Sport Australia supports a new set of guidelines aimed at helping Australian sports organisations act effectively and consistently in responding to incidents of spectator racism and preventing racism from occurring at sporting events.
The Australian Human Rights Commission developed the Spectator Racism Guidelines after numerous incidents of spectator racism over the past year, and follows consultations with professional sporting codes, clubs, players, venue operators, and anti-racism experts.
Sport Australia joins professional sports organisations including the AFL, Cricket Australia, NRL, Tennis Australia, Golf Australia and venue operators, in endorsing the guidelines.
Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan said sport holds a unique place in Australian society – it encapsulates our values of equality and fairness and helps us connect to each other – but unfortunately, racism in sport remains an ongoing issue.
"When racist incidents happen, they can have a long-lasting impact on those affected, and damaging social consequences. There is no place for racism anywhere, and that includes sport," Commissioner Tan said.
Sport Australia Acting CEO Rob Dalton agreed, saying sport should be safe, fair and inclusive for all Australians so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of participating in sport.
"Everybody has a right to have their life enriched through sport and every person should be treated with respect and dignity and protected from discrimination, harassment and abuse.
"Sport Australia is proud to join a growing number of sporting organisations and stadiums in supporting the Guidelines to make sport safe and fair for everyone."
The guidelines identify actions that can be taken consistently across sporting codes to ensure that spectators, officials and players are safe and aware of what to do and how to respond to incidents of spectator racism, as well as proactive measures to prevent racism from occurring.
The Australian Sports Commission, Sports Integrity Australia and the Human Rights Commission will continue to work on a broader approach for the entire sports sector inline with the National Integrity Framework.
The Commission has also produced resources including templates, policies and communication materials to make clear that racism will not be tolerated.
The Spectator Racism Guidelines are available via the Human Rights Commission's website.
