Local Government is seeking restoration of the Community Sporting and Recreation Facilities Fund to $20m per annum beyond 2018-19.

WALGA is seeking restoration of the Community Sporting and Recreation Facilities Fund (CSRFF) in the order of $20m per annum for five years beyond 2018-19. While this Fund was reduced to $7m per annum in the 2015-16 State Budget, it was increased to $20m for 2016-17 and 2018-19 before being
reduced to $12m per annum in 2019-2020.

Local Government is committed to working with the State Government to support active living through
the development of good quality, well designed, facilities. The sector values the financial assistance
provided by the State though the CSRFF as it enables facilities to be developed in a timely manner to
meet community demand.

State and Local Governments recognise that access to sport and recreation infrastructure is critical to
improve the health and wellbeing of communities. Research has consistently shown that obesity, stress
depression, mental illness, and associated medical conditions are increasing and forecast to affect up
to a third of the population within the next 20 years. The significant costs imposed on health and welfare systems can be reduced by facilitating and encouraging increased physical activity.

Typically, the State’s investment in the CSRFF is more than matched by Local Government spending
on the applicable projects (on average, each dollar of CSRFF spending is matched by more than four
dollars of investment by Local Governments and others). There is also unmet demand for the CSRFF
– every year the CSRFF program is oversubscribed by several million dollars in bids for sport and
recreation infrastructure.

The population of Western Australia has grown by 13.5 percent (an extra 308,000 people) over the past
five years. There is a clear need to reinstate the $20m allocation in order to meet the growing demands
of the community.

Funding:
Additional $8m per annum from 2019-2020.

Benefit to the State:
Reinstating the CSRFF creates significant benefits to the State as a preventative health measure. As the population of Western Australia continues to grow, this funding will be required to manage increased
demand for sporting and recreation facilities.

Responses WALGA has received from political parties:

WA Labor:
WA Labor will conduct a comprehensive review of the Local Government Act 1995 (Act).

The Greens WA:
The Greens WA are very supportive of all of the ten priority areas with the focus on improving the quality of life of citizens. This is akin to our principle that Local Government has a valuable role as the third tier of government and in local governance and the representation of local issues and delivery of essential community services.

Liberal Party of WA:
WALGA has yet to receive a response.

The National Party of WA:
The Nationals WA are proud of the progress made by the Community Sport and Recreation Facilities
Fund over the last two terms of government. Our commitment to grassroots sporting facilities since
2008 now exceeds $169 million, including more than $93 million in regional WA, into more than 1000
local facilities.

The Nationals are committed to ensuring grassroots sporting facilities continue to get the attention they
deserve.