Summarised by Centrist
Sport and recreation minister Chris Bishop has launched an independent rapid review of Sport NZ, targeting how the organisation allocates public funds.
An insider claimed the funding strategy appears to have become “a cash free-for-all,” with some groups receiving funding despite “a pretty tenuous claim to helping getting Kiwis active…”
Sport NZ staff were only notified of the review earlier this week.
The review, led by senior public sector leader Brendan Boyle, will evaluate Sport NZ’s operations and performance. In his statement, Bishop said, “The objective is to provide assurance and visibility… that the use of public funding by the Sport NZ Group is efficient and effective.”
Sport NZ, which oversees national sporting bodies, community groups, and High Performance Sport NZ, allocates $70m annually for grassroots initiatives and invested $131m into elite sports over the last funding cycle.
Sport NZ group chief executive Raelene Castle welcomed the review, stating, “It is important that we measure the value of our work into communities and the sector, along with the effective allocation of public money.”
Bishop referenced similar reviews conducted on other Crown agencies, including Police and the Ministry for Social Development, over the past year.
