What it does
The Institute of Sport Act 1995 constitutes the New South Wales Institute of Sport as a body corporate (s 4(1)) and, for the purposes of any Act, a statutory body representing the Crown (s 4(2)). The Act sets out the principal objects of the Institute: to provide resources, services and facilities so that NSW sportspeople can pursue and achieve excellence in sport while also furthering their educational, vocational and personal development; to foster the development and co-ordination of high performance and talent development programs for NSW sportspeople; and to assist the development of Australian sporting performance at international levels through co-operatively developed and complementary national programs (s 5). The Act establishes a Board of the Institute (s 6) and gives the Board the function of determining the policies and strategic plans of the Institute (s 7). The Board must give the Minister any information about the exercise of its functions that the Minister requests (s 8). The Board is required to prepare and deliver to the Minister a draft corporate plan at least three months before the beginning of each financial year, consider any comments from the Minister, and deliver the completed plan before the beginning of the financial year (s 10(1),(2)). The Institute is, as far as practicable, to exercise its functions in accordance with the relevant corporate plan (s 10(3)). The Act confers on the Institute a range of functions in order to further its objects, including devising and implementing development programs, providing sport science and medicine support, establishing and managing facilities, entering into commercial ventures, providing scholarships, raising money and entering into commercial arrangements for training sportspeople from other jurisdictions (s 11(2)). The Institute has power to do all things necessary for carrying out its objects (s 14(1)), including making contracts, acquiring land, erecting buildings, appointing agents and acting as agent (s 14(2)). The Act provides for a chief executive officer responsible for day-to-day management subject to Board policies and Ministerial direction (s 17(3)). Staff are employed under the Government Sector Employment Act 2013 (s 17A). Financially, the Act establishes the New South Wales Institute of Sport Fund (s 22), into which all money received by the Institute is paid (s 23), and from which remuneration, payments on account of the Institute and other required payments are made (s 24). The Institute may borrow money in accordance with Part 6 of the Government Sector Finance Act 2018 (s 20(e)) and invest money in the Fund in accordance with that Part or, if not a GSF agency, under the Trustee Act 1925 with Ministerial and Treasurer approval (s 25). The Act includes a personal liability protection provision for members of the Board, committees, staff and others acting in good faith for the purpose of executing the Act (s 27), and provides that charges, fees or money due to the Institute may be recovered as a debt in a court of competent jurisdiction (s 30). The Governor may make regulations not inconsistent with the Act (s 32).