2019-03-12 S&O Agenda - Item 6 - Attachment 1 - Regional Facilities Plan for Difficult to Locate Sports

Regional Facilities Plan for Difficult to Locate Sports (including Implementation Priorities) (Final Draft – February 2019)




    ӹӹ South Queensland Parachute Council7 indicates that                              ӹӹ Recreational and competitive drone use is an
       a “swoop pond” which facilitates Canopy Piloting,                                  emerging activity; with some Councils trialling
       does not exist in the region. Canopy Piloting is                                   schemes to permit and control recreational
       reportedly one of the most exciting and spectator                                  use on public land. This lack of maturity in the
       friendly versions of parachuting. Many talented                                    development of the activity means there are limited
       local canopy pilots of international standard                                      recommendations on management frameworks
       are compelled to leave the region to train and                                     and makes a definitive set of technical facility
       compete in this discipline. There are two of these                                 specifications difficult.  As an aeronautical activity,
       sites operating in Australia; one in Perth and                                     CASA has jurisdiction over the use of air space. It is
       the second in a remote area west of St George                                      not apparent that a permanent facility is required
       in south-west Queensland. A third is reportedly                                    other than access to existing model aero fields and/
       under development in South Australia. Provision                                    or aerodromes (with CASA approval). Indoor venue
       of a second Queensland facility has not been                                       use requires a relatively small area, e.g. a course
       recommended for the study area.                                                    contained within a 30m x 45m space9, with the
                                                                                          ceiling heights found in indoor sports centres and
    ӹӹ Competitive sport parachuting is not catered for                                   industrial/ warehouse-type buildings and similar.
       within the study area, due to lack of sanctioned                                   Within the emerging aspects of the sport, there
       suitable landing sites. In October 2018, four8                                     are a number of types of competition, conducted
       segments of the World Championships were hosted                                    indoors and outdoors, with three modes:
       on the Gold Coast, demonstrating that South East                                   -- Line of sight drone flying
       Queensland has the attributes for this level of                                    -- First Person View piloting (FPV) involving the use
       competition. However, parachute landing facilities                                    of virtual reality technology and a competitive
       require large open, obstacle free areas, with the                                     obstacle course visible virtually.
       size dependent on type of skydiving. There are a                                   -- Remote piloting.
       number of arrangements on private properties that
       currently meet needs (for tourist-focused tandem                                ӹӹ Previous planning for difficult to locate sports
       jumping). No general regional competition facility                                 has identified the need for Councils’ planning
       (for landing) is recommended for parachuting.                                      schemes to recognise the impact of these uses
                                                                                          and to incorporate appropriate planning scheme
    ӹӹ Competitive hang-gliding/ paragliding is best                                      amendments for protection of established
       located in inland areas where thermals are more                                    significant sites; in aviation there are specific
       prevalent and reliable, with coastal launching sites                               mentions for the protection and enhancement of
       utilised for recreational and free flying. No need for                             Coolum Model aero facility, Caloundra aerodrome
       provision of a regional competition facility within                                and protection of existing difficult to locate sports
       the study area was identified.                                                     sites. Subsequent strategy development (by SCC)
                                                                                          has seen these recommendations alter toward
    ӹӹ Paragliding aerobatics is a competitive form that                                  recommending the relocation of model aero from
       is required to be held over a large waterbody,                                     the Coolum site.
       enabling tow launching (boat); with the conduct of
       competitions being weather dependent. Within the
       study area, Lake Kawana and the Mooloolah River
       (at Mooloolaba) have been considered by Sunshine
       Coast Sports Aviators as options for this activity. The
       location constraints mitigated against this use (e.g.
       motorised craft are not permitted on Lake Kawana)
       and the level of demand indicates support for one
       single facility in the wider SEQ region. Therefore,
       provision of a competition facility in the study area
       is not proposed. Exploration of event use of Lake
       Kurwongbah may meet intermittent event needs.




    7
        Area governed by South Queensland Parachute Council is between the Tropic of Capricorn and Byron Bay, and in this context region refers to the area governed.
    8
        The four disciplines conducted were: Artistic Events, Canopy Formation, Formation Skydiving and Speed Skydiving, https://www.fai.org/ipc-goldcoast2018
    9
        Source: https://www.worldofdrones.com.au/droneracing



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