Draft Sport and Recreation Plan 2021-2031 (Closed)

In December 2020, the Shire began working with Dave Lanfear Consulting who was commissioned to undertake a review of the existing facilities and to benchmark those facilities against national standards.  The draft Plan has been developed following extensive research across the 4 towns in the Shire of Dandaragan - Badgingarra, Cervantes, Dandaragan, and Jurien Bay. 

The draft Plan is now available for public viewing and we invite your comments and thoughts on the documents - does the draft plan reflect the direction you would like us to take on sporting and recreational facilities?  Does the minimum level of service seem reasonable?  Is there anything missing?

The direction for the Draft Sport and Recreation Plan is provided through the Shire's Envision 2029 Strategic Community Plan which has identified the following priorities related to facilities and the built environment:

• Our communities contain vibrant, activated public open space and buildings with high levels of organisation and functionality;
• Our investments in public assets are based on responsible and sustainable asset custodianship;
• Our built environment responds to the accessibility and connectivity needs of all residents providing equitable access and opportunity for participation.

The plan identifies current trends, future growth prospects and consider opportunities for improved sustainable sport and recreation facilities across the Shire whilst articulating a clear vision and measurable goals to assist the Shire and sport and recreation organisations to focus on the development of viable facilities and levels of service. 

For future site master planning, there are 9 specific guiding principles which are adopted.  These include:

1. Efficient and effective use of land
2. Efficient and effective service delivery
3. Facilities comply with contemporary Australian standards
4. Facilities and services are available to all
5. Ensuring future investment is sustainable and assets can be managed appropriately
6. Encouraging positive partnerships and alliances between community groups, the Shire and external funding agencies / service providers
7. Supporting our volunteers
8. Investing in opportunities for youth
9. Enhancing opportunities for older adults.

Executive Summary

The Shire of Dandaragan Sport and Recreation Plan has been drafted to guide the Shire’s future resource, investment and advocacy commitments to provide appropriate facilities and services to its community. It is principally focused on the needs of Shire residents centered around the four towns of Badgingarra, Dandaragan, Cervantes and Jurien Bay.

The purpose of this draft document is to set out the research and rationale for a series of recommendations against which the Shire will plan for the next ten years and beyond. The key considerations in developing the plan have been:

• The future financial viability of current sport and recreation infrastructure and the ability to address any identified financial risks.
• Limited available financial resources of the Shire to invest in sport and recreation infrastructure and the requirement to prioritise how this investment should be expended.
• To plan effectively to supplement Shire resources by attracting grant and other external funding for those projects identified as being important to the community.
• The changing participatory landscape which is seeing the sport and recreation precincts used extensively at one time for different sporting activities.
• To ensure facilities, where practicable, meet contemporary design standards and that any planned changes are undertaken in a realistic phased timeline which take into account the ability to attract external financial resources.
• The management of an ageing asset base and to ensure each Town community has the capability and volunteer resources / skills to sustain current services without significant additional financial input and assistance from the Shire.
• The potential rationalisation of sport and recreation infrastructure as it reaches the end of its useful life to ensure the sport and recreation precincts in each Town remain viable and meet the needs of a socially connected community.
• Responding to a gradually ageing community and increasing the accessibility to all community sport and recreation infrastructure.
• Recognising there is still a large young family cohort and youth which are to be provided for and by building on recent investment in the skating infrastructure at Jurien Bay and planned investment for families / children / youth in other Town sites.
• Facilitating the growth in non-structured and social sport and recreation opportunities as a growing area which needs to be accommodated.
• The use of improved information technology in both improving accessibility to sport and recreation infrastructure but also to gain data on usage against key strategic community plan outcomes. 

The most significant consideration is the ability for shire residents to access infrastructure that is flexible and adaptable for a wide range of uses as diverse sport and recreation opportunities, rather than purely a level of provision based on population trigger points.

Key outputs from the community consultation process undertaken in developing the sport and recreation plan identified the following additional overarching considerations:

• The quantity of sport and recreation facilities in the Shire is considered generally to be adequate.
• Many of the facilities however are ageing and not fit for current purposes.
• Although the Shire’s population is ageing the provision of facilities and programs in sport and recreation for younger age groups is growing.
• More diverse sport and recreation offerings are required, which could be facilitated in part by multi-use facilities.

Having regard to the above, the Shire in assessing any new development has determined it will prioritise multi-use facilities and will work towards developing a Master Plan for each of the four Town site Sporting Precincts. These Master Plans will guide and inform future development and investment decisions. A clear policy direction is to ensure Shire facilities are open and equitable.

Based on The Master Planning process and community need the Shire will work towards developing in each of the Town sport and recreation precincts one centralised community hub for sporting activity, social gatherings, meetings, events and festivals / community activities. This ideally should be within one centralised building which provides a community centre, sporting pavilion, social / function space and public toilets / shared meeting and socialising areas. The facilities should have the capability to provide for both sport and general recreational use to provide for the resident community of all ages.

A Minimum Level of Service provided by the Shire to the four population centres is suggested, which include:

• Indoor space with meeting rooms, kitchen, and function capability.
• Indoor full-size basketball with multiple court markings (Jurien Bay only).
• Outdoor multi-functional court space x2 for the provision of tennis, netball and basketball (floodlit to evening training use).
• One senior oval space which can accommodate the seasonal sports of Australian Rules Football as a minimum but with the capability to accommodate rectangular sports (2
  rectangular senior pitches).
• 2 x gender diverse changing rooms with toilets and showers. This is suggested at all Town sport and recreation precincts, with the exception of Badgingarra.
• 1 x umpire rooms. This is suggested at all Town sport and recreation precincts, with the exception of Badgingarra.
• Internal storage.
• External covered viewing areas.
• Play area / skate facilities for the youth / young children, drinking fountain and seating.

In addition to the above, it is suggested the following facilities are to be subject to community or external grant funding with an appropriate business case (i.e. not part of the minimum level of service provided by the Shire):

• External storage
• Training floodlights (one installation of training level lights for weekday evening use).  Competition lighting is not required.
• 1 x synthetic bowls green.

The plan identifies a series of guiding principles against which projects identified under the master planning processes should be considered and prioritised. These include:

• All projects are to be in accordance with the goals and objectives within the Sport and Recreation Plan
• Being subject to a well-developed business case
• Projects are to comply with current and emerging Shire policy
• The project and outcomes should be underpinned by a strong governance structure
• Proponents demonstrating good financial management and decision making processes
• The project fulfills a demonstrated need
• Promoting shared use and co-location of clubs and infrastructure
• The facilitation of community cohesiveness (i.e. supporting social connectivity).

In responding to the full extent of research underpinning this plan including the current strategic direction of the Shire, regional influences, changing demographics, trends and benchmarking, visual auditing of existing facilities, input from user groups and an analysis of future needs, a series of recommendations were made. These are identified from page 66 onwards of the Plan and incorporate:

• 15 recommendations related to development principles, policies and standards of provision.
• 10 recommendations related to the Town site of Cervantes.
• 4 recommendations related to the Dandaragan Town site.
• 1 comprehensive recommendation related to the Badgingarra Community Centre and adjacent sporting facilities.
• 6 recommendations related to the Jurien Bay Town site.

The recommendations have broad time considerations for delivery against each which includes:

• Immediate (I): 1 year in planning and implementation (year one of the Sport and Recreation Plan 2021 to 2031).
• Short Term (S): 1-4 years in planning and implementation (year one to four of the Sport and Recreation Plan 2021 to 2025).
• Medium Term (M): 4-10 years in planning and implementation (year four and onwards of the Sport and Recreation Plan 2021 to 2031).
• Long Term (L): 10 years plus in planning and implementation (post 2031).

The Draft Sport and Recreation Plan is available for public comment until 4pm Friday 12 November 2021.  Comments may be made here on the website; emailed to council@dandaragan.wa.gov.au or via post to the CEO at Shire of Dandaragan, PO Box 676, Jurien Bay WA 6516.  Hard copies will be available at all libraries around the Shire and at the Shire Administration Centre in Jurien Bay.  Boxes will also be available at these locations to leave comments.

The below timeline indicates each phase of the Sport and Recreation Plan project and we encourage you to have your say.