The Australian Federal Election date has now been announced (14 September 2013) and so, we are entering a marathon election campaign! Below are some of the government relations issues that Fitness Australia will continue to address to ensure that the health and fitness of Australia's citizens is considered by policy makers of all political persuasions throughout the year ahead.
Introduction
Over the past two years, Fitness Australia has raised its profile with government, stakeholders and the wider public through the media.
Fitness Australia has provided
evidence that its membership has the scale, standards and programs necessary to
help create a fitter and healthier Australia.
Fitness Australia has proven its
value to the fitness industry by:
- Achieving
a beneficial result for the industry in the protracted legal battle with
regard to music copyright and the PPCA;
- Working
on a national regulatory scheme & a single Industry Code of Practice;
- Lobbying
for Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) reform to encourage the Australian workforce
to get active;
- Developing
guidelines on Commercial Fitness Services in Public Areas;
- Developing
an Adult Pre-Exercise Screening Guide and a range of other industry
guidelines; and
- Building
partnerships with Governments, health peak bodies, NGO’s and health
services.
Key Objectives of Government Relations Strategy
1. Position
Fitness Australia as the authoritative voice on government and
regulatory issues within the fitness industry.
2. Position
Fitness Australia to be seen as a leader and partner in the government’s
preventive health agenda.
Fitness Australia’s priorities
for 2012-13:
- create
a regulatory/legislative framework that assists Fitness Australia’s drive
to improve standards in the industry;
- expand
the FBT exemption to include fitness services that are not located “on a
company’s business premises”;
- work
with Local Government Associations to reduce red tape and the cost for
fitness instructors using public areas; and
- continue
to build partnerships in preventive health and primary health care.
Third Party Endorsement
It is important that Fitness Australia
is viewed as a partner in addressing preventive health costs. It has a number
of well-established relationships, such as Baker IDI (Diabetes Research), and
we need to secure their support for our Government Relations initiatives.
We are also establishing
relationships and building support from the following groups:
- Black
Dog Institute & Headspace (mental health)
- The
Australian Lung Foundation
- The
National Heart Foundation
- Cancer
Council (Australia)
- The
National Stroke Foundation
- Diabetes
Australia
- Arthritis
Australia
- Alzheimers
Australia
- Indigenous
Australian groups
Opposition Engagement
We’re also stepping up our
engagement with the Opposition over the next 12 months.
The intention is that we minimise
the risk of going back to ‘square one’ if a change of government occurs at the
federal level in 2013.
Building Partnerships in
Preventive Health and Primary Care
Fitness Australia is to be seen
as part of the solution to achieving a fitter and healthier Australia.
Fitness Australia has an existing
partnership with Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute through the delivery
of the Lift for Life program (an evidence based strength and resistance
training program, developed to treat and prevent Type II diabetes and other
chronic health conditions).
Fitness Australia is looking to harness
partnerships with other key preventive health groups, such as the Australian
Lung Foundation, as well as key primary health care stakeholders such as the
Medicare Local Alliance.
Fitness Australia will need to
build partnerships and form collaborations with Medicare Locals, who will be in
charge of the delivery of primary health.
Meetings will continue to be
organised for Fitness Australia to meet with key preventive health and primary
health care stakeholders to discuss the benefits of the fitness industry and
its role in effective delivery of programs that help reduce the risk of chronic
diseases.
Key Target Audiences
The following Government
Ministers and their key advisors:
- Minister
for Health
- Minister
for Small Business
- Assistant
Treasurer and Minister Assisting in Deregulation
- Minister
for Mental Health and Ageing
- Treasurer
- Minister for Sport
- Finance
Minister
- Minister
for Indigenous Health
- Opposition
counterparts to the above Ministers
- Minor Parties and Independents
The Australian National
Preventive Health Agency and health promotion agencies in State jurisdictions.
Private Health Funds.
News and business media
generally, and health, small business and political reporters.
National Registration
Fitness Australia has prepared a
submission to the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Business Regulation
and Competition Working Group on the future COAG regulatory reform agenda,
which proposed:
- a
national regulatory regime for exercise professionals based on a
registration system that identifies competent fitness & exercise
practitioners;
- a
nationally regulatory regime for fitness industry businesses that are
delivering fitness & exercise services to the public; and
- a
single national Code of Practice for exercise professionals and fitness
industry businesses.
We need to build support for the
reforms at the jurisdictional level.
FBT Reform – A Strategic
Approach
Fitness Australia has
commissioned Deloitte to develop a detailed submission to make a case for
reform of the current Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) legislation in Australia. This
submission has been made to the Federal Treasurer and other key Government
Ministers ahead of annual budget deliberations.
Issue:
Fringe Benefits Tax exemption
applies to facilities located on “business premises”. This favours large
employers over small to medium businesses, as they can afford to have
facilities on their premises.
Fitness Australia is of the view
that all fitness benefits provided to employees should be free from Fringe
Benefits Tax (FBT), whether or not they happen to be located on the company’s
business premises.
The present FBT exemption is
extremely restrictive, it exempts use of a recreational facility only if the
facilities are located on “business premises”.
The expansion of the FBT
exemption will allow all businesses to encourage their employees to be more
physically active and would be a minimal loss of FBT revenue to Government.
Fitness Australia estimates that the cost of the expansion of the FBT is at
least $72 million, but is of the view that the costs could easily be recouped
by the flow on benefits in reduced health care costs, increased workplace
productivity and growth in the fitness industry (which leads to greater
personal income tax revenue). In addition, Fitness Australia’s current
registration scheme could be used by the ATO in order to ensure that fitness
benefits are being claimed for items that meet high standards.
Outcomes:
It is estimated the fitness
industry reduces avoidable health costs by $77 million a year. In a report
commissioned by Medibank Ltd in 2007, it was revealed that the healthcare
system could save $1.5 billion a year if more people were physically active.
Fitness Australia is committed to a fitter and healthier Australian population.
The main outcome achieved from the implementation of a proposed FBT exemption
on fitness benefits is the overall improvement of health, a decrease in the
prevalence of chronic conditions, decrease the demand on our health system, and
reduce cost of lost productivity.
The Commercial Use of
Public Areas
Fitness Australia wishes to
establish a uniform approach to use of public land for the delivery of fitness
services by personal and group training businesses.
Recently, a number of local
governments and statutory authorities have considered implementing policy for
the use of public areas. To assist in the development of appropriate policy and
regulation, Fitness Australia has updated its position statement. The position
statement assists policy makers to better understand how personal trainers go
about their business and highlights key concerns.
A template for members has also
been developed to guide engagement with local authorities when policy is being
considered. The guide will assist members to navigate the process and have
their voice heard and considered at a local policy level.
Population health & chronic disease prevention
programs
Fitness Australia in partnership
with Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute is delivering the Lift for Life
program across Australia. The program is part of the Australian Government’s Healthy
Communities Initiative.
Government funding has allowed
Fitness Australia to provide subsidised services to those in the community who
are most in need, however funding ends after 30 June 2013.
Outcomes:
To date, the Lift for Life®
program has more than 744 participants, trained 264 accredited exercise
professionals, 89 providers and 31 active local government areas participating
– with more local government areas taking up the program.
Of the participants, 373 are not
in the paid workforce and 632 are people at risk of chronic disease.
Early figures indicate that
average initial BMI has dropped for all participants, there has been an average
improvement with upper and lower body strength of more than 30%, agility has
improved on average to nearly 50% and average aerobic capacity has improved by
more than 50%.
Concerns:
Funding for programs under the
Healthy Communities Initiatives ends after 30 June 2013.
Current figures suggest over $130
billion was spent on health in 2010–11, and this is only going to rise given
the ageing population and the rise in chronic disease and conditions.
Funding for preventive health
should be prioritised to programs with measureable health outcomes. For
example, Government committed $60 million to extend the Measure Up campaign
through advertising and promotion, the impact of which is questionable. In
comparison, funding for the Healthy Communities Initiative which can clearly
demonstrate measureable and significant health outcomes has no future funding
allocated.
Fitness Australia data shows that
approximately 8% of fitness businesses are referring clients to medical or
health services and slightly more (11%) are referrals from such services to
fitness businesses. This indicates that there is potential to improve collaboration
between primary health care and the fitness industry.
Solution:
It is estimated the fitness
industry reduces avoidable health costs by $77 million a year.
Fitness Australia requests that
the Government consider carefully whether spending priorities should be
reordered with more funds allocated to the expansion of accessible,
evidence-based programs that facilitate more people undertaking exercise. This
should include people who have received primary health care and/or have
received transition care/rehabilitation services. Physical activity can help
many people recover and stay out of hospital for longer.
Fitness Australia also requests
Government to also consider the provision of exercise programs for people
recovering from diseases such as cancer and as part of potential intervention programs, like
integration of physical activity programs into mental health services such as
Headspace.
