Hume council has revised its sports grants program to put a stop to funds flowing to private interstate and international sports tours, and to sports not recognised by the Australian Sports Commission.
The council agreed last week to stamp out funding for profit-making sports organisations and ensure an even distribution of funds to all sports.
A review of the former system found evidence that some sports and individuals were over-represented as recipients.
It cited taekwondo as an example, the sport having accounted for 20 per cent of all funding handed out in the five years the scheme has operated.
The review also found that grants were offered to sporting codes not recognised by the Australian Sports Commission, the statutory agency responsible for funding and developing sports.
Council officers have recommended simplifying the grant application process.
“The length and complexity of the application form may be a barrier to members of the community from non-English-speaking backgrounds,” their report found.
Private sporting tours, they said, “are not required to have a fair and transparent selection procedure based on merit”.
The council officers said some groups ran profit-making tours. Over the past five years more than 222 athletes had been awarded grants totalling $71,355.
