QSport Contributes to State Government’s Inquiry into Volunteering

QSport has lodged its formal submission to the State Government’s Inquiry into Volunteering, highlighting the vital role volunteers play in community sport, and urging the government to work with the industry to increase engagement and unlock further benefits through sport volunteering.

The submission emphasises the critical contributions of volunteers across Queensland’s sporting sector. It examines the current state of sport volunteering, the motivations and challenges described by volunteers and volunteer-involving organisations, and the broader opportunities available for Queensland’s sport industry.

QSport also outlines how the Queensland Government can play a more active role in fostering growth in volunteering, particularly in the lead-up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Among the key recommendations, QSport calls for the establishment of a permanent consultation structure between the Queensland Government and the state’s sport industry. This would provide a platform for regular, ongoing dialogue and ensure that the sector’s volunteering requirements are more effectively addressed in the future.

QSport CEO Tim Klar stressed the importance of government working with the sport industry on this topic: “QSport member SSOs shared valuable insight about the challenges they are encountering throughout the volunteering lifecycle, and that in many respects these challenges are even larger at club and association level. Volunteers are the lifeblood of community sport and there is a shared ambition across QSport’s members to find innovative and sustainable ways to better recruit, retain, recognise and reward volunteers.

“We want to work with all levels of government and the right mix of industry partners to grow sport volunteering and unleash its positive impacts for communities, particularly before and beyond the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

The submission also urges the Queensland Government to invest in showcasing the opportunities and advantages of volunteering in sport. This includes efforts to raise awareness of the various roles volunteers play and the mutual benefits unlocked by their involvement for both volunteer and local community.

QSport’s submission also focuses on boosting the capacity of state and community-level sporting organisations to engage, manage and retain volunteers more effectively. As the demand for sport volunteers grows, so too does the need for adequate resources and support to help organisations with this core feature of their business.

With the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games on the horizon, QSport stresses the crucial opportunity this major event provides to inspire the next generations of volunteers and to provide lasting infrastructure and support for Queensland’s sporting community.

Click here to read QSport’s full submission.