Motorsport Australia has released the results from its recent member survey, with the findings used to deliver updates to the existing Strategic Plan.

Established market research firm TKP conducted the survey in July, which canvassed the views of current licence holders, both officials and competitors, as well as club administrators and lapsed members.

The survey has identified several areas for improvement, with the Motorsport Australia Board committing to including key actions from the survey in the organisation’s updated Strategic Plan document which has also been released.

Motorsport Australia President Andrew Fraser thanked those who took part in the survey.

“There is no sugar coating it, the past 18 months have been challenging for Motorsport Australia and our members,” Fraser said.

“This survey has given us a great insight into what our members are thinking across a range of topics, while also providing reassurance that many of the projects currently being delivered across IT, development and grassroots motorsport are areas we should continue to focus on.

“The Board and all our staff have made a commitment to reduce the barriers to participation and we believe through innovations like the Motorsport Australia App and the improved online member portal, we’re doing just that.

“As 2022 shapes up to be a very busy year, much to the relief of everyone in motorsport, it’s important for Motorsport Australia to acknowledge how we can best deliver the support and systems to allow as many events as possible, while growing the total number of competitors and officials who hold Motorsport Australia licences.”

Motorsport Australia CEO Eugene Arocca said the organisation was going through a significant period of change, as it accelerated its ‘radical simplification’ program.

“Our mission statement is ‘more people enjoying more motorsport more often’ and in everything we do that is our clear aim,” Arocca explained.

“From the IT upgrades to the promotion of grassroots motorsport through our media channels, such as Speed Read, it is clear our strategy is to continue delivering for members in many areas. We have used the COVID period to rapidly accelerate many planned changes, most notably improvements to our IT systems and the recent licence restructure.

“However outside of those improvements, this survey has been extremely important to further understand what our members see as the challenges and the areas where we can improve as an organisation to grow the sport, provide further support for officials and assist our loyal clubs.

“There were a number of results in this survey that we were aware of, such as the lack of dedicated motorsport facilities and the challenges of the existing permit application process, for example, but overall it is always important to get a better understanding of the landscape from our members.

“We are also pleased to see that the majority of survey respondents are eager for us to improve the diversity in participation, as well as develop broader sustainability and environment strategies. These areas were already being worked on as part of our strategic objectives, but it is reassuring to know our members see diversity, inclusion and climate change as issues that need to be addressed.”

Some of the key results from the survey include:

• At a high level, the survey tells us that while our members respect the brand, their interaction with us is generally driven by the need to get a licence and enter events.

• Approximately 80 per cent of competition licence holders were satisfied, or had a neutral response, in regards to the recent licence restructure.

• Feedback from Officials for the licence restructure and changes was very positive.

• Licence holders cite a lack of time and the associated costs of participation as reasons that they cannot use their licence.

• The overwhelming majority of members engaged with Motorsport Australia through our online services, including the website and member portal.

• Licence holders are generally satisfied with the Member Portal, the Event Entry System, and the Learning Management System, however clubs have identified Event Entry needs to be improved to suit their event. This is currently being worked on.

• There has been strong uptake of the Motorsport Australia App with 60 per cent having downloaded and used the app.

• Of the survey respondents, 84 per cent purchased their licence online using the Member Portal.

• Speed Read, the monthly member e-magazine, is extremely popular – 73 per cent of respondents read it with 70 per cent finding the content relevant.

• While the majority of permit applicants expressed either satisfaction or neutrality toward the permit process, there were 20 per cent who found it difficult, namely due to paperwork and required forms. This will be improved in the coming months.

• Of the lapsed respondents, more than half said that the reason for not renewing their licence was due to the limited availability of events. When asked of their motivation to renew, 25 per cent stated that more events would be the reason to reinstate the licence.

A detailed infographic, along with an overview of actions to be delivered in response to the survey can be found here or in Speed Read on page six.