Funding fears over code confusion

Erin Pearson
SPORTS clubs across the region are in the dark on a new State Government code of conduct, according to the chief of Football Geelong.
Lee Hartman said clubs were yet to receive copies of the code for community sport after it came into force on July 1, throwing a cloud over their state funding.
“We had a meeting the other week with the Victorian Government but they didn’t have any timing in place to let us know when we’d receive the new copies,” Mr Hartman said.
“We’re waiting for their direction but we still haven’t received anything.”
Mr Hartman said local sports leagues were also unsure whether they or individual clubs had to sign the code.
Sports Minister James Merlino said last week that the code would be binding on 84 associations representing more than 16,000 clubs.
“The Victorian Government is a proud supporter of community sport and we have provided more than $200 million to the thousands of local clubs that are vital to our communities,” he said
“But that funding is at risk if our clubs and associations don’t enforce the new Code.”
Under the Code each peak association must develop its own sanctions, which could include mediation and education programs, suspensions, fines and bans.
Mr Hartman said clubs would have to follow their own codes of conduct until the Government’s new format arrived.
A spokesperson for Mr Merlino had not responded to the Independent’s call for comment about when the code would arrive when the paper went to press this week.