Funding for sport and sports development comes from the Government’s Department of Health. The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) was created by the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) after a depleted performance at the Montreal Olympic Games in 1976.

The AIS was created to ensure athletes had opportunities to excel in their chosen sport and train specifically for the Olympic event. Talent identification is done through regional competitions, and from there, chosen athletes become part of a state program i.e. NSWIS as a pathway into the AIS for Olympic preparedness.

Newer initiatives of government funding for sports include the active kids vouchers and the “sporting schools” grant helping schools to fund sports participation and development.