Sustainability Skills Stocktake and Gap Analysis ... - Service Skills

Service Skills Australia
Sport, Fitness and Recreation
Sustainability implications for the sport, fitness and recreation industries
The sports, fitness and outdoor and community recreation industries employ
approximately 95,000 people in more than 17,700 mostly small businesses. In addition,
the number of (non-playing) volunteers supporting industry activity is estimated at around
1.4 million.
The impact these industries have far exceeds the financial contribution they make to the
economy. With around 4.5 million people reporting to be participants in some organized
sport or physical activity, these industries play an important role in the physical,
psychological and social well being of Australian society. They are instrumental in
fostering concepts of social inclusion, community and personal health, and as such they
strongly correlate with values of social sustainability.
On the environmental side, these industries have impacts both in the direct use of
environmental spaces and in the use of resources in operation of facilities and activities.
Outdoor recreation activities such as bushwalking, canoeing, scuba diving, sea kayaking,
four wheel driving and diving all involve direct engagement with the environment and
have the potential for causing damage. Sustainable practices require consideration of
factors such as pollution, protection of flora and fauna, waste management, minimal
impact and local ecology.
The sustainability of sport, fitness and recreation facilities is another key target for
improvement. Designs which incorporate the use of environmentally friendly technologies
such as natural lighting, grey water systems, compost toilets, solar power, energy efficient
systems, elevated walkways, environmentally friendly building materials, insulation,
recycling and composting, are increasingly being required to reduce environmental
impact. Aquatic facilities also must consider the use and disposal of chemicals. Transport
to and from facilities is another consideration in the overall performance of facilities, as
are traffic and noise impacts on the local community.
Sustainability in the Sport, Fitness and Recreation Training Package
The Sport, Fitness and Recreation Training Package is in the final stages of the
continuous improvement cycle and will be submitted for endorsement in mid 2010 as the
SIS10 Sport, Fitness and Recreation Training Package. The proposed training package
includes sustainability skills from the perspective of both individual tasks and
management and incorporates concepts of sustainability across social, economic and
environmental outcomes.
Units that concern themselves specifically with environmental issues include:
SISXRES402A Support implementation of environmental management practices
(offered at Certificate III and IV qualification levels)
SISXRES504A Conserve and re-establish natural systems
SISXRES505A Achieve sustainable land management
SISXRES506A Undertake open space planning
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