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The Australian government will continue to channel the lion's share of new sports funding into developing elite athletes, ignoring recommendations to divert funding rises into grass-roots and community participation.
In Tuesday's 2010 federal budget, the government announced spending of A$324.8 million over four years -- including $195.2 million in new funding -- to "boost the number of Australians participating in sport and drive Australia's continued sporting success.
"In particular, this will assist in better preparation for major events such as the Olympic and the Paralympic Games," the government said in a release posted on the sports ministry's website (www.health.gov.au).
Some $237 million will be ploughed into elite sports, including funding for talent development programs and to pay more talent scouts.
High performance programs to prepare athletes for top competitions including the London 2012 Olympics will also get $52 million.
"For the first time, it also delivers significant investment to the all-important development pathway -- the vital link connecting grass-roots and high performance sport," the release added.
Grass-roots and community sport will get $71 million, while $16 million has been earmarked for Paralympic programmes.
The sports budget stands in contrast to recommendations contained in a government-commissioned review led by businessman David Crawford.
The Crawford report, handed to the government last year, advocated more spending on grass-roots and community sports development and infrastructure at the expense of increases for elite sports amid rising healthcare costs from lifestyle diseases like obesity.
"If we are truly interested in a preventative health agenda through sport, then much of it may be better spent on lifetime participants than almost all on a small group of elite athletes who will perform at that level for just a few years," it said.
The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC), who slammed the report last year as an attack on fringe sports and mobilised sports federations to pressure the government, welcomed the budget.
"As far as the elite side is concerned, it ticks every box," AOC President John Coates told state broadcaster ABC.
"It will ensure the Australian Olympic team that goes to London... and the winter team will be able to compete on an equal footing with our competitors."
(Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Ken Ferris; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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