DRAFT Kingborough Sport and Recreation Facilities Strategy 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3 2.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 5 2.1 PURPOSE OF STRATEGY 6 2.2 STUDY AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 7 2.3 VISION 7 2.4 PLANNING PRINCIPLES 8 2.5 METHODOLOGY 9 2.6 STRATEGY CONTEXT 10 3.0 REVIEW OF RELEVANT REPORTS/STRATEGIES 10 3.1 STATE AND REGIONAL PLANS 10 3.2 KINGBOROROUGH COUNCILS STRATEGIES AND PLANS 13 4.0 CONSULTATION 17 4.1 STAKEHOLDER SURVEY’S 18 4.2 KEY ISSUES FROM CONSULTATION 19 5.0 DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE 20 5.1 DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE KINGBOROUGH MUNICIPALITY 21 6.0 PARTICIPATION TRENDS 23 6.1 BROADER SPORT AND RECREATION TRENDS 25 6.2 UNSTRUCTURED/NON COMPETITIVE/CASUAL RECREATION ACTIVITIES 25 6.3 MODIFICATION OF SPORTS 25 6.4 VOLUNTEERS 26 6.5 CHANGING PATTERNS OF WORK 26 6.6 ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY 26 6.7 IMPLICATIONS FOR SPORT AND RECREATION PLANNING 27 7.0 FACILITY NEEDS AND ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 28 7.1 TRACKS AND TRAILS 28 7.2 SPORTS PAVILIONS, OVALS AND ASSOCIATED FACILITIES 29 8.0 STRATEGIES 30 8.1 SPORTS COURTS (OUTDOOR) 30 8.2 NETBALL FACILITIES 32 8.3 SPORTS PAVILION REDEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT 33 8.4 SPORTSGROUNDS AND ASSOCIATED FACILITIES 37 8.5 RECREATIONAL TRAILS 40 8.6 KINGBOROUGH SPORTS CENTRE 44 8.7 OTHER RECREATION FACILITIES 45 9.0 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN 46 10.0 APPENDIX 54 DRAFT: Kingborough Sport and Recreation Facilities Strategy 2012 Page 2 Version 1 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Kingborough Sport and Recreation Facilities Strategy (KSRFS) has been developed to provide a clear, planned and pragmatic approach to the development of new sport and recreation facilities as well as the upgrading of existing facilities. The strategy aims to progressively improve facilities that provide recreational, social and sporting opportunities to the Kingborough community. The project was developed to align with and reflect the aims and objectives of a variety of master plans, strategic plans, and frameworks from Kingborough Council and the State Government. Consultation was undertaken to identify the needs and desires of the community in relation to sport and recreation facilities including trails and the findings of these consultations were considered together with the trends in sport and recreation, demographics the region and planning principles within this document. Key issues from the consultation included: Continued concerns with the quality of sports ground conditions especially in winter; Concerns with the quality and usefulness of sports infrastructure such as pavilions and sports lighting; Concerns about the availability of grounds (with lights), especially for training purposes for growing clubs; The need to continue to link existing networks of trails for walking, cycling and mountain biking; The need for improvements in tennis infrastructure and accessibility to tennis courts; Improvements required in the area of facility multi use and flexibility to meet the needs of the community; Need for the improvement of existing trails including Alum Cliffs extension; and Continued concerns about the condition of trails especially during in the winter months. DRAFT: Kingborough Sport and Recreation Facilities Strategy 2012 Page 3 Version 1 Key findings included: The need to significantly improve the playability and sustainability of sports fields especially where demand during winter is strong; The need to assess the condition, need, sustainability and usability of supporting infrastructure such as sports pavilions and surrounding areas; The importance of providing quality, connected recreational trails close to where people live; and The need to research the needs of the growing informal sport and recreation activities in Kingborough. DRAFT: Kingborough Sport and Recreation Facilities Strategy 2012 Page 4 Version 1 2.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND Kingborough is situated 10km south of Hobart. The Kingborough municipal area has one of the longest stretches of coastline in Tasmania (336 kilometres) and covers a total land area of 717 square kilometres. The population in 2006 was 30,800 and by 2011 it was 34,240. The main towns/suburbs are Taroona, Kingston, Blackmans Bay, Margate, Snug, Kettering and Woodbridge. The municipality also includes Bruny Island which is reached by vehicular ferry from Kettering. Kingborough has for many years had one of the highest population growth rates in the State. In 1997 Kingborough Council commissioned a Recreation, Sport and Open Space Plan. This report was developed by Recreation Planning Consultants Jeavons and Jeavons and has been well utilised by Council since its inception. Most recommendations from this plan have been implemented over the past 10 years. The new Sport and Recreation Facilities Strategy (KSRFS) focuses, on the condition, usability, sustainability and improvement of Council owned sport and recreation facilities. Kingborough is an area that has a strong formal sports sector with many clubs continuing to grow or maintain participant numbers. The increasing population will continue to demand improved facilities and settings to meet the growing needs. In recent times it has been recommended to, and endorsed by Council that the previous Recreation Plan is reviewed and a new sport and recreation strategy is developed. This is also in accord with Kingborough Council’s Strategic Plan which reflects the broad strategic directions of the Kingborough community. Council has adopted a master plan for the Kingborough Sports Centre Precinct. This Masterplan depicts the proposed layout and future development at the site. The relevant details of this master plan have been incorporated into the new KSRFS to guide the strategic development and the future development of existing sport and recreational facilities. DRAFT: Kingborough Sport and Recreation Facilities Strategy 2012 Page 5 Version 1 2.1 PURPOSE OF STRATEGY The purpose of the KSRFS is to provide a coordinated and strategic approach to the planning, development and maintenance of Council owned and managed sport and recreation facilities. For the purpose of this project, sport and recreation facilities will include those that are used for both formal and informal sport and recreation activities. The project will not focus on arts and/or cultural facilities, playgrounds or general public open space as these elements have been/will be included in future studies and strategies. For the purpose of this study, formal (or structured) sport and recreation activities are broadly those activities used for more organised recreational activities and sports such as tennis, netball, football (AFL and soccer), cricket, etc that are often organised by a club. Facilities for these structured activities may include but are not limited, to the following elements: Ovals and sports grounds; Courts (i.e. tennis and netball); Sports pavilions; Training facilities (such as cricket nets and sports lighting); and Areas of landscaping or support facilities that directly relate to the particular sport and recreational activity. Informal (or non‐structured) recreation and sport facilities are those facilities that cater for activities such as walking and recreational cycling. These can easily include the facilities above but may also include facilities such as: Trails (horse, mountain bike (MTB), cycling, walking and shared use); Skate parks and facilities; MTB/BMX facilities including specific or shared trails; and Other informal facilities such as those that service water based activities (in areas managed by Council). DRAFT: Kingborough Sport and Recreation Facilities Strategy 2012 Page 6 Version 1 2.2 STUDY AIMS AND OBJECTIVES Develop a strategic and coordinated approach to sport and recreation facility development; Identify gaps in provision of sport and recreation facilities; Identify and strategically prioritise the redevelopment and critical maintenance of existing sport and recreation facilities; Identify and strategically prioritise the development of new sportd an recreation facilities; Promote multi‐use, functional and accessible sport and recreation facilities; To identify under‐utilised and unsustainable facilities and consider their future; and To provide a needs based approach to planning within the context of: a. recreation policy and priorities at the State, regionald an local levels; b. national, state and regional recreation and broader societal trends; c. the demographics of the State and Kingborough region; and d. the needs of user groups and informal users identified through consultation 2.3 VISION “Kingborough residents will have access to a wide range of recreational opportunities that meet their current and future needs.” DRAFT: Kingborough Sport and Recreation Facilities Strategy 2012 Page 7 Version 1 2.4 PLANNING PRINCIPLES As part of the Kingborough Sports Centre Master Plan, Council identified a number of guiding principles. These guiding principles have been incorporated into the development of this strategy. They are: Future development should be in accordance with environmentally sustainable principles with every opportunity taken to optimise the take up of innovative energy and water efficient ideas; Future facilities or upgraded facilities should meet the sporting, recreational and community based needs of the Kingborough community and beyond; Wherever possible, the combined use of facilities should be encouraged to optimise efficiency by maximising use and reducing costs for both Council and user groups; Complimentary facilities should be sited together; and