport; d. women in leadership roles in sport, including; I. the number and proportion of women in coaching, administrative and officiating roles; II. the issues associated with women in leadership roles in both elite and grass-roots activities; III. trends and issues for women in organisational leadership roles; and IV. strategies to improve the numbers of women in coaching, administration and technical roles. WITNESSES ADAMSON, Mr Linden John, Chief Executive, Hockey Australia Inc...................................................... 79 BIRD, Mr Wayne Kenneth, Chief Executive Officer, Basketball Victoria-Big V Victoria....................... 34 BLANDTHORN, Mr John-Paul, Director, Australian Netball Players Association; and Organiser, Australian Workers Union........................................................................................................... 49 BOWN, Mr Damien Craig, General Manager Game Development, Cricket Australia ............................ 79 COWLING, Mr Matthew Jonathan, Chief Executive Officer, Big V Basketball-Victoria....................... 34 CROSSWHITE, Mrs Janice Jean, President, Australian Womensport and Recreation Association Inc.................................................................................................................................................. 70 CROW, Ms Susan, Chief Executive, Softball Australia ............................................................................... 95 DICK, Ms Ingrid, Director, Australian Netball Players Association .......................................................... 49 DIX, Ms Noeleen, President, Netball Australia ............................................................................................. 95 JOLLY, Ms Kellie-Ann, Director, Physical Activity Unit, VicHealth........................................................... 1 JUSTIN, Ms Fiona Elizabeth, Chief Executive Officer, Womensport and Recreation Victoria .............. 17 KERR, Ms Megan Louise, Senior Project Officer, Physical Activity Unit, Victorian Health Promotion Foundation....................................................................................................................................... 1 KITCHIN, Ms Melanie, Member, Australian Netball Players Association................................................ 49 PALMER, Ms Katherine Michele, Chief Executive Officer, Netball Victoria ........................................... 34 QUIGLEY, Miss Kate, Athlete, Softball Australia ....................................................................................... 95 RENDELL, Mr Mark, Chief Executive Officer, Bowls Australia Inc......................................................... 95 ROFFEY, Ms Kate, Chief Executive Officer, VicSport.................................................................................. 8 SHEEHAN, Ms Lynne Christine, Policy and Planning Manager, Netball Victoria .................................. 34 SHORTEN, Mr Bill, Interim Chief Executive Officer, Australian Netball Players Association; and National Secretary, Australian Workers Union..................................................................................... 49 TROTTER, Mrs Dianne, Executive Officer, Wimmera Regional Sports Assembly.................................. 26 TULLBERG, Mrs Julie, Journalist, News Ltd-Leader Newspapers........................................................... 64 WEST, Miss Sally, Operations Manager, Bowls Australia Inc.................................................................... 95 WOODMAN, Mr Lawrie, National Coaching Development Manager, Australian Football League ............................................................................................................................................................... 79 Thursday, 3 August 2006 Senate—References ECITA 1 Subcommittee met at 9.01 am JOLLY, Ms Kellie-Ann, Director, Physical Activity Unit, VicHealth KERR, Ms Megan Louise, Senior Project Officer, Physical Activity Unit, Victorian Health Promotion Foundation ACTING CHAIR (Senator Lundy)—I declare open this meeting of the subcommittee of the Senate Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts References Committee in relation to its inquiry into women in sport and recreation in Australia. All proceedings today will be public proceedings, except where the committee agrees to a request to have evidence heard in camera or determines that certain evidence should be heard in camera. Witnesses are advised that evidence to the committee is protected by parliamentary privilege. Any act by any person that operates to the disadvantage of a witness on account of evidence given before the committee is unlawful and may be treated by the Senate as a contempt. The giving of false or misleading evidence to the committee may also be treated by the Senate as a contempt. If a witness objects to answering a question, the witness should state the ground upon which the objection is taken and the committee will determine whether it will insist on an answer having regard to the ground which is claimed. If the committee determines to insist on an answer, a witness may request that the answer be given in camera. Such a request may also be made at any other time. A witness called to answer a question for the first time should state their full name and capacity in which they appear and witnesses should speak clearly into the microphones to assist Hansard to record proceedings. All mobiles phones should be switched off. Welcome. The committee has received your submission numbered 54. The Senate has resolved that an officer of a department of the Commonwealth or of a state shall not be asked to give opinions on matters of policy and shall be given reasonable opportunity to refer questions asked of the officer to superior officers or to a minister. This resolution prohibits only questions asking for opinions on matters of policies and does not preclude questions asking for explanations of policies or factual questions about when and how policies were adopted. Do you wish to make any amendments or alterations to