Recreation and Sport Policy

Principles

The Greens NSW:

1. Believe recreation and sport has a special role in creating a "healthy lifestyle" attitude, aids in the prevention and reduction of future health problems, and is a valuable asset in focusing the considerable energy of society in a positive and socially constructive direction;

2. Believe Increasing the funding of a wide range of community-based sport and facilities for recreation and sport is a valid investment in the wellbeing of society;

3. Believe such funding should be increased as these preventative measures could also have a significant ameliorating impact on the levels of violence and crime in the society; and

4. Seek to provide opportunities for health-enhancing recreation and sport, with less emphasis on competition and greater emphasis on the enjoyment of physical activities in an invigorating environment.

Detail

Competitive Sports

5. The Greens NSW will work in the fields of competitive sport towards a system that offers opportunities in sport to all people without discrimination.

6. The Greens NSW believe that, while identifying and developing talented athletes with appropriate coaching is important, equal emphasis must be attached to caring, educational and vocational support of the athlete.

Role of Local Government

7. Decision making in sport and recreation must be attached to the community at a grass roots level, and, as such, local government has a pivotal role to play in the identification of existing, proposed and needed facilities in each local government area.

8. Sufficient provision of access to indigenous Australians, women, people with disabilities, older people, and people of non-English speaking backgrounds must be provided.

9. While encouraging councils to formulate proposals for medium to long term development of recreational and sporting needs for all members of the community, active and passive recreation and sporting facilities should be effectively considered in the planning process.

Youth

10. It is essential that all children be encouraged to participate in physical activities. Schools should assist in establishing fitness habits as a part of a continuing healthy lifestyle.

11. There should be ample and varied opportunities for participation in non-competitive sports. The Greens NSW believe a creative recreational program should involve interaction with the environment. Bushwalking and orienteering place the participant into a different and exciting environment, negating the need for excessive competitiveness.

12. Similarly yoga, dance, swimming, surfing, surf life saving, tai chi, trampolining, cross country running, cycling, aerobics and gymnastics are but a few examples where regular physical activity is achieved without competition being the driving force for participation.

13. The Greens NSW believe too much emphasis is placed on full body contact sports often causing unnecessary physical damage and confining opportunities for participation to the athletic elite.

Recreational Opportunities for People with Disabilities

14. An audit should be carried out in local government areas with a view to providing guaranteed access for people with disabilities to a broad range of recreational facilities, particularly outdoor and adventure opportunities.

15. Special attention should be undertaken in developing the talents of people with disabilities. Sufficient funding for the training of youth with disabilities is particularly important.

Women in Recreation and Sport

16. Economic and social barriers translate to a lower rate of participation by women in physical activities than men. An important step towards redressing this imbalance would be the establishment of adequate short term childcare facilities to allow mothers the opportunity to participate in active recreation.

Participation in Recreation and Sport by Indigenous Australians

17. The Indigenous Australian community has produced considerable numbers of elite athletes. The Greens NSW believe that Government and major sporting associations have a responsibility to subsidise programs to encourage participation by Indigenous Australians in sport. Sporting clinics should be established in remote communities staffed by appropriately trained, preferably Indigenous, personnel.

18. The Greens NSW support advantage schemes for Indigenous Australians to have an assurance of access to the Sports Scholarship Scheme.

19. Programs and a supportive environment should be provided for indigenous Australian children to participate in sport. Indigenous Australian communities should be provided with adequate resources to investigate culturally appropriate physical activities for their youth. In consultation with local communities, programs should be provided as appropriate.

Older People - Recreation and Sport

20. Older people should be provided with adequate opportunity to participate in physical activity. While many sporting clubs cater for them, The Greens NSW recommend a number of suitable therapeutic activities. In consultation with local communities, opportunities should be provided as appropriate.

Drugs in Sport

21. The Greens NSW believe the solution to the problem of drugs in sport lies in relevant education. The use of steroids for body enhancement exposes many people to serious health risks. The Greens NSW believe that this should be addressed by recognising the impact of stereotyped body image and expectations of physical prowess.

22. We believe that sports curriculum should be reformed to place greater emphasis on the dangers of performance enhancing drugs and to reinforce the self-respect of each individual, regardless of their innate sporting abilities.

Motorised Personal Water Craft

23. The Greens NSW believe that the proliferation of recreational high speed motorised personal water craft (MPWC), or "jet skis" is leading to a loss of amenity and safety for surfers, swimmers and local residents, noise and air pollution, ecological damage and an ever increasing toll of death and injury.

24. Existing regulation is inadequate and unsatisfactory, and is often not appropriately enforced.

25. The Greens NSW endorse and will work towards implementing the Jetfree Coalition (JFK) management plan for regulating MPWC's. This plan defines MPWC's as those craft that:

• 25.1 Are designed to travel at speeds greater than 10 knots

• 25.2 Have the ability to be used in the surf zone.

26. Key features of the JFK management plan are:

• 26.1 Legislation to mandate that effective prop guards are fitted when used in the surf zone to reduce the severity of accidents

• 26.2 Mandatory zero blood alcohol levels while riding MPWC's

• 26.3 The creation of a "surfpath" extending 300 m from the shoreline around the NSW coastline. All MPWC's are to be banned from this surfpath. Exemption areas must be clearly designated and signposted, and could only be created after extensive public consultation and agreement by all stakeholders

• 26.4 A full audit, conducted by the relevant local council, of all enclosed waters, and a creation of a local management plan that considers ecology, safety, amenity and serenity

• 26.5 A ban on all MPWC's using narrow or shallow creeks or inlets

• 26.6 A ban on MPWC's travelling within 300 m of non-motorised craft users or swimmers in open waters at speeds exceeding 4 knots, except for the purposes of securing personal safety. In enclosed waters, this stand-off distance is to be 60 m.

Water Safety

27. The Greens NSW recognise the importance of maintaining a comprehensive water safety program, with a special emphasis on surf safety. Adequate funding and government support and commitment is required to maintain a consistent and effective program aimed at reducing death by drowning and other injuries.

28. The Greens NSW support a program targeted at both the community and at school children with key involvement of the relevant local government, surf lifesaving and surfing organizations, including the Surf Rider Foundation.

29. Within this program, every primary school student is to be taught swimming and the basic water survival skills. A mandatory Surf Awareness program will become part of the year 10 syllabus and other advanced certificates will be offered and promoted. Teacher training and promotion of the program will be required. Community learn-to- swim programs are to be expanded.

30. An on-going program of surf and water safety awareness should be targeted at in-bound tourists to reduce the large number of accidents and fatalities.

31. Water safety organisations and local councils should be provided with adequate funding to support their activities in reducing the number of accidents and fatalities.

32. The Greens NSW oppose the granting of licences for the sale of alcoholic beverages to the public to surf life saving clubs as we believe that this compromises water safety and beach amenity.

Recreational Shooting

33. The Greens NSW oppose the proliferation of regional shooting complexes in NSW because of their adverse impact on local amenity and because they encourage activities which can compromise community safety. In many cases, these complexes damage the serenity, safety, water quality and aboriginal heritage values of natural areas and the safety and amenity of surrounding residential areas.

34. We are further concerned that the safety audits of proposals for new shooting complexes have lacked objectivity and rigour. The absence of appropriate safety audits increases the public safety risk posed by stray bullets.

35. The Greens NSW oppose the large amount of state government funding being allocated to regional shooting complexes. We believe that these funds would be better directed to other recreational activities that can provide community health benefits.

36. We are concerned that the allocation of public funds to shooting complexes has been influenced by the State government’s desire to buy political favour without consideration of achieving an overall benefit to the community. The absence of publicly available funding guidelines has increased community scepticism in the probity of public funding of regional shooting complexes. Further, the regulation and accountability mechanisms for the expenditure of these funds are inadequate.