The NZ Government has announced an $80 million investment into sport recovery from the affects of COVID-19, part of a $265m package included in the 2020 Budget.
When coronavirus forced sport to close down over March/April, it took a massive financial toll on most codes at all levels. Professional players took sizeable pay cuts, while many organisations were forced into staff layoffs.
Sport Minister Grant Robertson - also Finance Minister - included a substantial payout as part of last month's Budget and has now released the first "major" allocation of funding, including $68 million targeted towards community sport.
"Today, we're setting out how $80m will be invested, with $54m of that over the 2020/21 financial year for organisations from community level through to elite level," says Robertson.
"All levels of the sector have been affected by COVID-19 and this funding is focused on making sure the sector continues to thrive, while also ensuring New Zealanders can continue to maintain their wellbeing through physical activity."
Half the community assistance ($34m), through a Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa fund, will come from the Sport Recovery Package, while the other half comes from existing Sport NZ allocations.
Another $25.4m will help national sporting organisations "strengthen and adapt", while also supporting premier league competitions affected by the pandemic.
Foremost among those leagues is the NBL Showdown, which has completely altered its traditional home-and-away format to stage a six-week tournament in Auckland. That competition will receive $500,000.
Basketball was a glaring omission last month, when the Government pitched $4.6m towards professional franchises like Wellington Phoenix (football) and NZ Warriors (league), and the national rugby and netball competitions - Super Rugby Aotearoa and ANZ Premiership.
Robertson has provided $10m for a second Community Resilience Fund to support a broader range of local and regional organisations, while $7.3m will help improve facilities for World Cup events hosted in New Zealand.
The Women's T20 Cricket World Cup and Women's Rugby World Cup are both scheduled next year, while the Women's Football World Cup will come to New Zealand and Australia in 2023.
"Sport NZ has also earmarked $3m for invididuals and families in fiancial hardship, who are unable to take part in sport and recreation opportunities," says Robertson. "Details on how this funding will be distributed will be release in coming weeks.
"All the funding announced today and the remainder of the package will continue to place a specific emphasis on groups who are traditionally less active or are missing out, including women and girls, Māori, disabled people and our high deprivation communities.
"Having prioritised intiatives that focus on the areas in most need of support, Sport NZ will continue to engage with the sector to decide how the remaining $180m is best spent over the next four years to help sport recover, strengthen and adapt."
