The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) has expressed its disappointment at having no extra funding allocated from the Federal Government in high performance activities through Australia’s Winning Edge program.
Goals of Winning Edge include 20 world champions per annum heading towards 2022. CAMS believes that motor sports provides one of these opportunities, but gained no additional funding for 2013-14 from the $120 million pie.
In perspective the $369,000 heading CAMS’s way is less than Skate Australia ($686,000), Judo ($684,000), Archery ($628,000), Touch Football ($570,000) and Motor Cycling Australia ($447,000).
“CAMS has twenty thousand licence holders who compete in more than 1800 events every year and for motor sport, one of the most watched sports in Australia and the world, it is disappointing and disheartening,” said CAMS Chief Executive Eugene Arocca.
“CAMS made a strong submission that we felt proved that it deserved further public investment. We certainly would have appreciated an increased investment. The development pathways to elite motor sport competition are complex and varied and it is important that CAMS can continue to support Australian drivers in the elite motor sport categories.
“CAMS understands all sports are fighting for a dollar, but it makes it harder to find, produce and develop another Mark Webber, Daniel Ricciardo or Will Power, in an ultra competitive market place without the right level of funding and assistance and that is what we need to keep adding to the rich history of Australian motor sport on the world stage.”
Although motor sport did not receive extra funding, it also did not suffer a cut with the likes of high-profiled sports like swimming losing 5.8% and athletics 3.8% from their previous Sports Commission allocations.
“Our investment decisions were based on a set of principles that assessed sports ability to provide sound evidence that they can contribute to the targets,” said Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Chair John Wylie AM.
“We have also asked that sports be more accountable for best practice governance and commercial performance under our investment approach.”
The funds used by CAMS from the Sports Commission go towards the Rising Star program, AIS Development Camps and Elite Coach Mentoring Programs. CAMS says that extra funding would have been channelled into the Women of Australian Motor Sport (WAMS) initiative.
Although its overall funding level has been maintained, $29,200 of the Federal Government grant is placed into transition funding. This means CAMS must demonstrate over the next 12 months an enhanced likelihood of international success for that contribution to be maintained.
“As this is the first year of our new approach, the impact of these decisions will be reviewed closely as the year progresses and sports that have their funding increased or decreased this year should not assume that’s the likely case again next year – all sports have to justifying their investment each year,” said Wylie.
“The Commission understands all sports would appreciate increased investment, however we are committed to working within existing budgets and working closely and positively with sports to increase the size and diversity of their funding base, especially through increased commercial and philanthropic sources of income.”
