2020-01-13 GC Agenda - Item 6 - Attachment 1 - Noosa District Sports Complex Master Plan

Role of Local Government




Sports Fields

    Leading Practice in Sports Field Management by Local Government

The following provides a brief summary of some of the mechanisms that local governments around Australia
(and where relevant internationally) are using to effectively manage sports fields at a corporate level:



                                 •    Multi-faceted approach to demand assessment – more than ha per capita but also
                                      considers provision trends, existing use and demand
                                 •    Many Councils are developing dedicated sports field optimisation studies that
                                      involve a robust, evidence-based analysis of supply, usage and future demand
                                 •    Alternative/ innovative approaches to improve capacity of existing fields before
                                      developing new, e.g. upgrading drainage, lighting, new technology, synthetic
                                      fields etc.



    Outdoor Playing Fields

In relation to outdoor playing fields, the following trends are evident:
    •    Single playing field facilities do not support effective competition outcomes and are costly to
         maintain within the overall network of sportsgrounds.
    •    Sports fields are increasingly being located as part of a larger, multi-use sport and recreation
         precinct providing opportunities for formal and informal activity.
    •    Designing and maintaining playing surfaces to maximise their sustainability is important as the
         intensity of use of playing surfaces increases.
    •    Water harvesting initiatives to reduce town water consumption, maintain a high standard of playing
         fields and improve viability is important.
    •    Provision of shade (natural and artificial) is increasingly important given the emphasis on sun safe
         practices.


Noosa Council  Noosa District Sports Complex Master Plan 2020-2030  Final                                     Page 42