State Sporting Organisation Boards

S.E. ANDREWS (Gibson) (15:12): My question is to the Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing. Can the minister update the house about state sporting organisations' representation on their boards?

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD (Reynell—Minister for Child Protection, Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (15:12): Thank you so much to the member, an outstanding sportswoman, for her question. I acknowledge her fierce support for clubs in her community, and her advocacy for sport's power to drive change on many issues that our community confronts.

The Malinauskas Labor government is committed to assisting organisations to provide environments where the contribution of women is valued, respected and encouraged by addressing inequalities experienced by women involved in sport. There is strong evidence that highlights that gender balance in key decision-making roles increases the performance of those decision-making bodies, that diversity in decision-making makes a difference.

The Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing has been working with the sport and recreation sector since 2016 to advance gender equality on state sporting organisation boards across South Australia because we are determined to empower women to equally and actively participate in the sport that they love in the way that they choose, whether that is as an athlete, a coach, an official or, indeed, as an administrator. Rec and Sport have delivered programs, events, training sessions, resources and funding to assist organisations to advance the quality.

In 2016, only 34 per cent of state sport and recreation organisations funded by the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing reported a minimum of 40 per cent women on their governing boards. In 2022, through the State Sport and Recreation Development Program, this government provided financial support to South Australian state sport and active recreation organisations, industry support organisations and national sporting organisations operating under a one management or unitary structure to develop their business priorities and assist with building capacity.

At this point in time in 2022, 14 organisations still did not meet the minimum 40 per cent requirement. Those organisations were required to provide the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing with a plan to address the board composition. I am delighted to inform the house that as of April 2024, 100 per cent of state sporting organisations funded by the state government now have at least 40 per cent women on their boards.

This hasn't been a straightforward journey. Our work started in 2016 when the newly established Women in Sport Taskforce made this a priority. From the moment that policy was introduced, we were very clear with state sporting organisations that we would work with them to ensure they had all the tools needed to make sure that they could achieve this target. Now, all sports in our magnificent state have female leaders at state sporting organisation board level.

At Football SA, we have a female chair. At SANFL, for the first time ever, we have a female deputy chair; Athletics SA has a female chair; Surf Life Saving SA has a female president, and the list goes on. I am proud also that for the first time ever in our state's history, we have a woman sports minister, a woman CEO of ORSR, and a woman director of the South Australian Sports Institute. The now re-established Women in Sport Taskforce will keep working with South Australian clubs and associations through the development of resources and information to help them diversify their boards and attract new people to their clubs.