Finalists announced for 2023 Australian Sport, Recreation and Play Innovation Awards

Celebrating the achievements of the recreation and community sport sectors over the past year, the National Sports and Physical Activity Convention (NSC23) has announced the finalists for its 2023 Australian Sport, Recreation and Play Innovation Awards.

To be presented as part of this year’s NSC Oration on Thursday 27th July, the final three short-listed contenders have been identified for each category.

Each category winner will receive a trophy and will then be judged for the opportunity to be crowned the overall Australian Sport, Recreation and Play Innovation Award winner. The overall winner will be offered the opportunity to return for NSC 2024 and showcase their project.

The finalists in each category are:

1. Programs and Activities
Innovative programs, activities and events that have been developed to encourage the community to be more active.
• Monash City Council (Active Monash) - Active Communities Program 
• Athletics Australia - Weet-Bix Active Bands 
• Torres Strait & Cape York Peninsula Indigenous Futsal Association Limited - Remote Indigenous Futsal Junior Clubs 

2. Sport and Inclusion
How sport can make a difference to an inclusive society and how inclusion can grow participation in play, recreation and community sport.
• Belgravia Leisure - AAA Swim and Social Program
• Collective Leisure - ‘a business for good’ (NSW)
• North Queensland Sports Foundation - Move it NQ 

3. Social Value of Participation
Measuring the impact that participation has on the health, economic and community value of a community. Supported by ActiveXchange.
• Brimbank City Council - Iraqi Women Program
• Rise Coffs Harbour - Miniroos Multicultural Settlement Program 
• SportWest - Sport in Western Australia: Social Return On Investment

4. Marketing and Communications
The communication messages that innovatively activates the community for more people to be active, play, recreate and participate in community sport.
• Brimbank City Council - Brimbank Aquatics & Wellness Centre Facility Opening 
• parkrun Australia - Women and Girls of parkrun 
• Sydney Off Road Racing - New website with a fresh, creative and innovative design 

5. Young Innovator of the Year
A young person (under 25) who has developed a program, space, activity, technological solution or innovative partnership that is encouraging more people to be active.
• Piper Stewart - Bambigi - Making Aboriginal Kids Deadly Swimmers
• Serene Tan - Gymnastics Victoria 

6. Major Event Promotion
Providing community opportunities to grow participation by aligning a mass participation or a major spectator event.
• Aquatics and Recreation Victoria - Industry Awards Night 
• Football Queensland Indigenous Corporation - First Nations Indigenous Football Cup 
• Wollongong City Council - Host City 2022 UCI Road World Championships, Bike City 

7. Technology
Innovations in technology that support Business to Business (B2B) improvements for the industry or Business to Consumer (B2C) experiences.
• Chicks Who Ride Bikes - Mobile app development 
• SportsGrid - Bridging Sport & LGBTQ Inclusion upgrade 
• Tidy Connect - Volunteer platform 

8. Sport and Leisure Facility Design
Innovative design and management that creates an environment where more people are active (built and natural environments), while embracing the principles of sustainability. Supported by VAILO.
• Brimbank City Council/William Ross Architects - Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre 
• PCYC NSW & AJC Architects - PCYC Wagga Wagga
• SPORTENG - Westend Griffith Regional Multi-Sport

9. Sports Surfaces
Innovative solutions that allow greater intensity and durability of natural, hybrid, synthetic or hard sports surfaces to allow for greater usage, while embracing the principles of sustainability.
• element Sports Turf Solutions - H3 Hybrid Cricket Pitch
• Newtown and Chilwell Cricket Club - Wicket Redevelopment

10. Sport and Climate Change
Innovations that organisations have embraced that recognise the impact that sport can have on climate change and how they have focused on reducing their carbon footprint.
• William Ross Architects/Brimbank City Council - Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre
• South Australia Aquatic and Leisure Centre - Waste Reduction & Energy Saving Strategy - The Y 
• Tennis Australia - Samsara x Wildcard Ventures

11. Playground Design
Designs and developments that allow and encourage more children to play, have fun and be active.
• Blacktown City Council - Wawai Ngurra - Inclusive Adventure Playground 
• Monash City Council - Cameron Avenue & Progress Park Playspace
• Urban Play - Crawford Square Playground - Casino, NSW

12. Community Sports Fundraising
Innovative and community fundraising projects which enable increased participation and community cohesion. Made possible by the Australian Sports Foundation.
• Ajax Football Club - Club Upgrade Fundraising & Collaboration Strategy
• Surfers Paradise Benowa Cricket Club - $250,000 Impact Donation
• Surfing Victoria - Victorian Indigenous Surfing Program

The overall Sport, Recreation and Play Industry Award for Innovation
This award will provide the prize for the National Sports & Physical Activity Convention Overall Sport, Recreation and Play Innovation Award. The winner will be chosen from one of the above 12 category winners.

NSC Oration
The NSC Oration will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and the program on Thursday 27th July.

Click here for details on the National Sports and Physical Activity Convention in the Australasian Leisure Management industry Calendar.

Image: AusCycling's Brisbane Cycling Festival was the recipient of the overall win at 2022 Australian Sport, Recreation and Play Innovation Awards.