COVID-19 Funding and Support
The play, active recreation and sport sector contributes $4.8b to New Zealand’s GDP each year and employs over 53,000 people. It also has a key contributor to the physical and mental wellbeing of New Zealanders.
The COVID-19 lockdown had a major effect on the sector, and it will require support for the foreseeable future.
Sport NZ provided initial relief funding, as well as pastoral support and advice. This initial phase of support is ending and we are now transitioning into the recovery phase. We have reviewed our strategic priorities from 2020-2021 and agreed a short-term strategy to help us navigate the changed environment.
The recovery phase is underpinned by an unprecedented $265m investment by the Government which was announced as part of Budget 2020.
This funding will be provided over four years, and will help the sector do three things:
- Reset and rebuild
- Strengthen and adapt
- Different and Better
Using previous consultation, research and lessons learned during the initial COVID-19 response, Sport NZ has identified some priority initiatives which will form the first wave of the Recovery Package.
Minister for Sport and Recreation Grant Robertson announced this initial support on 7 July. The package will reach every level of the play, active recreation and sport sector .
The first wave of the Recovery Package allocates $80m of the $265m package towards this first series of initiatives.
Alongside this, Sport NZ is working on an updated investment model and will begin an engagement process with the sector in August 2020. This process will identify a second wave of projects.
Sport NZ is also beginning a process of engagement and consultation on the future of Sport and Recreation in New Zealand. This work is due to report back to our Board by the end of the year, with more information released publicly in early 2021. This work will help inform the funding for the ‘Different and Better’ work.
Recovery Package for Play, Active Recreation and Sport
The first wave of the Recovery Package includes initiatives which are ready now, or are ready in the very near future. They will ensure funding and support flows to all levels of the play, active recreation and sport sector, with a specific focus on groups who are traditionally less active such as; women and girls, disabled people and Māori. We also know that areas with high deprivation are struggling due to COVID-19 with falling rates of activity during the lockdown. Our first wave of support seeks to address this. It is made up of:
- $68 million over four years for an activation fund named Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa to provide physical activity opportunities for tamariki and rangatahi. This builds on the Kiwisport Regional Partnership fund to provide quality opportunities in play, active recreation and sport for young people who are missing out, particularly in higher deprivation areas ($34 million of the fund is from the Sector Recovery Package with the remaining $34 million from existing Sport NZ baselines).
- $10 million continuation of the Sport NZ Community Resilience Fund to provide further immediate support to a broader range of eligible community based organisations.
- $3 million to support and assist individuals and whanau experiencing significant financial hardship who, for a range of reasons are unable to access play, active recreation and sport opportunities.
- $25.4 million investment for the first wave of Sport NZ’s existing investment partners (active recreation and sport) to accelerate the strengthening and future-proof planning for their organisation and network. This includes $4.9 million in funding for 12 national partners like Basketball NZ and Hockey NZ to help run their premier national leagues
- An initial $7.3 million investment to improve sporting facilities. This includes the upgrading of hosting stadia and training facilities for the world cups for women. $400,000 has also been invested to upgrade the national snow sports training facilities to improve their daily training environment ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.