The role of Sport and Recreation Victoria

We are dedicated to building a thriving, inclusive and connected sport and active recreation sector and environments that benefits all Victorians.

Sport and active recreation are an important part of Victoria’s social, cultural and economic life. Our strong and vibrant sport and active recreation sector currently supports over 3 million regular Victorian participants.

Sport and active recreation in Victoria

Victoria is home to:

• more than 120 state sporting associations and state sport and recreation bodies
• 6 regional academies of sport
• 9 regional sports assemblies
• 52 professional teams playing in national competitions
• 32 national sport organisations
• over 12,000 community sporting clubs.

Victoria also has 46 high-performance state sports facilities that support the development of our athletes through to the elite level and more than 789,000 volunteers who help to administer thousands of sports and active recreation opportunities across the state.

Sport and the Victorian economy

Victoria has a global reputation as a major sporting events capital. Our world-class sporting infrastructure supports a calendar of major events that stimulates the visitor economy and adds over $3.3 billion to the State’s economy every year.

Our States’ breathtaking scenery, diverse natural environments and networks of trails, parks and reserves also attracts visitors drawn to outdoor adventures and provides more recreational opportunities for Victorians in their communities.

We’re building on our support for regional communities, with new projects and initiatives set to boost participation, local economies, build even stronger communities and support health on and off the field.

From our Regional Sports Infrastructure Program that’s delivering 16 new or upgraded community sport and event venues across the state, to significant investments into All Abilities inclusion on and off the field, to our Get Active Kids Voucher Program that’s provided over 225,000 vouchers for kids to get into the sports they love, our investments are making Victoria the place to live, work, stay and play.

That’s more people of all ages and abilities swimming, playing soccer, netball, volleyball, skateboarding, cycling and more at a range of facilities from skate parks to netball courts, close to home.

And it’s not just participation that’s booming; local economies have been boosted with over 1,170 direct full-time jobs supported in the delivery of more than $538 million worth of infrastructure across Victoria, as highlighted in our Community Sports Infrastructure 2024 Outcomes Statement.

A KPMG report (2021), commissioned by Sport and Recreation Victoria, revealed the economic benefits from local sport and active recreation infrastructure are worth more than $7 billion annually to the Victorian economy.

See The Value of Community Sport and Active Recreation Infrastructure.

What we do

Sport and Recreation Victoria works collaboratively with the not-for-profit, private and government sectors to:

• establish thriving places and communities that are safe, fair, and inclusive
• support the health and wellbeing of all Victorians
• develop a strong and innovative economy
• build quality infrastructure that enhances the liveability of Victoria
• contribute to Victoria's transition to a net-zero emissions and climate-resilient economy by 2050.

Through our Active Victoria Strategic Framework 2022 to 2026, Sport and Recreation Victoria maximises the social, cultural and economic benefits provided to all Victorians by focusing on 6 key outcomes:

• ensuring more Victorians can participate equitably in sport and active recreation
• delivering inclusive, accessible, and respectful places and spaces for sport and active recreation
• supporting the sport and active recreation workforce to ensure they are highly skilled and lead a strong, sustainable industry
• supporting a safe, inclusive, and resilient sport and active recreation sector
• supporting all Victorians so they can achieve success at the highest level
• ensuring Victoria maintains a strong pipeline of sports events within the Victorian events calendar.

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