DownloadAbout Us
Snapshot of ASADA
Our vision
Australia’s driving force for pure performance in sport.
Our mission
To protect Australia’s sporting integrity through the elimination of doping.
Legislative basis
ASADA is the Australian National Anti-Doping Organisation, established in 2006 as a result of the Australian Government’s commitment to strengthen its Tough on Drugs in Sport Strategy.
ASADA is an Australian Government body corporate within the Health and Ageing portfolio. From 14 March 2006 to 3 December 2008, ASADA was an agency within the Communications, Information Technology and the Arts portfolio. ASADA operates under the ASADA Act andthe Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority Regulations 2006 (ASADA Regulations). ASADA is a prescribed agency for the purposes of the FMA Act and its operations are subject to the PS Act.
ASADA’s activities are bound by its legislative framework and its obligations to implement the
Code, the Prohibited List, the International Standard for Testing, and the International Standard
for Therapeutic Use Exemptions.
Minister
ASADA reports to the Hon. Kate Ellis MP, Minister for Sport who was appointed on 3 December 2007. Between 1 July 2007 and 3 December 2007, ASADA reported to Senator the Hon. George Brandis SC, Minister for the Arts and Sport. The powers of the responsible Minister are outlined in appendix D.
Role and functions
Sport is a powerful cultural force in Australia and it is ASADA’s role to preserve its value – not only
for athletes, their support personnel and sporting organisations – but for all Australians.
Our primary functions are:
- doping control
- education
- investigations of potential anti-doping rule violations
- presentation of cases at hearings
- monitoring Australian sport anti-doping policies.
The functions, powers and delegations of ASADA (in accordance with the ASADA Act) are explained in Appendix E.
ASADA’s legislation allows it to exchange information with specified government agencies and sporting administration bodies.
Values
Developing a level playing field in sport is the foundation of a successful strategy to deter the use of prohibited substances in sport.
We have clear legislative powers to take action against the use of prohibited substances. We work positively with athletes, support personnel, and sports, with strategies such as education and information dissemination.
Our priority is to protect clean athletes, and the sports in which they compete, through comprehensive education and awareness raising around the risks and the repercussions of doping.
As Australia’s driving force for Pure Performance, we shape a policy agenda that achieves a level playing field in Australian and international sport.
As an organisation, we strive to be respected for the results we achieve for the Australian community and our:
- integrity
- professionalism
- ethical and fair decision making
- passion and commitment
- agility.
Organisational structure
Our head office is located in Canberra, with another three offices operating in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. The full–time Chair of ASADA is the Chief Executive Officer for the purposes of the FMA Act and the PS Act.
During 2007–08, ASADA was structured into the following organisational groups, with a Group Director heading each group:
- Deterrence
- Detection
- Enforcement, and
- Support.
The Government and Member Services unit further supported this structure.
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Australia’s Anti-Doping Framework
Figure 2 shows Australia’s anti-doping framework, its mechanism for implementing the Code.
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Highlights from 2007–08
- A $1 million anti-doping program providing the 2008 Australian Olympic Team with the most robust anti-doping measures ever implemented.
- The delivery of the Pure Performance Education Service Charter – reaching over 8,100 participants across Australia.
- Successful completion of 6,637 tests across 88 sports, and 94 investigations.
- Compliance by athletes with their obligations to provide Athlete Whereabouts Information rose from 82 per cent to 96 per cent.
- Successfully retaining the ISO 9001:2000 accreditation.
- Implementation of an enhanced Stakeholder Engagement Plan, which assisted all Australian National Sporting Organisations (NSOs) to maintain compliance with their anti-doping obligations.
- Completion of a review of the NAD Scheme and sports’ anti-doping policies to incorporate changes to the Code that must be implemented by 1 January 2009.
- The selection of two ASADA Doping Control Officers to provide their anti-doping expertise
to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Outlook for 2008–09
- Implementation of the new Code across Australian sport by 1 January 2009.
- Development of sport specific Pure Performance Programs aimed at achieving a level playing field across Australian sport.
- Completion of a review of ASADA’s cost recovery arrangements.
- Investment in the skills of the ASADA team through enhanced learning and developmentopportunities.
- The implementation of the 2008–11 ASADA Strategic Plan and supporting organisational structure.
