Northern Territory cricket to undergo major changes after review

Northern Territory cricket is set to undergo major change to its governance and operations after a series of recommendations was accepted by the Northern Territory Cricket Association (NTCA) following a three month review by Cricket Australia.

The NTCA Board, which requested the Cricket Australia review to identify areas in which operations could improve, accepted the five recommendations at a Board meeting last week.

The recommendations are designed to support the growth and development of cricket at all levels in the Northern Territory.

NTCA President Dr Bruce Walker said the Board supported Cricket Australia's five recommendations and an appropriate change management process would be put in place to facilitate the process.

"The outcome of the review has been received positively by Territory cricket stakeholders and has generated a great deal of positive discussion about the future of cricket," Dr Walker said.

"It is important for all members to realise the extent of the reforms and the need to significantly upgrade the Board, the management and the office accommodation."

The review, which involved an extensive consultation process with key stakeholders, found that a professional structure - from board level through to management and staff at all levels - was required in order to achieve the organisation's core business: to promote, develop, manage and support cricket in the Northern Territory.

General Manager of Game Development, Mr Ross Turner, said the NTCA should be commended for its responsible approach to ensuring a strong future for cricket in the Northern Territory.

"Despite the challenges of the region, the NTCA has achieved a number of significant accomplishments including substantially growing its financial base, managing major events, hosting international touring sides and developing a strategic plan," said Mr Turner.

"However the demands of modern sports administration have changed dramatically over the past decade which has resulted in workload that has increased and spread to areas demanding skills not previously required.

"In that context, the review has identified a number of areas in which the management and administration of cricket in the Northern Territory can be structured in order to best support the strong growth and development in the region.

The five accepted recommendations are:

It is expected the changes will be implemented over the next 12 months.

Although not a member association, the Northern Territory Cricket Association has a strong affiliation with Cricket Australia.