Review of the Registered Clubs Industry in NSW - Clubs NSW

3 Understanding the social contributions of the registered
clubs industry
What clubs are already doing to advance the priorities in the State Plan
The State Plan is essentially about the Government’s actions, rather than the actions
of other parties such as clubs. Nevertheless, ClubsNSW’s submission listed a
number of ways in which clubs already assist in advancing the Government’s
priorities, through their measures to control risk drinking, combat under-age
drinking and drink-driving (many clubs provide courtesy buses or subsidised taxi
services), and to promote environmental sustainability. There is some evidence to
suggest that effective partnerships have already been developed between the clubs
industry and government agencies.
Clubs, particularly smaller clubs which rely heavily on volunteer contributions from
their members, are also a potential mechanism for increasing the proportion of the
community involved in volunteering or group sporting or recreational opportunities,
another of the State Plan’s targets.
The CDSE Scheme model of local committees consisting of club, local and state
government representatives is also an effective way of directing club activities
towards community priorities that could also respond to priorities in the State Plan.
Participants at the Wagga Wagga roundtable (Wagga Wagga City Council and the
Leagues Clubs’ Association) noted that CDSE committees represent a powerful
partnership between clubs and government, and that State Plan priorities can be fed
into that process by the State Government representatives.
However, whether or not CDSE committees actually do factor in State Plan priorities
is an open question. For example, Penrith City Council’s submission to the issues
paper suggests that its CDSE committee does not currently consider State Plan
priorities and would require additional funding to do so. (This suggests a
misunderstanding of the nature of the State Plan, which is about setting priorities for
existing funding.)
Some larger clubs, such as the Panthers Entertainment Group and Mounties, are
already working directly in partnership with local and/or the NSW government
outside the CDSE framework and are aware of the State Plan priorities in that way.
For example, the Panthers Entertainment Group representative at the Sydney
roundtable spoke of his club’s ’Panthers on the Prowl’ community youth outreach
program as a direct partnership with three levels of government that responds to
State Plan priorities.
What clubs might do in future to advance the priorities in the State Plan
Clubs are referred to explicitly only once in the State Plan, under Priority E8, in an
initiative described as “working with hotels and clubs to more effectively support
arts, cultural and sporting activities, especially in rural and regional areas”. A
working group has been established to develop two pilot “sport accords” involving
clubs, schools and the local council in two local government areas. The process of
developing an accord involves liaising with the community to identify the most
66 IPART Review of the Registered Clubs Industry in NSW