The idea of the Government run Sport and Rec camp was to secure beautiful land and wonderful experiences for children. That’s why our S&R Camps are on lakes, rivers and even down at Jindabyne near the snowfields.  For many children, many of the experiences that they have at a Sport and Rec Camp will be the first, and sometimes only, time to do many of these things. Canoeing, archery, campfire, sailing, climbing walls, team building, high ropes, open fire cooking, etc.

Rather than being run as non-profit, Government subsidised, low cost centres, as they have been for 60 years, the Government have now decided that these centres should be sold off to for-profit businesses. Of course, the obvious way to drive a profit would be to raise the cost to each child attending, reduce the staffing and staffing qualifications (rates of pay), cut back on food quality/quantity and reduce maintenance and upkeep of the facility.

The other obvious future of a for-profit centre includes high cost, high end new accommodation being built so that those with the cash can have the most wonderful of experiences, while those without will be excluded from access.  This is modern Baird-economics.

Because NSW was established long before the Federation of Australian states, when white Europeans first settled in Australia in 1788, the land was declared the property of the Crown, and thus  the property of NSW. 

Crown Land became the property of the state and has long had the condition of “broader public good and use” as a defining term and condition. But two weeks ago the Government passed new Legislation that will allow Crown Land to be sold off, handed over, given away etc at the whim of the Government. No longer will “broader public good and use” be a requirement.

This will be an enormous problem for local Government, showgrounds, parks and playgrounds that are on Crown Land, for community halls and surf life-saving clubs, for gun clubs and Scout groups – the list goes on and on. Another developers dream come true.