A two-year $15 million increase in funding to the Community Sporting and Recreation Facilities Fund (CSRFF) has been welcomed by WALGA, but more funding is still needed for vital community sporting infrastructure.
WALGA has been advocating for several years for funding to the CSRFF to be increased, and recently called on the State Government to increase the fund to $25 million annually in its State Government Budget Submission.
The fund had been cut from $20 million per annum in 2016-17 to $12.5 million in 2022-23, limiting the capacity of local governments and community sporting groups to invest in infrastructure to meet sport and recreation needs across the state.
Local governments and community sporting groups match funding allocated through the CSRFF.
The weekend announcement of an increase in annual funding to $20 million per annum restores the Fund back to 2016-17 levels.
WALGA President Cr Karen Chappel said while the increase in funding was welcomed, more funding was needed to meet the state’s growing population.
“The CSRFF is an essential resource for local governments to access funding for vital community sporting and recreation facilities and it is oversubscribed each year,” she said.
“The reduction in funding has impacted the capacity of local governments to deliver projects that support their communities and are often a focal point for community activity.
“The provision of high quality, well-designed sport and recreation facilities encourages increased physical activity, fosters social inclusion and connects communities, and ultimately reduces significant costs imposed on the health system.
“We also know that expenditure in these facilities is a significant generator of economic activity with a State Government report estimating that for every dollar invested by the State Government through the fund, $2.36 is generated in direct economic activity and $6.51 in total economic activity.”
WALGA welcomed the announcement that the maximum grant available for major projects will increase from $2 million to $2.5 million.
It also supports the streamlining of the application process for projects of up to $500,000 and the consolidation of the existing Annual Grants category for projects between $300,000 and $500,000 with the Small Grants category, which will widen access to the scheme.
