QSport Invited to Public Hearing for Inquiry into Volunteering in Queensland

QSport CEO Tim Klar and Deputy Chair Alison Lyons appeared at a public hearing for the Inquiry into Volunteering in Queensland on April 2. QSport was one of a select group of organisations, including Volunteering Queensland, Australian Red Cross, and Surf Life Saving Queensland, invited to present before the Local Government, Small Business, and Customer Service Committee at Parliament House in Brisbane.

Their appearance comes shortly after QSport lodged its formal submission to the State Government’s Inquiry into Volunteering, which stressed the vital contributions of volunteers to Queensland’s sporting sector. In their submission, QSport outlined the current state of sport volunteering, the motivations and challenges described by volunteers, and the broader opportunities available to enhance volunteer engagement—particularly in the lead-up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

During their testimony, Klar and Lyons shared insights from QSport’s submission, emphasising the critical role volunteers play in fostering participation and engagement in community sport. They discussed the challenges faced by sporting organisations, insights which were drawn from consultation with QSport members, particularly at the club and association levels, in recruiting, retaining, and recognising volunteers. Member consultation highlighted a range of challenges across the sector including reduced time for volunteering, the increasing burden of compliance obligations and the trend of volunteer burnout.

These themes of QSport’s submission echoed the evidence provided by other entities at the same hearing.

Klar highlighted the importance of multi-sector collaboration to address these challenges, and the critical opportunities created by the Brisbane 2032 Games to supercharge sport volunteering through a range of initiatives including linking current volunteering contributions to Games-time involvement.

The Brisbane hearing marked the final stop in the Inquiry’s series of public hearings, which also took place in Dalby, Toowoomba, Gympie, and the Gold and Sunshine Coasts. QSport remains committed to advocating for a more supportive and sustainable volunteer ecosystem to foster the growth and success of Queensland’s sporting community and eagerly anticipates the Committee’s final report, due to be handed to Parliament on September 18.