High Performance Sport Strategy

Supporting high performance sport through the optimisation of our venues

In recognition of a changing sporting environment in Western Australia, VenuesWest has identified a requirement for change in how it supports the growth and sustainability of high performance sport through the optimisation of its facilities.

Investment in high performance sport in Western Australia is a key element in ensuring a continuous cycle of participation and global success exists in organised sport. The VenuesWest High Performance Sport Strategy has been developed to facilitate the targeted support of specific and relevant high performance sports that have been identified through robust selection processes. These sports are referred to as 'targeted sports'.

The High Performance Sport Strategy focuses on VenuesWest’s support of high performance sport in Western Australia as it is currently directed by the legislated functions of the Western Australian Sports Centre Trust Act 1986 (the Act).

To ensure the functions in the Act are delivered, VenuesWest provides direct support to high performance sport through the optimisation of our venues, capital investment in infrastructure, subsidy on venue usage and priority access for targeted sports. VenuesWest currently targets 18 high performance sports in Western Australia. Traditionally, VenuesWest has only expanded the list of targeted sports as a result of new and/or enhanced facility infrastructure. The needs of these sports are often factored into the business case for investment in infrastructure in collaboration with key industry partners in the State.

VenuesWest is keen to expand the number of sports it can support and in doing so, will use a balanced scorecard, encouraging the support of sports across the spectrum i.e. sports that have high market share and are commercially successful through to those who do not have a strong participation stronghold and require significant subsidy to train and/or compete.

After extensive consultation, VenuesWest identified the need to develop a High Performance Sport Strategy that is future focused and able to provide clarity on purpose, process and benefits involved in order to ensure a consistent level of understanding across the sporting community and influence success.

18/08/23 World Class Sports Pack

5 MB View Document
07/06/22 High Performance Sport Strategy

6 MB View Document

Update: August 2023

VenuesWest supports its targeted sports through increased subsidies, priority of use and capital investment. To date, the list of targeted sports has only grown as new facilities have been bought into the portfolio. The intent of the High Performance Sport Strategy was to review, and ideally grow, the number of targeted sports supported by VenuesWest, while allowing for an evolution in the different sports supported over time.

At the completion of the assessment process, the following sports have been confirmed as targeted sports for 2023/24: