The National Integrity Framework: What It Means for Your Club

Sport is an Australian way of life. It brings people together, transcending differences in language, ability, culture and beliefs, and provides physical, social and economic benefits.

Threats to sports integrity include competition manipulation, doping, and behaviours that impact people’s positive experience of sport, such as discrimination or abuse. Integrity in sport means that athletes, coaches and officials can participate and celebrate sport, confident in the knowledge that they are part of a safe, ethical and inclusive environment.

Bowls Australia and Bowls Tasmania take integrity seriously – and so should your club. All of our members and participants have an obligation to protect and maintain the integrity of sport, as well as the health and wellbeing of everyone involved.

What is the National Integrity Framework?

The National Integrity Framework (NIF) is a suite of policies developed by Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) and adopted by Bowls Australia to safeguard integrity, fairness and safety across the sport. It defines unacceptable behaviours, known as “Prohibited Conduct”, and sets out how breaches are managed. It addresses threats such as bullying, harassment, discrimination, match-fixing, doping and child safety concerns.

Bowls Australia has adopted the following NIF policies:

  • Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy, including SIA’s Child Safe Practices Do’s and Don’ts
  • Competition Manipulation and Sport Gambling Policy
  • Complaints, Disputes and Discipline Policy
  • Improper Use of Drugs and Medicines Policy
  • Member Protection Policy

More information on the NIF policies can be found at: Bowls Australia NIF Policies

Bowls Tasmania has also adopted the National Integrity Framework and the policies above. Consequently, the National Integrity Framework applies to all regions and clubs in Tasmania.

Bowls Australia is responsible for implementing the Framework and managing complaints and integrity matters under these policies, with Bowls Tasmania supporting that process at a state level. Sport Integrity Australia provides independent oversight of the Framework, issues guidance on how matters should be managed and sanctioned, becomes directly involved in certain matters (for example, those involving a protected characteristic such as age, disability, race, sex, sexual orientation or religion and child safeguarding matters). Anyone is welcome to raise a concern directly with Sport Integrity Australia at any time – if the matter involves discrimination or child safeguarding – you do not need to go through your club, region, Bowls Tasmania or Bowls Australia first if you would prefer not to.

You can make a complaint of discrimination or child safeguarding to SIA at: SIA Make a formal complaint or call 1800 161 361

For other complaints or reports under the NIF policies, Bowls Australia is responsible for assessing and triaging the matter. You do not need to go through your club, region, or Bowls Tasmania first to make a complaint to Bowls Australia if you would prefer not to.

Under the NIF Complaints, Disputes and Discipline Policy Bowls Australia determines whether a complaint will be managed at a national level or referred to Bowls Tasmania for management.

Who and what it covers

The National Integrity Framework applies to:

  • all Bowls Australia and Bowls Tasmania affiliated activities, including social bowls where the activity is organised or sanctioned by the club; and
  • all registered participants – athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, administrators and support personnel – regardless of membership category or the type of activity involved.

What has to be reported under the NIF

Examples of Prohibited Conduct that must be reported include:

  • Child abuse or any child safeguarding concerns (to Police, SIA and/or Bowls Australia)
  • Grooming or sexual misconduct (to Police and Bowls Australia)
  • Bullying, harassment, victimisation or discrimination (to Bowls Australia)
  • Abuse by coaches, officials or participants (to Bowls Australia)
  • Serious violence or threats of violence (to Police and Bowls Australia)
  • Match-fixing, betting breaches or competition manipulation (to Bowls Australia)
  • Improper use or supply of drugs and medicines (to Bowls Australia)

While clubs retain the right to impose their own disciplinary measures (including venue bans), this does not replace or override the obligation to report serious integrity matters to Bowls Tasmania, Bowls Australia or Sport Integrity Australia. Any affiliated body – club, region or state association – may refer a matter to Bowls Australia directly or through Bowls Tasmania.

A note on fairness: if your club is considering its own disciplinary response to a concern, please make sure the person involved knows what is being alleged and has a genuine opportunity to respond before any decision is made. This is a requirement of procedural fairness (natural justice) and applies to club-level action just as it does to a formal Bowls Australia process. If you are unsure how to approach this, please contact Bowls Tasmania or Bowls Australia’s Integrity team for guidance before acting.

Who can raise a concern

Under the National Integrity Framework, any person can make a report about suspected Prohibited Conduct, including athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, parents or guardians, staff members, spectators or members of the public.

Reports can usually be made by:

  • the person directly affected;
  • a witness;
  • someone who has concerns based on information received; or
  • a third party acting on behalf of someone else (especially for child safeguarding matters).

Bowls Tasmania and Bowls Australia also allow anonymous reports and confidential reporting where appropriate. The bottom line is that all allegations of Prohibited Conduct must be reported.

How to raise a concern

Complaints received will be assessed and either managed by Bowls Australia, referred to Sport Integrity Australia or an appropriate external agency, or passed back to the complainant with suggested pathways where the matter is out of scope.

If you see or hear something that doesn’t seem right, say something.

To raise a concern with Bowls Tasmania:

To make a complaint or concern to Bowls Australia:

To raise a concern with Sport Integrity Australia:

Support is available

Being involved in an integrity matter – whether raising a concern, responding to one, or supporting someone else through it – can be stressful. Free and confidential support is available:

  • Lifeline — 13 11 14 (24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention)
  • 13YARN — 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people)
  • Beyond Blue — 1300 22 4636 (24/7 support for anxiety, depression and wellbeing)

Sport Integrity Australia also maintains a collection of mental health and wellbeing resources at sportintegrity.gov.au/mental-health-and-wellbeing.

National Integrity Framework education

For further information, please have a look at the “Integrity in Bowls – Your Club’s Responsibilities” webinar, part of Bowls Australia’s CLUBMAP series: bowlshub.clubmap.com.au. We encourage all clubs to have a look at this informative session.

SIA also has an extensive e-learning portal (free) and excellent Facts Sheets explaining the NIF available online: https://www.sportintegrity.gov.au/

The SIA Respectful complaint processes in sport and how to manage unreasonable conduct Tip Sheet is invaluable to all clubs and is available at: Tips-and-avoiding-conflict

Office of the Independent Regulator (Tasmania)

In Tasmania, we also have obligations to report some matters to the Office of the Independent Regulator under the Reportable Conduct Scheme, established by the Child and Youth Safe Organisations Act 2023. The Scheme requires organisations to notify the Regulator about “reportable conduct” involving an adult worker and a child or young person.

Reportable conduct includes:

  • Sexual offences involving a child
  • Sexual misconduct
  • Grooming
  • Physical violence against a child
  • Significant emotional or psychological harm
  • Significant neglect
  • Relevant criminal offences connected with child abuse or harm

Examples include inappropriate sexualised messages to a child, assault or indecent acts involving a child, child exploitation material offences, deliberate neglect causing harm, and grooming behaviours designed to gain access to a child.

Under the Scheme, leaders of relevant organisations must:

  • notify the Regulator in writing within three business days of becoming aware of suspected reportable conduct;
  • start an investigation as soon as possible;
  • provide a progress update within 30 days; and
  • submit the investigation findings at the conclusion of the investigation.

This is in addition to – not instead of – reporting the matter to Bowls Tasmania, Bowls Australia or Sport Integrity Australia.