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Portfolio successes and highlights – first 12 months

• Fenced enclosure ban lifted for Mixed Martial Arts contests (July 2017)
• Perth and Peel Mountain Bike Master Plan released (July 2017)
• Margaret River Pro announced to remain on Tour Championship (August 2017)
• Secured national BMX Championships for WA
• McGowan Government rejected Eastern States push for centralised control of sport and its funding (August 2017)
• New velodrome track and major facelift for Western Australia’s home of cycling (August 2017)
• Advocated for strong engagement and recognition of state-based delivery in new National Sports Plan (September 2017)
• Great Southern Centre for Outdoor Recreation Excellence launched in Albany (October 2017)
• Nature Play WA launched innovative outdoor play app (October 2017)
• Opened new $24 million home for West Perth Football Club and Wanneroo Basketball Association (November 2017) at HBF Arena
• Secured stadium naming rights deal with Optus (November 2017)
• Perth Arena celebrated 5 years of premier sport and entertainment (November 2017)
• WAIS announced Wheelchair Basketball program (November 2017)
• Negotiated the Optus Stadium User Agreements with AFL and Cricket (December 2017)
• Future funding of AFL in WA agreed with the WA Football Commission (December 2017)
• Announced 2 national swimming championships in WA in 2020 (December 2017)
• Opened Optus Stadium with free Community Open Day (January 2018)
• 55,000 people attended ODI at Optus Stadium (January 2018)
• Announced World T20 cricket coming to Perth in 2020 (January 2018)
• 55,000 people attended Scorchers Big Bash semi-final at Optus Stadium (January 2018)
• AFL Women’s game highest attended (41,975 people) single sporting event for women’s sport
  in Australian history (February 2018)
• Queens Baton Relay visited WA as part of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (February 2018)
• WA’s first Ultimate Fighting Championship held at Perth Arena (February 2018)
• $9.35 million CSRFF funding allocated towards boosting community sport in the suburbs and the regions (February 2018)
• Launched the ‘True Sport’ campaign (February 2018)
• EveryClub program launched – expand support for WA community sport and recreation to all local government areas in the State (February 2018)
• Optus Stadium hosted NRL double-header (March 2018)
• Australia’s first multicultural uniform guide launched (March 2018).

DLGSC vision

DLGSC mission

DLGSC objectives

Portfolio challenges

• Sport and recreation must work to be recognised as a principal contributor to tackling childhood obesity and to preventative health outcomes. “We must be seen to and contribute strongly to the physical activity agenda.”
• Sport and recreation must face a difficult financial environment into the future regarding the funding available from all levels of government – particularly in the State Government funding derived from traditional sources because of competition within both the lotteries and sports wagering marketplaces. “We must understand and focus our limited dollars into essential areas that provide sport and recreation with the greatest value.”
• Sport and recreation must adapt to the challenging financial environment and be more independently self-sufficient. “The culture of ‘hand-out’ can no longer be supported by Government.”
• The Western Australian Government has undertaken a major structural shift with the Machinery of Government changes. “Working collaboratively, creating synergies and finding efficiencies and partnerships across State Government at all levels is imperative.”
• The integrity of sport faces challenges on multiple fronts that impacts at all levels, particularly within grassroots, community sports. “We condone what we tolerate; sport must work hard to promote positive messages, people and behaviours.”
• The commercialisation of sport challenges the sustainability of smaller sports as revenues and (media) exposure is increasingly concentrated. “Sport in WA thrives in its diversity and its variety of choice. A greater balance in the funding of, exposure for and promotion of all sports, big and small is required.”
• Recreation and the activity generated from it has the opportunity to contribute strongly to the Western Australian economy, particularly regionally. “We must find ways to build on the energy growing from trails development and the diverse activities and people that they attract.”

Minister Murray priorities

Collaboration and partnerships

• Lead stakeholder collaboration between state and local governments, state sporting associations and clubs to:
  • Increase the amount and quality of available land for sport and recreation in built-up suburban areas
  • Increase access to open space for sport and recreation in the regions
  • Allow greater community access to sporting facilities in schools out of hours.
• Work across State Government and with Outer Metro Growth Councils to secure required regional open space.

Places and spaces

• Ensure sporting facilities are well planned, well maintained, sustainable and fit-for-purpose.
• Ensure funding is prioritised towards sporting facilities that are:
  
  • Inclusive of a significant financial contribution from all stakeholders
  • Align to the relevant state sporting association where appropriate
  • Planned, operated and maintained with an accountable whole-of-life asset program
  • Focused to address areas where there is a demonstrated lack of infrastructure – notably female facilities.
• Work across government at all levels to expand trails development, including the infrastructure required to drive tourism and jobs.

The integrity and the value of sport

• Work with the Western Australian sports industry to promote key messages around True Sport.
• Promote the value of a physically active lifestyle as a principal contributor to preventative health outcomes.
• Promote and protect the ground-up nature of the Western Australian sports, starting at a grassroots community-level, within the state and national landscape.
• Support a balanced, value-based distribution of State Government funding to state sporting associations.
• Support inclusive, multigenerational, lifelong participation in sport and recreation.

People

• Support state sporting associations to develop links with Asian counterparts to highlight the role that sport can play in the Government’s Asian engagement strategy.
• Support junior sport participation that builds physical literacy and resilience in our young people.
• Support the attraction, recognition and retention of volunteers in sport and recreation.

Minister message

There are enormous social and economic benefits to having a vibrant sport and recreation culture. Sport has played a huge role in the formation of the Australian identity—we are a sporting nation of people with a happy-go-lucky attitude to life.

Sport provides the environment where our kids learn that it takes hard work to collect a medal, ribbon or other award in front of their family members, peers and coaches. Sport teaches us that there is no shame in not coming first, second or third, or losing a match, when you have given your all. This is a lesson people can take far beyond the sporting field.

This builds resilience, shared pride and achievements, and a culture of good sportsmanship and being ‘true sports’ in our youth.