1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2004  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 27/02/2004   
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Contents >> Culture and recreation >> Sports and physical recreation services

The ABS conducted a series of surveys of the sports and physical recreation industries in respect of 2000-01.

At the end of June 2001, there were 7,147 employing organisations involved in the provision of sports and physical recreation activities (table 12.29). This total comprised: 1,034 horse and dog racing organisations; 667 health and fitness centres and gymnasia; 864 other sports and physical recreation venues; 756 sports and physical recreation administrative organisations (collectively referred to below as 'sports administration'); 1,937 sports and physical recreation clubs, teams and sports professionals (collectively referred to below as 'sports clubs'); and 1,259 other sports and physical recreation support services. These organisations had a total income of $8,466m and expenses of $8,608m in 2000-01. At the end of June 2001 the organisations employed 98,267 people and during that month they were assisted by 178,837 volunteers.

12.29 SPORTS AND PHYSICAL RECREATION INDUSTRIES - 2000-01

Units
Horse
and dog racing
Health and fitness centres(a)
Other sports venues(b)
Sports adminis-
tration(c)
Sports clubs(d)
Other sports services(e)
Government organisations
Total

Businesses/organisations at 30 June 2001
For profit
no.
750
620
745
-
372
1,181
-
3,668
Not for profit
no.
284
47
119
756
1,565
78
-
2,849
Government
no.
-
-
-
-
-
-
630
630
Total
no.
1,034
667
864
756
1,937
1,259
630
7,147
Total employment at end June 2001
Males
no.
9,641
4,490
8,239
8,443
15,736
3,141
-
(f)49,690
Females
no.
6,259
8,062
7,603
3,370
7,575
4,887
-
(f)37,756
Persons
no.
15,900
12,552
15,842
11,814
23,312
8,028
10,820
98,267
Total volunteers during the month of June
no.
n.a.
*546
*7,962
106,427
61,950
1,952
-
178,837
Total income
$m
1,135.6
294.3
3,563.1
1,146.7
1,381.8
215.2
729.5
8,466.2
Total expenses
$m
1,107.3
278.1
3,583.6
1,100.2
1,386.9
186.5
965.3
8,607.9
Operating profit/surplus before tax(g)
$m
30.6
16.0
*-18.6
45.7
**-12.5
28.0
-
89.3

(a) Also includes gymnasia.
(b) Also includes grounds and other facilities mainly used for physical recreation purposes.
(c) Includes sports and physical recreation administrative organisations.
(d) Includes sports and physical recreation clubs, teams and sports professionals.
(e) Includes sports services such as education and coaching.
(f) Excludes Government organisations.
(g) This item is derived as total income minus total expenses, plus closing inventories minus opening inventories.
Source: Sports Industries, Australia, 2000-01 (8686.0).

There is considerable variation in the nature of the industries. For example, while 44% of the private sector organisations were 'not for profit', these were mainly concentrated in the sports administration industry, in which all 756 organisations operated on a 'not for profit' basis, and in the sports clubs industry, in which 1,565 (81%) were not for profit. The sports administration and sports clubs industries were also responsible for the vast majority (94%) of the volunteers working for sports and physical recreation industries during the month of June. There were nine volunteers for each one employee in the sports administration industry in June 2001, and the ratio was 2.7 volunteers to 1 employee in the sports clubs industry. Employees outnumbered volunteers in each of the other industries.

At least 60% of the employees in the sports administration, sports clubs and the horse and dog racing industries were males. Health and fitness centres and gymnasia had the highest level of female employment, both in absolute terms (8,062) and as a percentage of persons employed (64%). Casual employment was a feature of all of the industries. The percentage of employees employed on a casual basis ranged from 52% in the sports clubs industry to 71% in health and fitness centres and gymnasia.

The main sources of income for each industry, excluding the income earned by the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and the Sydney Paralympic Organising Committee, were:
  • for the horse and dog racing industry, net industry and TAB distributions (49% of total income) and training fees (12%)
  • for health and fitness centres and gymnasia, membership fees (65%) and casual playing fees (19%)
  • for other sports and physical recreation venues, casual playing fees (40%) and rent, leasing and hiring income (8.5%)
  • for sports administration, admissions including season ticket memberships (20%) and sponsorship and fundraising (18%)
  • for sports clubs, subscription or membership fees (23%) and sponsorship and fundraising (18%)
  • for sports and physical recreation support services, which include sports coaches, personal fitness training services and sports management services, 57% of the total income mainly comprised fees for services, such as fees for coaching and other specialist sports services.

Additional information on sports and recreation activities can be found in Sports and physical recreation services - Services industries.



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