03/11/2026
UPDATE: We’re still waiting for answers.
Two weeks ago, we wrote to the Volleyball Australia Board and CEO, copying in Volleyball Queensland, with nine questions about the decision to end the full-time AIS development program. We asked for a response by Monday, 2 November. As of today, we have not received one.
We’re disappointed. These were reasonable questions, asked respectfully, on behalf of athletes and families most affected by this decision. As the peak body for the sport, Volleyball Australia should be able to answer them. With less than two months until the program ends, they still don’t know what comes next.
Our community survey received 15 responses from six states and territories. 93% are not confident the new national network will be ready and funded for 2027, and 87% say the full-time program should continue through 2027 until the new network is in place. All five families with a child who is or was in the AIS program spent $20,000 or more on volleyball in the past year. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their thoughts, experiences and suggestions.
Here’s what we’ve done:
– Lodged a petition with the House of Representatives, asking it to call on the Minister for Sport and the Australian Sports Commission to keep the program running through 2027. We’ll share the link as soon as it’s live.
– Written to every State Association. Under Volleyball Australia’s constitution, three Member States can require a special general meeting, and we’ve asked them to consider using that power.
– Written to the Australian Sports Commission and the federal Minister for Sport.
– Made a freedom of information request to the Australian Sports Commission for documents about the decision.
Our ask is simple: keep the full-time program running through 2027, until the new national network is funded and in place.
Brisbane 2032 is in our backyard. The athletes chasing it, and those who will follow, deserve a pathway that will get them to Brisbane and to every Olympic Games after it.
Volleyball Australia
