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Australian Sports Commission

ASC · Sport Australia · Australian Sports Commission (Australian Institute of Sport) · Australian Institute of Sport

1 July 1985 – present

The Commonwealth's principal sport agency, funding and developing sport from community participation to high performance, and operating the Australian Institute of Sport.

How it came into existence

Established as a statutory authority on 1 July 1985, when the Australian Sports Commission Act 1985 was proclaimed, after an interim commission set up in 1984; it took over Commonwealth sports development and assistance programs from the Department of Sport, Recreation and Tourism.

Legislation: Australian Sports Commission Act 1989 (originally Australian Sports Commission Act 1985)

Changes during its life

  1. 24 July 1987Moved with the sport functions to the Department of the Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories.
  2. 1 May 1989The Australian Sports Commission Act 1989 replaced the 1985 Act and merged the Australian Institute of Sport into the Commission.
  3. 27 December 1991The Department of the Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories became the Department of the Arts, Sport, the Environment and Territories when tourism moved to a separate department.
  4. 24 March 1993Moved with the sport functions to the Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories.
  5. 9 October 1997Moved with the sport functions to the Department of Industry, Science and Tourism.
  6. 21 October 1998The Department of Industry, Science and Tourism was replaced by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, which kept the sport functions.
  7. 26 November 2001Moved with the sport functions to the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts.
  8. 3 December 2007Moved with the sport functions to the Department of Health and Ageing.
  9. 14 December 2011Moved with the sport functions to the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport.
  10. 18 September 2013Moved with the sport functions to the Department of Health when the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport was abolished.
  11. 2018Adopted the trading name Sport Australia for its participation and sport-development work, alongside the AIS.
  12. 1 July 2020Its sport integrity functions moved to the new Sport Integrity Australia.
  13. 13 May 2025Moved with the sport functions from the Department of Health and Aged Care to the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts.
  • Absorbed Australian Institute of Sport · 1 May 1989
    • Elite athlete training and scholarships
    • Sports science and medicine
    • AIS facilities in Canberra
  • Part split off to form Australian Sports Drug Agency · 1988
    • Drug testing in sport

    That testing was run within the Commission before 1988 is not confirmed.

  • Part split off to form Sport Integrity Australia · 1 July 2020
    • Sport integrity programs, including member protection and safeguarding

Main functions

  • funding and support for national sporting organisations
  • high-performance sport through the Australian Institute of Sport
  • community sport participation programs
  • sports research and the national sport information service
  • coaching and officiating development

Where it sits

In the portfolio of Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts.

Type of body
Corporate Commonwealth entity
Portfolio
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts
Accountable authority
Commission – Australian Sports Commission Act 1989 section 5, 13(1) with reference to section 19
ABN
67 374 695 240

Lineage

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Sources

Primary sources