Elite Review Delayed: Community Sport Consultation Begins

The Federal Government appointed Panel investigating how to reform Australia's sporting system is to delay releasing its recommendations on elite sport until later in the year.
Appointed in August last year by Federal Minister for Sport, Kate Ellis, and headed by the highly-regarded businessman David Crawford, the Panel had been expected to present its report in March.
In its consideration of elite sport, the Panel held discussions with 52 key sport stakeholders including peak sporting organisations, organisations funded by the Australian Sports Commission, state and territory Ministers of Sport and Recreation (and their Departments), institutes and academies of sport, and Commonwealth Government sport agencies, to discuss primarily issues relating to elite sport in Australia and focussing on ensuring Australiaâs continued elite sporting success and the maintainence of Australiaâs cutting edge approach to sports science, research and technology.
The Panel also received a large number of general submissions.
Meanwhile, in community sport, the Panel is to embark on a series of public forums in metropolitan and regional centres around Australia, focusing on how to better place sport and physical activity as a key component of the Governmentâs preventative health approach; strengthening pathways from junior sport to grassroots community sport, right through to elite and professional sport; and identifying opportunities to increase and diversify the funding base for sport through corporate sponsorship, media and any recommended reforms, such as enhancing the effectiveness of the Australian Sports Foundation.
The first of 13 planned forums will be held in Darwin on 23rd March and will run until a forum on 1st May in Coffs Harbour, NSW.

http://www.sportpanel.org.au