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PUBLIC & OPEN SPACES
HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF
SPORTING FACILITIES
Pressure is mounting on local government to provide additional sporting facilities or to increase the utilisation of our current facilities . As the population increases so too has the variety of sports on offer & the length / intensity of each of the sporting seasons . Sports are playing and training more frequently these days creating scheduling problems , not to mention the additional wear and tear on these facilities . In addition to the increased usage there is an expectation of higher quality playing surfaces . These expectations far exceed those of twenty years ago and has filtered down from the professional sporting arena to our local facilities .
Case in point , the newly amalgamated Northern Beaches Council in Sydney is conducting a study as to the option of closing one of its 7 public golf courses to become sporting fields . This is all due to the demand for sporting fields in this area and is a common theme among metropolitan councils across Australia . The Northern Beaches Council has advised they were approached by the major sporting bodies within their region representing over 45,000 registered users .
Football ( soccer ) on the Northern Beaches has experienced significant growth in recent years , particularly female players . Registrations have increased from 15,000 to 18,000 participants over the past five years and female participation has increased by 25 % over the past ten years , with over 4500 players in 2016 . Cricket on the Northern Beaches has experienced a 46 % increase in junior teams over the last four years , with over 1700 junior players in 2015 .
The council is currently consulting with all parties and reviewing the proposal based on financial , social and environmental impacts prior to possibly including this proposal within its 15 year plan to develop sporting facilities .
In this article we review some of the options available to local government for maintaining and or upgrading current sporting facilities to provide greater amenity and meet these increases in demand .
Multipurpose Facilities
It is imperative , where possible , sporting facilities are multipurpose , all weather and include lighting . To achieve the status of a true multipurpose facility the field / court must not only have the capability of facilitating 2 or more sporting codes it must also cater for the junior and senior variations of those codes .
This raises the question of the benefits between synthetic and natural turf . The Victorian State Government Department of Planning and Community Development published and excellent paper which provides guidance , as well as highlighting ‘ best practice ’ for the planning , design , selection , installation , management , maintenance and replacement of artificial grass surfaces for sport .
GOVLINK » ISSUE 1 2017