Does Federal funding reach the shooting sports?
In our experience, the government of today often states that large sums of money have been donated to the shooting sports. We thought we’d get the exact figures and find out where this money is going.
In February, SSAA National wrote to the Federal Minister for Sport, The Honourable Kate Ellis, seeking details of Federal funding to sports shooting. In May, Minister Ellis replied to our letter, indicating that the money from the Federal Government is allocated to the Australian International Shooting Limited (AISL). While SSAA National already knew this, it was good to get this information in writing.
The AISL is an independent organisation, which supports shooting at all levels, but in particular feeds competitors into elite shooting competitions such as the Olympic and Commonwealth Games. The SSAA has previously been a member of this body, but withdrew after the Olympic discipline of Running Target was removed from the Olympics and the constitution was rewritten by the Federal Government. SSAA members do compete at elite international levels in competitions such as NRA Action Match, Muzzleloading and other rifle and shotgun events.
The SSAA is the largest shooting organisation in Australia, with more than 300 clubs and 130,000 members, and it is interesting to note that we are fully self-funded and do not receive any form of Federal Government funding to carry out our activities. The AISL, however, comprises five full member organisations: the Australian Clay Target Association, Field and Game Federation of Australia, National Rifle Association of Australia, Pistol Australia and Target Rifle Australia, as well as the NSW Rifle Association as an associate organisation. We would expect these organisations to receive funding through this association.
Interestingly, the Crawford Report, which was released by the Australian Government’s Independent Sport Panel in 2009, encourages grassroots funding as a way of ensuring elite success in the future, while also supporting a large percentage of the population instead of just those at an elite level.
While the SSAA is not currently putting its hand out for funding, it will be interesting to see if the Crawford Report eventuates into changes to the Federal Government’s funding structure down the track. The next time you hear or read that the Federal Government supports the shooting sports, be mindful that while it does, most of the funds are allocated to a select few.
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