DSR Annual Report 2008/2009
2008/2009 reports and financial statements, including the year's highlights, Director General's report, corporate overview, grants approved.
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This year saw a change in government, a change in the economic climate, and thus a new set of challenges for the Department of Sport and Recreation (DSR). Our key objective has not changed and that is to provide the best possible service for families and communities.
The Department of Sport and Recreation works to make our community stronger, healthier, happier and safer through ensuring that our sport and recreation system is properly resourced in terms of:
- Organisational capacity
- People
- Facilities
- Opportunities for all to participate
- Legislation and research
This year has been a difficult one for all sectors of the community and our industry. The ‘global financial crisis’ has resulted in lower revenues for government, so hard decisions on spending have had to be made. One of these was to postpone a decision on building a new stadium for at least two years. Business has also had to make difficult decisions, decisions which have meant that sponsorship has been harder to come by.
There is evidence that despite these difficult times the fitness industry is thriving. There is also much evidence which supports the argument that sport and recreation can play an important role in increasing resilience at a community and personal level. This has made our role all the more important as we have worked together with our government and non government partners to ensure the sustainability of our industry.
Organisational capacity
The sport and recreation system is made up of layers of organisations ranging from the 5000 grass roots sport and recreation clubs, the unincorporated active recreation groups, the state associations to the industry peak bodies and commercial and local government service providers.
It is these organisations that deliver sport and recreation. Our role is to work with these mostly not for profits to ensure that they have the organisational capacity to do so effectively.
This year $14.65 million was allocated to support these organisations. One very important initiative is the state–wide Club Development Officer Scheme which has grown to support 33 local government areas through 17 club development officers who have provided direct advice to more than 1000 local clubs. It is important to recognise that these club development officers, like many of our DSR officers, have to work flexible hours, often in the evenings and on weekends, to provide a service at the times these people, mostly volunteers, need the service.
Another good example of DSR working with the community, and NGOs in particular, is the ministerial/industry breakfasts, which have been held regularly since 2005. At these breakfasts representatives from the sport and recreation industry and local government have the opportunity to speak directly to the Minister and senior DSR staff about their concerns and ideas.
This year the department partnered with Basketball WA and Netball WA to commission reviews into ways to improve the delivery of their sport to their more than 200,000 participants in this state. Another highlight was the addition of Wheelchair Sports WA and Recreation & Sport Network to the list of organisations that receive funding through the Organisational Sustainability Program. The funding for these two organisations ensures they are better placed to offer more sport and recreation opportunities for both individuals with physical disabilities (Wheelchair Sports WA) and those with intellectual disabilities (Recreation & Sport Network).
It is important to note that 65 per cent of DSR revenue is distributed to the community via grants, subsidies and service funding. This demonstrates that DSR is committed to facilitating outcomes through funding of, and working with, the community sector.
People
Sport and recreation is a people business, it is run by people – most of whom are volunteers – for people. It is also an industry that caters for all levels of involvement, from the recreational bushwalker to our Olympic athletes. This year the department’s Gifted Athlete Program delivered three major live–in workshops to regional athletes. Held in Perth, Geraldton and Albany, 109 athletes and 59 parents were involved. The program was also delivered to 277 state development squad athletes in the metropolitan area. The program focuses on life skills such as diet; managing transitions from school to work, to elite sport; dealing with the media; and injury prevention.
This year saw an increased emphasis on career development for young people wanting to become part of our industry. Programs included the Outdoor Adventure Pathway, a joint project with the University of WA to develop an activity–based general leadership model concentrating on canoeing instruction. Another was the Indigenous Training in Certificate III Fitness which aims to train Aboriginal people to become fitness trainers.
Facilities
Sport and recreation is played out on and in a wide range of facilities ranging from the community cricket ground, to major stadiums, to our waterways, to bush trails. This year was a big one for the provision of facilities in Western Australia.
Highlights included the:
- Doubling of funding for community sport and recreation facilities (Community Sporting and Recreation Facilities Fund – CSRFF) from $9 million to $20 million per annum.
- Opening of the State Athletics Stadium.
- Completion of the State Trails Strategy.
- Formation of the Joint Agency Implementation Committee for trail bikes.
- Establishment of the Southern Darling Recreation Planning Project.
- Completion of Stage 1 and 2 of the master plans for Barbagallo Raceway.
- Completion of detailed design for the State Rugby Headquarters.
- Development of the Recreation and Aquatic Centres Water and Energy Study.
- Progress of construction of the State Basketball Centre.
These highlights underscore the breadth of work carried about by the department. Of particular note is the completion of the world–class State Athletics Stadium, a project completed on time and on budget. This facility is the replacement of the ageing Perry Lakes Stadium and has already resulted in Perth winning the right to host the National Athletics Championship in 2010. Some of the most important aspects of this facility have been the water and energy saving innovations built into the facility.
This concern for the environment and understanding of the potential for climate change to negatively impact on our industry has been an important policy driver for the department. A concrete example of this has been the work undertaken to coordinate a response to the challenge of balancing recreational activity with the protection of drinking water catchments.
The development of a State Trail Bike Strategy and the formation of the Joint Agency Implementation Committee (JAIC) are initiatives we are also proud of. Western Australia has experienced a rapid growth in the participation in off–road recreational trail bike riding which has resulted in conflict between riders, residents, walkers and cyclists. This is a complex multi–jurisdictional issue, which is reflected in the range of government departments and interest groups that DSR has coordinated. They include the departments of Environment and Conservation, Local Government and Planning and Infrastructure, the Western Australian Local Government Association, Motorcycling WA and WA Police. The JAIC will consider the recommendations in the strategy and develop a state–wide implementation plan.
Opportunity for all to participate
The department’s major goal is to increase participation in active recreation and sport, in particular amongst those groups which have traditionally had low levels of participation. These groups include:
- People with disabilities
- Aboriginal people
- Seniors
- Culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD)*
- Lower socio–economic groups
- Young women
This year saw the launch of the new Community Participation Funding program. These small grants (up to $5000) target low participation groups and have been very popular because they are very easy to apply for and the turn–around time is only about four weeks from application to approval. Forty–one per cent of these grants were allocated to Aboriginal organisations and 35 per cent to projects targeting CaLD communities. This new, faster system of processing grants was developed as a result of community feedback that our grants were too difficult to access and the process took too long. They are a great example of DSR listening to the community.
A highlight has been the success of the City of Stirling CaLD project, which targets the new and emerging immigrant communities from countries such as Sudan and Afghanistan. One concrete result of this project has been an increase of between 20,000 and 30,000 visits by the target group to the Herb Graham Recreation Centre. The program has also seen more than 60 young people join local clubs.
This program has been the template for a similar project in the South East Corridor focusing on the five local government areas of Belmont, Armadale, Gosnells, Victoria Park and Canning.
Another highlight has been the success of Geraldton’s Midnight Basketball program which won a National Local Government Indigenous Affairs award for contribution to Indigenous communities.
At a more strategic level, the innovative Indigenous Sport and Culture Plan was commissioned by DSR as a blueprint for government and private sector investment in sport, recreation and cultural infrastructure and programs in remote Aboriginal communities in the northern part of the state.
Legislation and research
Government departments world–wide are under pressure to provide evidence–based programming. To that end the department launched a new research centre in collaboration with Curtin University. The Centre for Sport and Recreation Research will add to the evidence base for our industry. Some of the initial research projects being considered include:
- Climate change – its impact and adaptation strategies for the sport and recreation industry.
- Indigenous participation – its perceived linkages and benefits in mitigating anti–social behaviour.
- The role of urban and regional planning in providing appropriate infrastructure for sport and recreation and the allocation of adequate public open space in new and existing communities.
- Governance and management options for sport and recreation organisations, including the utilisation of modern technology to improve communications, business skills, and service delivery.
At the legislative level there were two important developments. Firstly, amendments to the Professional Combats Sports Act 1987 were approved by Cabinet. Secondly, the Aerial Advertising Bill 2009 was completed. This bill will protect presenters of major events from ambush marketing. In turn this will mean Western Australia is a more attractive place to host large events and attract sponsorship.
Innovation and the way we work
This year has presented many challenges but adversity can also bring out the best in an organisation – tougher times breed innovation. The department prides itself on a spirit of innovation and gives its employees freedom to think, create and take risks. This year has seen a number of initiatives that have worked to save the public purse. These include:
- Our new website. This site, launched in November, was entirely developed and designed in–house using free, open–source software, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars.
- Provision of Smart Cards for staff travel on public transport to replace the use of government pool vehicles.
- Implementation of video conferencing system to link our 10 regional offices. This system uses our wide area network, which means that two–way video communication is achieved at the cost of a local call.
The department has also long recognised that for it to achieve outcomes in difficult times it must work across government. This year has seen the department take leadership on a number of difficult issues including:
- Water management
- Off–road trail bikes
- Adventure Activity Standards
- Provision of services and facilities to remote Indigenous communities
- Programs for youth at risk
- Physical activity
- Integration of new and emerging communities in the City of Stirling
All these initiatives required pulling together a wide cross section of government and non–government agencies and organisations (NGOs). Working across government maximises the impact of government resources and reduces duplication of effort.
The work requires a passion for making a difference, a passion for listening and meeting community needs and expectations, and a willingness to share resources.
My colleagues at the department continue to display this level of passion, and continue to work on innovative techniques to facilitate partnerships across government, NGOs and the commercial sector to help government serve the families and communities of Western Australia.
Ron Alexander
Director General
September 2009
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