by Cat Holloway/
Like church and state, sport and money should be separate. But the game and its cost are inextricably entwined. Regardless of your political leanings or your religious beliefs, everyone (almost) loves sport. So in the lead-up to Shoalhaven council elections, no wonder there's a brouhaha over match funding.
Here's the play-by-play:
At kickoff, Denise Joy of The Shoalhaven Independents jumped the gun with a "Don't charge for sport." demand in a presentation to Council opposing the 2024/25 operational budget.
Intercepting that ball, Mayor Amanda Findley ran with the fact that there were no new sports fees in the budget, but passed wide at future exploration into levelling the playing field for sports fees as only select clubs received subsidies.
Attacking from the wing, Cr Patricia White blind-sided on social media claiming Greens/Labor candidates devised a tactic to install an "outrageous tax on sporting clubs, athletes and spectators" which would stop kids playing sport and rupture already tight household budgets.
Taking the lead, Kaye Gartner, defended the blow as "fanciful" and "mischievous" and her Greens teammate Cr Tonia Gray came out swinging against "desperate politics" calling the SIG campaign "misinformation, blatant lies and fear-mongering".
A half-time nil-all score made a draw more likely for frustrated fans and grassroots players who already pay dearly for memberships, uniforms and travel as community sport is infiltrated by corporate codes and insurance companies.
The rulebook revealed that Shoalhaven Sports Council has an eye on the ball, workshopping the "opportunity and suggestions of fees and charges for sporting users" in time to recommend a strategy to the next elected council this year.
Open Space & Recreation manager in Shoalhaven Council, Paul Donnelly, recommended considering licencing fees, reviewing costs like rubbish collection and discounting rates for certain community, school and disability group users.
Match statistics show that the Sports Board's previous attempts to dribble user fees towards the goalpost were blocked in Council after rioting from the stands. Especially disgruntled were many hard-working volunteers and parents who form the frontline for community sport in coaching, fundraising, canteen and transport.
Elite competitions and visiting events would, however, still be subject to investigation as a source of much-needed revenue to cover the massive costs of constructing, maintaining and repairing fields, courts and pitches - and lighting - throughout the expansive Shoalhaven region.
A sucker punch in the next round is unlikely now that each side has put up their dukes. But Shoalhaven sport fans may have to take a couple of blows on the chin if they want Council to keep providing quality sport facilities.
The scoreboard proves Shoalhaven communities have enjoyed an easy run compared to other regions around Australia where councils commonly charge grounds fees to users. One example is Victoria's Manningham Council whose detailed fee policy states that equitable sport fees are crucial to benefiting individual and community participation in the "high value of sport and promotion of a healthy lifestyle."
The hard tackle is a dramatic decline over the past decade of young people playing any organised club-based sport, citing expense and time commitment as too great, especially for teens and university students juggling study and work.
A curveball is the rise of informal sport as more people gather to play pick-up soccer, form cycling pelotons on public roads, join park fitness groups and enter challenge events like open-water swims - engaging in sport on their own terms.
