| This year’s Federal Budget had provided a boost in community sports funding. An increase in $71 million sees 45,000 coaches and officials having greater access to training and extra education initiative funding for up to 28 national sporting organisations.
This funding comes on top of the governments $300 million that it is already providing to community sports under the Local Community Infrastructure Program.
The main winners should be the volunteers that are in many of the local clubs and should help support initiatives like in injury reduction and participation rates at the grassroots level. Where in the past many expenses had to come out of the pockets of the individuals and clubs were reluctant to fund these, now there should be means to help pay these expenses.
Elite sports also get a look in with $237 million over the next four years being provided. The AIS will receive $62 million while $124 million will go to developing the youth of this country with the money being spent on developing 112 new coaches, direct funding of up to 665 athletes and identification and development of new talent for up to 5000 athletes.
Our paralympians haven’t been neglected either with $16 million going to their high performance programs and support for the 2012 Paralympic games.
Daniel Andruczyk
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