Funding for track and road cycling at risk if AusCycling not endorsed

Federal government funding for track and road cycling in Australia could be under threat if the disciplines don't join AusCycling which looks likely after Cycling Tasmania announced yesterday it will not support the proposed new model.

Could the Australian men's team done with another leader in Innsbruck?

Could the Australian men's team done with another leader in Innsbruck? Source: Getty Images

UPDATED 22/11/2019: Cycling NSW has announced a special general meeting will be held on 10 December. Click for more information. 

For the AusCycling model to be adopted by track and road in this country, six out of eight state bodies must endorse the proposal but WestCycle (WA) and Cycling NSW are also set to vote no. 

As also pointed out by and , the disciplines could lose national sporting organisation (NSO) status and therefore funding/support if they do not adopt the new AusCycling structure which aims to amalgamate road, track, MTB and BMX and dissolve state bodies into one unified model. 

SportsAUS, the federal government agency responsible for sport and recreation heavily endorses AusCycling, and worked alongside Cycling Australia, MTB Australia and BMX Australia to develop the proposed structure. 

"SportAUS has communicated its position that it only intends to recognise and fund one cycling entity, AusCycling, from 1st January 2020, rather than continuing to fund multiple bodies," AusCycling states on its

“Sports that are not recognised as an NSO are not eligible to receive any funding from SportAUS, and receive reduced access to SportAUS resources, programs and support.

“In addition, unrecognised sports may have greater difficulty in receiving funds from other government entities (Federal, State and local), and in receiving recognition from entities such as the UCI.”

Cycling Tasmania announced its decision via a press release yesterday, outlining that nine of its 14 clubs voted no to the question:

"As a member club of Cycling Tasmania do you agree to the proposal known as AusCycling (unitary Model of Sports Governance) - Answering Yes, would mean the following -

- All assets of the Tasmanian Cycling Federation Incorporated would be transferred to a new company limited by guarantee to be registered as "AusCycling Limited"
- The voluntary deregistration of Cycling Australia Ltd
- Cease the operations and cancel the incorporation of Tasmanian Cycling Federation Incorporated under section 34A of the Associations Incorporation Act 1964 (Tas)."

Christophe and Macca spoke to Cycling Australia CEO Steve Drake about the proposed AusCycling model for the Zwift Cycling Central podcast:
LISTEN TO
Zwift SBS Cycling Podcast - Is Froome really happy with 10th?  image

AusCycling with Steve Drake, CEO of Cycling Australia - Zwift Cycling Central Podcast

SBS Sport

29/10/201927:51
Clubs were also asked to consider if they supported a unified discipline model without the dissolution of Cycling Tasmania, but this result was not mentioned in its latest press release. 

Cycling Tasmania did say that while it supports the concept of unifying the disciplines, it "cannot support AusCycling in its current form...the model of delivery is the only area of concern that requires negotiation."

AusCycling has already the notion the model could be negotiated with state bodies is misleading.  

"There is only one proposed AusCycling model that has been presented for consideration by State Sporting Organisations (SSOs) and NSOs in this voting process. There is no Plan B option.

"Alternate models presented by SSOs - such as the federated structure in the optional question put to Cycling Tasmania affiliated clubs – are not being considered in this voting process and therefore should be disregarded.

"AusCycling is not negotiating potential partnership or alternate models with organisations who choose to reject the current proposal and seek a special arrangement."

But the five out of eight bodies' final 'no' vote is not a foregone conclusion after 16 NSW clubs announced they intended to challenge Cycling NSW's 'no' stance, which they can do so under Cycling NSW's consitution at an extraordinary special general meeting.

UPDATED: Cycling NSW has announced a special general meeting will be held on 10 December. Click for more information. 


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4 min read
Published 19 November 2019 9:54am
Updated 22 November 2019 11:38am
By Cycling Central
Source: Cyclingtips, RIDE Media, Cycling Central

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