Northern Inland Academy of Sport

Legislative Assembly » 14 May 2008 » Full Day Hansard Transcript » Item 38 of 41 »
Northern Inland Academy of Sport (Proof)
About this ItemSpeakers - Torbay Mr Richard Business - Private Members Statements, PRIV
Mr RICHARD TORBAY (Northern Tablelands—Speaker) [6.39 p.m.]: Quite rightly the State Plan focuses on delivering equity of access and opportunity to all people in New South Wales. Its aims include promoting community involvement and citizenship, delivering better services, ensuring fairness and opportunity by growing prosperity right across the State and creating a positive environment for living through participation in sport and other community activities. For people living in regional areas these goals have particular significance because they are the exact opposite of the political opportunism and economic rationalism, which, for many years, stalled the delivery of services and opportunities to more remote and isolated parts of this State.

Today I refer to a program that successfully meets the aims of the State Plan and creates excellent opportunities for athletes and coaches in my electorate in northern New South Wales. The Northern Inland Academy of Sport [NIAS] was established in November 1992 as an autonomous, community-based, incorporated association. It, and the 11 regional sports academies within New South Wales, provides opportunities, pathways and access by assisting talented sportspeople to reach their maximum potential both on and off the sporting field. These programs involve both athletes and coaches. Regional academy of sport programs, particularly in the northern inland area of New South Wales, help young athletes to overcome major disadvantages not always suffered by their city counterparts. These include the challenges of distance, lack of access to regular quality coaching, inadequate regular high-quality competition and limited exposure to State sporting bodies.

Since the inception of the academy, NIAS programs have assisted 2,500 athletes, encouraged volunteers and coaches and have contributed to programs that support indigenous athletes. NIAS receives State Government funding through the Department of Sport and Recreation and also secures corporate support for its programs. The Government's support is acknowledged in all promotions and publications, and there is wide acceptance and acknowledgement within the northern inland sporting community of the important role Government funding lays in delivering academy athlete and coach education programs in the region. NIAS conducts its programs in the north-west of the State incorporating Tamworth, Armidale, Narrabri, Moree, Gunnedah, Glen Innes, and Inverell and their surrounding regions. The NIAS region extends from Tenterfield in the north, to Ebor in the east, to Coonabarabran in the west and to Quirindi in the south.

NIAS currently coordinates 10 sports programs: netball, hockey for boys and girls, football for boys and girls, swimming, touch football, rugby, tennis and triathlon. A Lone Star program provides scholarships for individual athletes as well as regional athlete and coach education programs supporting 180 athletes and 30 coaches within the region. NIAS, in partnership with the New South Wales Department of Sport and Recreation and the Australian Sports Commission, conducts indigenous athlete talent identification camps at Lake Keepit and Moree. It is also gearing up to launch programs for athletes with a disability in the second half of this year as well as launching programs in lawn bowls and cycling.

Over the past 15 years NIAS sports programs have assisted athletes like Nathan Blacklock, Dean Widders, Jamie Lyon, Stacey Porter, Troy Hearfield, Julie Boland and Melanie Maucauley in their development as athletes. Five NIAS athletes recently represented New South Wales at the Australian under-18 hockey championships where they won a gold medal, and Australia's No.1 ranked junior triathlete, Jack Hickey, is a current member of NIAS.

I urge the Government to maintain and extend its financial support for regional academies of sport and the important role they play in ensuring an extensive range of talent identification and development programs throughout regional New South Wales. Regional academies of sport currently support in excess of 2,000 athletes, facilitated by more than 300 coaching and program staff. By maintaining its support of these academies, the Government will foster the not inconsiderable talent of athletes living outside metropolitan centres. It will lead to the continuing success of New South Wales and national sporting teams as well as maintaining our State's pre-eminence in junior athlete development within Australia.

From 7 to 9 October 2008 Armidale will host the New South Wales Academy Games, where it is expected that more than 800 athletes from the State's 11 regional sports academies will compete in 10 sports. I invite the Minister of Sport and Recreation to join me in my electorate for this major State sporting event to watch Australia's future sports stars developing their leadership skills and teamwork during the games.