NEWSFLASH SPARC High Performance Announcement

 

As you may be aware, this morning at the Millennium Institute in Auckland the Prime Minister announced a massive funding injection into high performance sport and a fundamental shift in the way high performance sport is delivered in this country.

Over the next three years the Government, through SPARC, will inject an extra $45 million into high performance sport, with an extra $20 million annually after that.   By 2013, funding for high performance sport will be more than $60 million a year. 

This is an incredibly exciting time for high performance in this country and the start of a great journey for us as we look not only to 2012, but to 2016 and beyond.

This funding will advance both infrastructure development and the system of support for our top athletes.  This means a major expansion at the Millennium Institute, with facilities also to be developed at QEII in Christchurch, rowing and canoe racing high performance centres at Lake Karapiro; a centre for sailing, triathlon, and ocean kayaking at Takapuna; a new high performance bike centre; and regional Academy feeders in Wellington and Dunedin.

For athletes, the funding will help us create a hothouse environment, where we will boost our world class talent pool in coaching, sports science and medicine, and technology and innovation. This is also about ensuring streamlined financial support for our athletes with a focus on the right programme, at the right time, in the right place for them.

A new High Performance Board has been established within SPARC charged with overseeing this new direction.  This Board is made up of SPARC Board members: Paul Collins (Chair of SPARC Board and Chair of HP Board); Bill Birnie (Deputy Chair SPARC Board); Katie Sadleir; and Don Mackinnon. The HP Board also has two external directors, NZX Chief Executive and former Olympic Swimmer, Mark Weldon, and Olympic Triathlon Gold medallist, Hamish Carter.

 

For more information please go to http://www.sparc.org.nz/en-nz/About-SPARC/Media/ 

 

Kind regards

Peter Miskimmin, Chief Executive,SPARC

Paula Ryan, PA to Chief Executive, SPARC,Tel: 04 472 8058 x 3966, 021 871 117