Building stronger, healthier, happier and safer communities.
The department advocates and supports projects to strengthen communities through sport and recreation.
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The real value of sport and recreation
Sport helps to build communities through social inclusion and a sense of connection. Sport and recreation helps to bind families through shared experiences and shared achievements. Through participation, sport helps address anti-social behaviour and can support education.
Sport contributes to economic growth through business investment and employment, and helps sustain the environment through protecting open space and natural areas. It also promotes the use of active modes of transport, such as cycling and walking.
Sport instils a sense of national pride. When Australian competitors triumph on the world stage, the general community, governments and business leaders bask in the reflected glory. We celebrate sporting achievements such as winning the 1983 America’s Cup yacht race, Steve Hooker’s pole vault gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, the Socceroos’ performances in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Australia’s 2007 World Cup-winning one-day cricket team. Such celebrations unite the nation; drawing together people of different race, religion and culture; developing a heightened sense of community and national identity. According to Kelley and Evans (1998) sport has been identified as being the most important element contributing to our feelings about our nation.
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Sport helps shape a better society
Sport makes a significant contribution to society. This is perhaps not widely recognised or understood.
Sport helps to build communities through social inclusion and a sense of connection, and sport helps build families through shared experiences and shared achievements.
Sport contributes to economic growth through business investment and employment, and helps sustain the environment by protecting open space and natural areas and through the use of active modes of transport.
Healthier communities
Sport and recreation activities produce a healthier population, both physically and mentally, which in turn places less stress on the health care system.
Stronger communities
International research shows that increasing community participation in organised sport and recreation contributes to what is known as "social capital", which is the ‘social fabric, or glue' that ties members together in a given locality (Cox, 1995).
Safer communities
Generally, places with high levels of social capital are safer, better governed and more prosperous, compared to places with low levels of social capital (Putnam, 2000). Through participation, sport helps address anti-social behaviour and can support education.
Sport is not the cure-all for society's issues, but with quality delivery and an appropriate level of support it can significantly assist in a positive way.
Research
References:
Cox, E. (1995). A Truly Civil Society. Sydney: ABC Books.
Kelley, J., Evans, M. (1998). Sources of national pride in 24 nations. Australian Social Monitor, (2), 23-30.
Putnam, R. (2000). Bowling Alone: the collapse and revival of American Community. New York: Simon and Schuster.
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