Reflections on the ACT government’s New Sports Strategy
If you have been following me for a while, you know I love my cricket and am passionate about many other sporting and recreation endeavours. I love to see people out and about enjoying the open air, or engaged in an indoor activity with others. That is why I, like many others, was waiting with keen interest on the ACT Government’s sports and recreation strategy. It was finally released in November of last year and I have taken some time to go through it. And I have come to the conclusion that, regrettably (and to quote Shakespeare), it is “Much ado about nothing!”
The document, titled CBR Next Move is meant to be a “roadmap for strengthening and developing sport and active recreation in the ACT”. Yet, it reads more like a blueprint for developing a strategy, there are too many missing elements – particularly solid plans for specific developments and firm timelines. Even the vision seems to lack, well vision!
If fact, reading through it, it comes across more like a plan for bureaucrats than something to excite participants and residents. There is a heavy use of bureaucratic reporting language without any relevance to particular sports or recreation activities. The document is full of rhetoric and jargon that I think will not resonate with us as members of the sporting and recreation community. Which, unfortunately, is what we are used to with the current government. Endless scoping studies, empty promises, and many delayed commencement of projects.
The use of statistics throughout the report highlights what they should have been concentrating on over the past 3-4 years. So, from what I am reading, it seems that we are going to suffer more plans, more studies and more consultation before the ACT Government devises solutions and programs to real problems that exist now. This means more time is wasted, and costs rise significantly, before opportunities and facilities become available.
The published strategy has an emphasis on movement for health but contains few ideas on how to achieve improved outcomes. Reference is made to changing climate conditions, but no recommendations are provided for remedial developments or solutions to the problems. And throughout, there is strong emphasis on Government control. I do not accept that they are more expert at sport and recreation than the organisations and clubs providing the programs.
The main disappointments in the new document were the lack of identification of infrastructure needs, plans for financing and prioritisation of issues. No specifics are provided on infrastructure build to address shortcomings or provide for elite sport.
The Strategy appears to draw somewhat on the comprehensive sports plan that I produced during the 9th Assembly – Find Your Game! Find Your Game identified high-level policy aims, a very distinct future development plan and a series of initiatives which provided a wide range of practical solutions. These were developed in consultation with stakeholders in sporting and recreation groups and the community at large. We listened to them – not consultants! If only the government had borrowed more of it, their strategy might then have had some meat to it. But maybe it requires a change in government to really bring in the innovation and change that the ACT sport and recreation community deserves and needs.
In summary, CBR Next Move forms an ideal internal document to encourage growth in the sport and recreation bureaucracy and to provide a façade for continuing the slow reaction to resolving the demands for adequate facilities to service a growing population with increasingly diverse needs. This new strategy released by the government is a poor comparison with my own vision in Find Your Game, and it is clear that sporting and recreation groups will benefit very little from the new 6-year plan as it is so short on practical measures. It is time for the Government to improve its game and to show that they are genuine – in a practical manner.
Survey
I am at present seeking more feedback from the community on their needs and plans for growth – if they can access suitable facilities. If you run a sporting or recreation club, or participate in one, click on this link and let me know what you think.