Croquet In Bass Coast

Presented jointly by and Croquet Clubs

MAY 2018 Why Are We Here?

To seek your long term support for our five year plan.

To request that funding be allocated in the 2018/2019 budget for the detail design of a new Pavilion. This common design can then be built both for the Phillip Island Croquet Club and for the Wonthaggi Croquet Club. Croquet – What it isn’t! ✗✗ ✗ Croquet – What it is!

• AN INTERNATIONAL SPORT PLAYED IN 19 COUNTRIES • PLAYED TO INTERNATIONAL RULES AND STANDARDS • Current World Croquet Champion: Robert Fletcher of The Lismore Club,

• Current World Team Champions: Australia Croquet – What it is!

South Australian Test Team of 1951

Australia wins the World Championship - 2017

Club level played by over 9,000 registered Australians and 110,000 world-wide. Registered Australian Players

State Adult NSW 3,044 VIC 2,775 QLD 1,411 SA 967 WA 699 TAS 398 Total 9,294

• Source: Graeme Thomas the Australian Croquet Association Secretary Croquet Victoria • 92 Clubs

• Victoria’s Croquet Headquarters: Cairnlea (West of ) – With 12 Courts, 4 floodlit, the Largest Croquet Venue in the Southern Hemisphere – Major venue in world croquet, hosting World Championships in all forms of the sport Bass Coast is home to 22% of the players in the Region

Club Membership Phillip Island 45 • Average membership in 2014 was 21. 44 Average membership today is 27 Wonthaggi 40 35 • Since 2008 Wonthaggi membership Lakes Entrance 31 has grown from 15 to 40; a sustained rate of over 10% per annum. Sale 26 Drouin 25 • Since 2005 Phillip Island membership 25 has grown from 16 to 45; a sustained 22 rate of 8% per annum. 21 21 19 15 Sarsfield 11 380 Age Distribution Bass Coast

Total Population 22,228 Source: AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS 2016 Census of Population and Housing Age Distribution Wonthaggi and Inverloch District

25002500 100010

1200 2700 National Regional Profile, Bass Coast (S) Bal, 2004- 2008 ESTIMATED RESIDENT POPULATION BY AGE - at 30 Ju ne Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016 Census of Population and Housing

23% increase in 60-64 age group in 4 years Sports Played on the Wonthaggi Recreational Reserve: Classified By Age Grouping

Sports For All Ages: Swimming Sports Focusing on 10 - 29 years (18.6% Wonthaggi’s population) •soccer (50 days) •netball (40) •tennis (80) •football (50) •cricket (played about 20 days per year?) •skate-boarding (250) •table-tennis (60) •basketball (100) Sports Focusing on 60 – 79 years (28.8% Wonthaggi’s population) • Croquet (played 250+ days per year)

Annual Costs to Council of Maintaining these Sports 10 – 29 years: All grassed ovals require year round cutting, repairs and preparation by paid Council employees. 60 – 79 years: All work on the croquet courts is paid for and done by club members.

Money Spent by Bass Coast on Up-grading Facilities for Age Groups Over the past ten years, including clubrooms 10 – 29 years age group: Lots 60 – 79 years age group: Zero Some of the Recent Spending by Bass Coast Council on Recreational Facilities for 10 -39 year olds

• Resurfacing and concrete repairs to the Wonthaggi skate-park • Replacing the turf wicket on Rec 2 • New lights on Rec 1 • New netball courts • Two moveable shelters on the netball courts • Restoring lights on Rec 2 • Repairs to table tennis pavilion • Two new tennis courts for the tennis club • $378,000 out of Bass Coast Grounds Capital Works program for extension of Wonthaggi Power change rooms and clubhouse • Plus on-going costs for ovals maintenance – watering, top dressing, spraying, cutting, etc. (All maintenance tasks at the croquet club are paid for and performed by club members – people in the 60 plus age bracket). Current Facilities are Inadequate • Older people have recreational needs too

• All demographics – including older people – deserve to be treated fairly in the allocation of recreational funding in Bass Coast Phillip Island’s Infrastructure Renewal Plan Bluegum Recreational Reserve 37 metres Stage 3 - Remove bldg. and Public Extend to ‘A’ Court N ✔ Toilets Stage 1 - Club ‘B’️ Court

58 58 Stage 2 - metres Relocate

Shed metres 35 35 Existing ‘A’ Court Existing ‘A’ Court

Total Area = 0.41 hectares or 1.02 Acres

82 metres Bluegum Recreational Reserve The Club’s Joint Needs

• An agreed Specification for future facilities at both clubs, including: – A minimum of three full size courts within a secured area – Pavilion with toilets, kitchen, office, and space to accommodate a minimum of 70 members and guest players – Secure equipment storage

• Wonthaggi Croquet Club – Need an agreed plan for a future location for the Club – Lighting for three courts • Phillip Island Croquet Club – An increase from 2 ½ courts to 3 full size courts – A new pavilion: the existing Pavilion can only accommodate 25 people – These needs can be accommodated within the existing club footprint Both Clubs have the same need for a new Pavilion and there is no reason why the specification for these two buildings should not essentially be the same.

There will be a real economy of scale if the same basic Pavilion design can be developed. Five Year Croquet Development Plan

2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 Brief Council Council Clubs Develop facility specifications Design Pavilion INAUGURAL FESTIVAL Build Two Pavilions SUMMER 2022

Extend Phillip Island’s Half Court and construct three courts for Wonthaggi

Plan for Bass Coast’s Festival of Croquet Conclusions • At an average growth rate of 6% per annum, the Bass Coast population growth in the age range of 60 to 70, is directly attuned to our target demographic

– Benefits to the community of our sport: • Uniquely, Women and Men play this sport on equal terms • Physical and mental stimulation • Social interaction and companionship (another health benefit) • Sets goals and rewards achievements (another health benefit) • We introduce school children to our game and offer them an alternative to contact sports and yes we do have Working With Children clearances • We cannot grow our memberships without an investment in new facilities. • We can work together to achieve a common Pavilion design. • Both Clubs are fully committed to contributing financially and are actively engaged in fund raising. Our Message

• Croquet is a world sport. – Australia is a leading croquet playing nation. – Victoria is a leading croquet playing state. • Bass Coast is home to two of the three biggest clubs in Gippsland.

• We have a realistic five-year plan which culminates in a Bass Coast Festival of Croquet in the Summer of 2022.

• Our growth target of members between 60 and 70 years old sits squarely with the fastest growing age group within the population of Bass Coast.

• All demographics, including Bass Coast’s fastest growing demographic, the 60 plus group, deserve to be treated fairly in the allocation of recreational funding.

• We are asking for a significant increase in the funding for our community sport SPECIFICALLY WE NEED 2018/2019 FUNDING TO DESIGN A NEW COMMON PAVILION