Australia is developing its first National Community Sport Infrastructure Plan to support more informed and coordinated decision-making about community sport facilities.
The Plan is part of Play Well, the sector-designed national participation strategy that aims to ensure everyone has a place in sport.
It will help provide clearer, more coordinated guidance on how community sport infrastructure is planned, prioritised and used over time, recognising the roles of governments, sports and facility owners.
More than 2,500 people shared their insights during consultations in 2025, helping the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) and the Industry Advisory Group identify the challenges and opportunities facing community sport across the country.
You told us that:
- Many facilities are ageing, fragmented and no longer aligned with modern participation needs
- Planning processes are complex and inconsistent
- Access to facilities is limited, including restricted use of school infrastructure
- Rising costs and heavy reliance on government funding are straining the system
- Women, multicultural communities and people with disability continue to face barriers to participation
- Facilities are not being used to their full potential
ASC Acting Executive General Manager of Sport and Community Capability Lindsey Reece said addressing these issues is critical to delivering meaningful outcomes.
"If we don't accurately define, clearly understand and actively address identified problems, investment will simply deliver assets rather than the high-quality, inclusive participation outcomes the system needs."
With the way people choose to be active continuing to change, alongside climate pressures and limited resources, communities told us the Plan needs a clear and practical vision.
Rather than simply building more facilities, the focus should be on creating the right number, mix and types of places that support people of all ages and abilities to be active, close to where they live.
The vision for the Plan is: Everyone has a place to play.
"It is important that we find common ground, a shared focus that brings everyone involved in sport and active recreation together, even though we each play different roles and have different responsibilities," Reece added.
This common ground helps communities, sports and governments work together more effectively, guiding decisions about how facilities are planned, funded and used, while recognising local needs, boundaries and the unique requirements of different sports.
The common ground for the Plan is: Optimise what we have, grow what we need.
The final phase of work will focus on validating what we heard, testing insights, defining priority projects and ensuring the action plan reflects the diverse needs of communities, sports and jurisdictions nationwide.
Over the next six months, a structured engagement process will:
- Confirm the key problems identified through consultation
- Test the shared vision and sector wide common ground statement
- Identify the system enablers and conditions needed for change
- Finalise priority projects to drive impact
The National Community Sport Infrastructure Plan is expected to be released mid-year and will play a vital role in creating places where more Australians can connect, participate and thrive through sport.
