Government funding for recreation and sport
Total expenditure by the three levels of government (Commonwealth, state and territory, and local) on recreational facilities and services in 1998-99 was $4,775m. Funds are sometimes transferred between levels of government before being spent on recreational facilities and services. The following expenditures by components of government sum to more than the total expenditure by all levels of government, because transfers have been included in the component figures, but not double-counted in the total figure. Most expenditure was sourced from general government (e.g. government departments), at $3,447m, compared with $1,915m by public non-financial corporations. Of general government expenditure, Commonwealth government expenditure was $236m, states and territories spent $1,767m and local governments $1,515m. Of all public expenditure on recreational facilities and services, current expenditure was much larger than capital expenditure ($3,890m compared with $885m).
The Commonwealth Government, through the ASC, supports the development of sport in Australia. In 2001, the Government announced funding to sport of almost $550m to be spent over four years. Of this, over $400m is aimed at elite athlete development, $82m is directed at participation program initiatives, and remaining funding is directed to other sport initiatives, including initiatives to detect and combat the use of drugs by sports participants. In 2002, the Government announced an additional investment of $65.4m to upgrade and expand facilities at the AIS in Canberra.
Business funding
According to the ABS Business Generosity Survey, during 2000-01 businesses gave $1,447m to organisations and individuals, of which sport and recreation activities (which included the operation of sporting events, clubs and teams; indoor or outdoor recreational facility operations; social, leisure and hobby club activities; and recreational parks and gardens operations) received $628m (43%). This comprised $480m of sponsorship, $109m of donations and $39m of business to community projects related to sport and recreation. Activities associated with sport and recreation attracted the most sponsorship funding compared with the other activities surveyed, namely community service and welfare, arts and culture, health, education and training, and environmental activities.