84 AUSTRALIAN SPORTS COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT 2016–17 OUR ORGANISATION Authority and direction Legislation requirements The ASC’s enabling legislation is the Australian Sports Commission Act 1989 (ASC Act), which defines the Commission’s role, corporate governance and financial management framework. As a corporate Commonwealth entity, the ASC is accountable to the Minister for Sport. The ASC’s delivery of its outcomes is guided by its governance framework. This framework includes the ASC’s enabling legislation and other legislative instruments, managerial and organisational structures, corporate policies and strategies, and resource management practices. The objects of the ASC are set out in section 6 of the ASC Act. They are: (a) to provide leadership in the development of sport in Australia (b) to encourage increased participation and improved performance by Australians in sport (c) to provide resources, services and facilities to enable Australians to pursue and achieve excellence in sport while also furthering their educational and vocational skills and other aspects of their personal development (d) to improve the sporting abilities of Australians generally through the improvement of the standards of sports coaches (e) to foster cooperation in sport between Australia and other countries through the provision of access to resources, services and facilities related to sport (f) to encourage the private sector to contribute to the funding of sport to supplement assistance by the Commonwealth. The functions of the ASC are set out in section 7 of the ASC Act. They are: (a) to advise the Minister in relation to the development of sport (b) to coordinate activities in Australia for the development of sport (c) to develop and implement programmes that promote equality of access to, and participation in, sport by all Australians (d) to develop and implement programmes for the recognition and development of: (i) persons who excel, or who have the potential to excel, in sport (ii) persons who have achieved, or have the potential to achieve, standards of excellence as sports coaches, umpires, referees or officials essential to the conduct of sport (e) to initiate, encourage and facilitate research and development in relation to sport (f) to undertake research and development related to sport science and sports medicine (g) to provide sports medicine services and sports sciences services to persons participating in programmes of the Commission (h) to establish, manage and maintain facilities for the purpose of the Commission