Leisure Facilities Development Plan Policy

Scope

To define a more manageable scope, the plan focuses on 17 identified sports. The sports were selected largely based on the highest organised sport participation levels nationally and in Victoria for both adults and children. Consideration was also given to the City of Casey’s demographics and participation trends.

The sports are:

Australian Rules Football Cricket Hockey Softball

Tennis Basketball Lawn Bowls Table Tennis

Soccer (and Futsal) Athletics Baseball Martial Arts

Rugby League & Union Netball Gymnastics Badminton

The selected sports are generally consistent with the 2009 LFDP aside from the inclusion of Table Tennis, Martial Arts, Badminton and exclusion of BMX and Gridiron. 

Definitions

Council

means Casey City Council, being a body corporate constituted as a municipal Council under the Local Government Act 1989

Councillors

means the individuals holding the office of a member of Casey City Council

Council officer

means the Chief Executive Officer and staff of Council appointed by the Chief Executive Officer.

Leisure Facilities and Development Plan (LFDP)

the document adopted by Council in 2009 which guides the future planning, provision and development of sporting facilities throughout the City of Casey.

LFDP 2014

replaces the previous LFDP. The document assessed what has worked well, what could be improved and revised the recommendations based on a contemporary assessment of sporting facility needs and Casey’s expected ultimate population of 450,000. This document will be the reference document, which will provide officers with direction and recommendations to guide the implementation of the LFDP Policy.

Context

The City currently provides and/or facilitates access to a range of sport, recreation and leisure opportunities across the municipality. These add to the culture, lifestyle and character of the region as well as enhance the liveability of the City. Hence sport, recreation and open space (e.g. parks and reserves) form an integral part of the City and are recognised as an important part of a well-balanced lifestyle.

The benefits associated with participating in sport and physical activity include personal enjoyment, social interaction, physical and mental health, personal achievement, community involvement (‘social capital’), community resilience and opportunities for expression of community pride.

Participation in a broad range of leisure activities has the potential to improve physiological and mental health, contribute to personal development, improve well-being and assist in social learning (e.g. tolerance, respect, cooperation and leadership).

In response to Council’s commitment to community sport the Leisure Facilities and Development Plan (LFDP), which guides the future planning, provision and development of sporting facilities throughout the City of Casey, was adopted in 2009.

A detailed review of the LFDP was completed in 2014 to assess what has worked well, what could be improved and revised recommendations based on a contemporary assessment of sporting facility needs and Casey’s expected ultimate population of 450,000.

LFDP 2014 recommends that Council’s role in sport and recreation provision will vary depending on the issue/s being addressed and sit within one of the following four categories:

Plan:

Facilitate planning, development and renewal of leisure facilities, services and opportunities to address identified (current and future) community needs.

Provide:

Support the provision of leisure facilities, services and programs to meet the needs of the current and future community.

Partner:

Work in partnership with Government (State, Federal and Local e.g. neighbouring LGA’s), schools, clubs, State Sporting Associations, Leagues / Associations and community groups to ensure that leisure facilities, programs and services meet the needs of the current and future community.

Advocate & Inform:

Advocate to other levels of Government and relevant stakeholders regarding issues and opportunities that are likely to impact on sport, recreation and leisure facilities or services in the City of Casey.

Provide information to the community regarding the range of leisure opportunities available to residents, including promotion of the health and wellbeing benefits of physical activity participation.

Policy

Based on the learnings and success of the LFDP, the following principles will guide the future planning and development of sports facilities in Casey:

• Provide a sufficient number and range of sport facilities to cater for demand in line with the recommended facility provision ratios.
• See Appendix One for the facility provision ratios for each sport.
• Provide an appropriate hierarchy of sports facility types and standards that support a diverse range of sports participation opportunities and athlete pathway development (i.e. Regional, Municipal, District and Local facilities).
• See Appendix Two for the recommended facility standards for each level within the overall hierarchy of provision.
• Where appropriate, develop multi-sport facilities and recreation areas at the one location (i.e. recreation precincts/hubs) rather than developing single-use or stand-alone facilities.
• Maximise opportunities for shared-use of sport facilities by clubs, community groups, and individuals (e.g. as venues for meetings and social functions, and for informal recreation/sporting activity).
• Incorporate sustainable water management and environmentally sustainable design practices into new recreation reserves and sports pavilions.
• Incorporate the principles of Universal Design to maximise access and inclusion for all sectors of the community in the development of sport and recreation facilities and infrastructure.
• Maximise opportunities for broader community use of recreation reserves (sports grounds and sports fields) by incorporating passive leisure facilities.
• Where appropriate, incorporate non-sporting recreation spaces, such as playgrounds and BBQ / picnic areas, within broad-acre sports grounds and sports fields.
• Facilitate appropriate partnerships with government agencies, schools, clubs or groups in order to help fund and manage selected sporting facilities to meet overall demand.
• Where practical, locate and integrate sports reserves within broader open space networks and linear open space corridors to improve their appeal, functionality, usage flexibility and ease of access (including active transport).

Administrative updates

It is recognised that, from time to time, circumstances may change leading to the need for minor administrative changes to this document. Where an update does not materially alter this document, such a change may be made administratively. Examples include a change to the name of a Council department, a change to the name of a Federal or State Government department, and a minor update to legislation which does not have a material impact. However, any change or update which materially alters this document must be by resolution of Council.

Review

The next biennial review of this document is scheduled for completion by 31 December 2016.

Appendix 1

Provision Ratios

Ratios have been developed for these sports/activities based on an assessment of the adequacy of existing provision (i.e. actual facility ratio's within Casey), consultation results, demand assessment and industry research, including participation trends.

The table below summarises the ratio's used in the LFDP 2014 to service a population of 450,000.

Appendix 2

Hierarchy of Sport Facilities

The City of Casey Hierarchy of Sport Facilities is:

Local Facilities:

Local level sports facilities primarily cater for junior training and competition both summer and winter. Senior cricket could be considered at these venues as a satellite facility to a club’s main ground. Local sports facilities are generally built and maintained to a basic standard and typically include Council venues co-located with school sites, or development of joint-use facilities within school grounds.

• Examples of existing sports facilities in Casey that would be considered Local include the southern ground at Waratah Reserve, Junction Village, Banjo Patterson and joint-use school ovals (commonly used for cricket).
   

District Facilities:

District level facilities will principally attract people from within Casey and will cater for senior and junior training and competition. District venues are usually the “headquarter” facility for clubs. District sports facilities will generally serve a catchment of approximately 10,000 households, or population of up to 30,000 people.

• Examples of existing sports facilities in Casey that would be considered District, include Narre Warren North Reserve, Reema Reserve (soccer), Narre Warren Bowls Club, and the Pearcedale Tennis Club.

Municipal Facilities:

Municipal facilities will generally service a City-wide catchment (or large parts thereof) due to their level of speciality, uniqueness or standard of competition being played. Municipal facilities will principally be used by clubs based within the City; however they may also cater for those clubs affiliated with Melbourne-wide competitions, or associations/leagues.

• Municipal facility provision will generally be to a higher standard than is available at Local or District venues in order to accommodate a higher level of competition or activity.
• Examples of existing sports facilities in Casey that would be considered Municipal, include the Olive Road Reserve Netball, Endeavour Hills Leisure Centre Gymnastics and Casey Fields Rugby League.

(Note: that for many sports a ‘Municipal’ level of facility has not been prescribed).

Regional Facilities:

Regional sports facilities are likely to service a catchment which extends beyond the City of Casey municipal boundary due to their level of specialisation, uniqueness or standard of competition being played.

• Regional facilities will be built and maintained to a premier standard based on the needs of specific sports / activities. They will cater for training and competition for teams in elite level competitions and may have the capacity to host National standard fixtures.
• Examples of existing sports facilities in Casey which would be considered Regional, include the VFL ground at Casey Fields, the cricket centre at Casey Fields and the Sweeney Reserve Tennis Centre.

Sport Facility Hierarchy Standards

Based on the Hierarchy of Sports Facilities the following tables outline the facility standards and infrastructure requirements for each level within each sport.

For the full policy download the PDF.