Government aims for top spot in sport for NZ

The Government’s major re-shaping and expansion of high performance sport aims to make New Zealand consistently one of the most successful sporting nations in the world, says Sport and Recreation Minister Murray McCully.

Key features of the changes announced today by Prime Minister John Key and Mr McCully are:

- The most significant-ever funding injection into high performance sport in New Zealand, amounting to new Budget funding of $10 million in 2010/11; $15 million in 2011/12, and $20 million annually after that. By the 2012/13 year, total funding for high performance sport will be over $60 million annually;

- A $15 million injection from Lottery Grants Board reserves, of which $10 million has already been received by SPARC, which will contribute towards high performance infrastructure development;

- The establishment of a new High Performance Institute as a separate entity within SPARC, charged with overseeing government investment into world class sporting facilities and delivery of athlete support, with a distinct high performance culture of excellence;

- A $40 million expansion of the Millennium Institute (into which the Government will invest $15 million), which is currently the home of the North Island Academy of Sport and the majority of our top athletes, and will become the National Training Centre for High Performance Sport;

- Plans for a further $40 million development of a network of satellite high performance facilities (to which the Government will make key cornerstone contributions) at QEII in Christchurch, the home of the South Island Academy of Sport; rowing and canoe racing high performance centres at Lake Karapiro; a centre for sailing, triathlon, and ocean kayaking at Takapuna; a new high performance centre for cycling; and regional academy feeders in Wellington and Dunedin;

- A significant boost to supporting our best athletes with direct funding, by retaining and recruiting top coaches; providing world class sports science and medicine services through the two Academies of Sport, and through innovation and technology that will give our athletes a competitive advantage on the world stage.

Announcing the changes at the Millennium Institute today, Mr McCully said the changes were “the biggest boost ever for New Zealand high performance sport”
The full impact of this funding injection, which amounts to an increase of over 50 percent on current levels, will be evident from the 2016 Olympics.

Mr McCully said the new High Performance Institute will be a subsidiary of SPARC, and will be characterised by an uncompromising high performance culture and focus to ensure our athletes arrive at the start line with world-class support.

The Board will comprise of the chair, Paul Collins, and three other SPARC directors. They will be joined by two independent directors: NZX Chief Executive and former Olympic swimmer Mark Weldon, and Olympic triathlon gold medallist Hamish Carter.

The High Performance Board will oversee the Government’s cornerstone investment in a major $80 million expansion of high performance sport facilities over the next three years, of which the Government will fund $15 million directly and up to $15 million from a grant made from excess reserves held by the Lottery Grants Board.

The balance will be funded through partnerships with the Millennium Institute and AUT, the North Shore City Council, and other partnerships currently under negotiation.

“A cycling centre of excellence is required to build on the success of Bike New Zealand’s high performance programme. A number of regions have already lodged an interest and have secured regional support. SPARC will run an Expressions of Interest process to manage applications for cornerstone Government funding for a cycling high performance satellite,” Mr McCully said.

“As a first step we have moved to fully fund the remaining debt ($1.8 million) on the $4.4 million Karapiro rowing high performance centre through a direct $1 million Government grant, a $300,000 contribution from SPARC, and a $500,000 contribution from Mighty River Power. With the World Rowing Championships being hosted at Lake Karapiro later this year, the Government wanted our rowers focused on winning medals, not running cake stalls to raise funds.”

Mr McCully said the collaboration between Rowing New Zealand, Mighty River Power, and the Government was the kind of partnerships the Government wanted to create to leverage investment from the private sector, local government, and philanthropic funders.

Further announcements of key strategic partnerships will follow in the near future.

ENDS

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