ACT Peak Body Closes
9 July 2015 at 10:39 am
A peak body representing more than 70 Not for Profit sporting organisations in the ACT is winding up after 30 years.
Sporting advocacy peak body ACTSPORT will close its doors later in 2015, declaring its work has been done.
Founder and President of ACTSPORT, Jim Roberts, said the decision to wind down the organisation had been made following self-examination of the business model in terms of sustainability and the future needs of Canberra sporting organisations.
“It is important to reassure our stakeholders that the wind down of ACTSPORT is occurring in an orderly manner. All of our employee entitlements and liabilities will be fully and properly settled.” Roberts said.
“As an organisation we are very proud of the industry’s maturity, and in a sense, our contribution has done ACTSPORT out of a role.
“Our job’s done.”
The organisation started 30 years ago as an incubator for sporting clubs in Canberra and developed into an advocacy group that turned those sporting groups into skilled businesses in their own right.
“The Canberra sporting environment now consists of highly sophisticated sporting bodies with effective community and commercial networks, providing high quality sport and active recreation to more than 100,000 Canberrans at any one time,” Roberts said.
Personally, Jim Roberts said volunteering for him had transcended all commercial boundaries.
“There has been a wonderful commitment of volunteer boards over the thirty years with great skills for no return.
“The richest reward has been the feel good factor.”
ACT Minister for Sport and Recreation, Shane Rattenbury, thanked the industry’s peak advocate ACTSPORT for its significant contribution to the Canberra region’s sporting community.
“After a significant 30-year contribution to our region, it is important to note the many achievements of ACTSPORT as the peak body,” Rattenbury said.
“ACTSPORT has nurtured the local sporting industry, assisting many sports to mature from the “kitchen table”, to viable business organisations.
“Among notable achievements, ACTSPORT has played an integral role in the establishment of sports leadership and governance programs for its member organisations, as well as celebrating the successes of local sportsmen and sportswomen through the Hall of Fame and the Sportstar of the Year awards.”
The ACT Government said it has supported ACTSPORT since 1996. In recent years this has included:
- Accommodating a new ACT Sports House within the University of Canberra Sports Commons (to which the Territory provided $5m);
- Advancing 2015 Triennial funding ($81,200) in July 2014 to address immediate cash flow issues; and
- Committing $16,000 to fund a membership consultation process to assess the future needs and impact of ACTSPORT’s member services and assist ACTSPORT’s business planning.
“The Government is committed to working with the sport and recreation community. We will continue to provide engagement opportunities and mechanisms for the industry to seek advice and access support services," Rattenbury said
“ACTSPORT should take great pride in the integral role it has played for the region’s sports participation, leaving a strong and lasting legacy for the sporting community, as evidenced by the Territory having the highest rate of sports participation in the country.”
