A Strategic Plan for High Performance Sport in Western Australia.
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Western Australia has a proud sporting tradition with an outstanding array of high performance athletes consistently having emerged in a range of sports. Past success is, however, clearly no guarantee for future success.
The competitive environment in high performance sport has undertaken such rapid change in recent years that Western Australia is now at a crossroads. At risk is the potential future competitiveness of our athletes and the ability to attract sporting events to Western Australia. The inadequacy of our sporting facilities to meet the training and competition needs of our athletes is a fundamental impediment to our future success.
The Working Group was requested to identify structures, arrangements and services that will take Western Australian sport beyond 2002. Reflecting on the success of the existing arrangements, the Working Group considered it important to recognise and build on key success factors and structures. However, it is important to strengthen and develop the system by making appropriate adjustments and developing partnerships.
During its consultations, the Working Group found that there is broad recognition of the successes of the present
sport system, including:
- Sustained capacity (to date) to produce national/world class athletes in a range of sports;
- The ability to develop our talented athletes in a home environment through the Government's commitment to maintain the Western Australian Institute of Sport2 and through the provision of resources, programs, facilities and peak industry bodies to support State sporting associations;
- The ability to develop and attract international calibre sports administrators, coaches, sport scientists, event managers, facility managers, and officials; and
- Reasonably high participation rates in sport and physical activities. Western Australia has the second highest participation rates in Australia and the only State/Territory that has not experienced a reduction over the past year3.
The Working Group concluded that the State's involvement has had a very positive influence on the development of sport and recreation as an important part of our culture and well-being. However this does not guarantee sustainable success.
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