The Australian Government’s Ministry of Sport, housed in the Department of Health’s Office for Sport, is the primary entity responsible for guiding sport development. The Ministry of Sport oversees the  Australian Sports Commission (ASC) and the Australian Institute of Sport, the entities responsible for the mass sport movement and the elite sport system, respectively. The ASC supports and invests in sport at all levels. The ASC works across local, states and territories, as well with sport institutes/academies, sport clubs, schools, recreation centers, national sport organizations (NSOs), and the Australian Olympic Committee to create opportunities from grassroots community level to high performance. Australian governments at the federal, state/territory, and local levels annually invest more than AU$1.3b ($887m USD) in sports to encourage community participation, high performance, new infrastructure, major events, and a more robust sports industry.

Sport 2030 is the national policy that guides sport in Australia. The goal of this strategy is for Australia to be the world’s most active and healthy sporting nation, known for its integrity and sporting success. The four priorities are: building a more active Australia, achieving sporting excellence, safeguarding the integrity of sport, and strengthening Australia’s sport industry. NSOs are responsible for the development of their sport in Australia and work closely with the ASC to achieve the Sport 2030 goals. Funding is only provided to recognized NSOs with current strategic plans that align with the National Sport & Active Recreation Policy Framework, which guides cross-jurisdictional cooperation of public policy and program development for the sport and active recreation sectors; the framework includes a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. NSOs report to the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) and to the ASC.

The Australian Olympic Committee is the private, not-for-profit organization that funds, selects, and sends teams to represent the nation in the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Still, its objectives include encouraging “the development of sport for all for the health, wellbeing and other benefits to all individuals in Australia” and “the development of high performance sport as the pinnacle of the benefits of sport participation.” Sport Integrity Australia, a separate government funded entity, handles all issues of fairness and safety in Australian sport, including anti-doping, competition manipulation, safeguarding, and sports wagering.