Page 1 of 108 DOCKLANDS AND MAJOR PROJECTS Agenda Item 5.2 COMMITTEE REPORT 3 October 2006 ACTIVE MELBOURNE – FOOTBALL GROUNDS UPDATE Division Assets & Services Presenter Graham Porteous, Acting Group Manager Parks & Recreation Purpose 1. To provide an update on the status of the redevelopment projects of the Australian Football League (AFL) clubs located at North Melbourne Recreation Reserve (North Melbourne Football Club), Princes Park (Carlton Football Club) and Punt Road Oval (Richmond Football Club) and to recommend actions specific to each project. Recommendation from Management 2. That the Docklands and Major Projects Committee recommend that Council: 2.1. in relation to the North Melbourne Recreation Reserve: 2.1.1. resolve that the existing grandstand be demolished in order to achieve full open space and community benefits of the re-landscaping of the reserve; 2.1.2. note that under delegation tenders will be invited and awarded for the demolition of the grandstand; 2.1.3. note the progress of the redevelopment of the North Melbourne Football Club facility including the development of a draft project brief incorporating requirements for key community benefits; and 2.1.4. approve Option 2 as the site location of the facility redevelopment as proposed in Attachment 1 of this report; 2.2. in relation to the Punt Road Oval: 2.2.1. note the development of a preliminary concept brief and an initial concept plan for the redeveloped Richmond Football Club facility incorporating; 2.2.1.1. requirements for key community benefits; and 2.2.1.2. options for including Council’s Yarra Park depot within the redeveloped facility; 2.3. in relation to Princes Park: 2.3.1. note the development of a draft concept brief and an initial concept plan for the Carlton Football Club facility, incorporating; 2.3.1.1. requirements for key community benefits; and 2.3.1.2. options for including Council’s Princes Park depot within the redeveloped facility; Page 2 of 108 2.4. indicates its intention to contribute not more than $ 2 million capital funds for the facility at the Punt Road Oval and not more than $2 million capital funds for the facility at Princes Park (similar to the existing commitment to the North Melbourne facility) subject to: 2.4.1. community benefits at each facility being achieved to the satisfaction of Council; 2.4.2. the design of each facility achieving a significantly improved presentation within the respective park setting; 2.4.3. any capital funding contribution being determined through and subject to Council’s annual budget process; 2.4.4. the AFL, individual AFL Clubs and State Government each contributing no less than any amount that may be provided by Council, noting that any allocation by Council may be conditional on such contributions; and 2.4.5. noting that the anticipated overall requirements on Council’s capital budget program (subject to approval) is anticipated to be in the order of: 2.4.5.1. financial year 2006/2007 - $0.7 million (including carry forward of $0.150 million from 2005/2006) which is already allocated in 2006/2007; 2.4.5.2. financial year 2007/2008 - $3.3 million; and 2.4.5.3. financial year 2008/2009 - $2 million. Key Issues 3. Council is progressing the redevelopment of the AFL facilities at North Melbourne, Richmond and Carlton within the Victorian AFL Club Facilities Funding Program. Progress on each redevelopment project is outlined at Attachments 1, 2 and 3 respectively. 4. The Docklands and Major Projects Committee at its 1 August 2006 resolved to: “note the following update provided on the status of the redevelopment proposals at North Melbourne Recreation Reserve, Princes Park and Punt Road Oval and that a report seeking a decision in relation to the facilities at the North Melbourne Recreation Reserve will be presented as soon as practicable; notes that the preferred option for the North Melbourne Recreation Reserve is to integrate the proposed works with the swimming pool complex; requests a brief on Council’s requirement on each of the Carlton and Richmond Football Club sites be referred to the October meeting of the DMP Committee as a matter of urgency; and requests that a brief on each of the Carlton and Richmond Football Club sites and the assessment of the results of the Local Areas Recreation and Community needs to be approved by the Committee.” 2 Page 3 of 108 Relation to Council Policy 5. City Plan Strategic Objective 3 – Inclusive and Engaging City of Melbourne: “Deliver and provide access to facilities and services to support city residents, visitors and workers. Plan for the changing needs of residents, local and international students, visitors, workers and businesses in the city. Improve community health and wellbeing by increasing participation in sporting leisure and recreation activities and implementing the City Health and Active Melbourne Strategy. Contribute to the development of sporting and recreational facilities and investigate the feasibility of communal facilities in Docklands in accordance with Council’s ‘Partnership Funding Principles for new sports facilities in parklands’. Promote, celebrate and further develop the City of Melbourne as a culturally rich capital city that encompasses its key strengths in art and sport. Promote and further develop Melbourne as a sporting capital by delivering the Active Melbourne and National and International Sports Marketing Policy programs.” 6. The Draft Active Melbourne Strategy is: “part of Council’s response to the issues and challenges of increasingly sedentary lifestyles within modern communities, with the aim of enhancing the health and well being of our community. This strategy will strive to provide opportunities for as many people as possible to participate in physical activities to contribute positively to their health and well being”. 7. Under the theme of “Place”, the Draft Active Melbourne Strategy advocates that Council: “will work cooperatively with the private and voluntary sectors to ensure that these are safe, appropriately equipped and maintained places for the community to access a range of activity opportunities” and that “the availability of purpose built facilities, eg. community recreation centres or the general infrastructure people use in daily life eg. parks and open space is a crucial factor in enabling activity”. 8. The partnership Funding Principles for New Sports Facilities in Parkland was approved by Council in 2001 and resolved that it: ”approve partnership funding principles for new or refurbished facilities located in parkland based upon council contributing the cost of the community benefit component of the facilities, and the sporting organisation contributing the cost of the component that would benefit the sporting organisation; require that each specific proposal require community consultation and be subject to separate Council approval; and note that any proposal involving new or modified structures would be subject to the statutory planning process and be subject to the community feedback as required as part of the statutory planning process.” 3 Page 4 of 108 Consultation 9. Council has undertaken an assessment of general recreation needs within the local areas of North Melbourne, Carlton and East Melbourne. This assessment has been of a general nature relating to the recreational needs within each local area but also determined the likely community demand that could be met by the redeveloped facilities. Each proposal (Attachments 1, 2 and 3) provides a summary of individual consultation undertaken in each local area and likely community usage within each area. 10. Comprehensive discussions on all three proposals have been held with the AFL, individual AFL clubs (North Melbourne, Richmond and Carlton), Department of Sustainability and Environment (representing the Minister responsible for Crown land) and Sport and Recreation Victoria. 11. In relation to the North Melbourne Recreation Reserve the YMCA, as current manager of the North Melbourne Pool (and Carlton Baths Community Centre, Kensington Community Recreation Centre, Melbourne City Sports and the Riverslide Skate Park) have been involved in a number of discussions relating to the ongoing management of the facility, with a strong focus on community use. They have provided information on community gym requirements, based on the very successful model in place at Carlton Baths Community Centre, and have discussed the site options. They are working with the funding partners to assist in the development of a business and operating plan, and will remain a key stakeholder through the project. Finance 12. Council has resolved to contribute no more than $2 million to the redevelopment of facilities at the North Melbourne Recreation Reserve . In 2006/07, $0.7 million including carry forward of $0.15 million from 2005/06 has been allocated for the facility. In addition $0.327 million has been carried forward for the demolition of the grandstand. In 2007/08 $1.3 million will be required subject to the Council budget process. Carlton and Richmond Football clubs have formally requested funding of up to $2 million each for their redevelopments. Although Council has indicated in principle support for the redevelopment of facilities at Princes Park and Punt Road oval, no Council funds have yet been budgeted for these projects. The attached concept briefs propose the suggested cash flow in support of these projects. Legal 13. The matters detailed within the report are within the functions and powers of Council under the Local Government Act 1989. Legal advice will be provided as required in relation to the various proposals. Sustainability 14. It is antic ipated that the redevelopments would result in return of some parkland (particularly at the North Melbourne Recreation Reserve and Princes Park - should substantial areas of the existing grandstands be removed). The redevelopments would be designed to greatly improve the aesthetic presentation of the buildings and provide the opportunity to enhance the overall appearance of the parks.