RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE - City of Parramatta · effectively as a network of complementary a...

118 draft Social Infrastructure Strategy 2017

CITY OF PARRAMATTA DRAFT SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE STRATEGY

SECTION 2RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE

• Aquatic Facilities• Indoor Recreation• Play Spaces• Sports Fields • Parks and Outdoor Recreation

draft Social Infrastructure Strategy 2017 119draft Social Infrastructure Strategy 2017 119


CURRENT PROVISION City of Parramatta Council (Council) plays a significant role in the provision of aquatic offerings to meet the needs of the current and future population. Council has a role to play in maintaining existing natural and pool swimming and water play options, as well as delivering new facilities in partnership with others. This is especially due to the market’s limited ability to deliver aquatic facilities to meet all of the community’s need.

The map below and tables overleaf detail City of Parramatta’s major aquatics provision by Council and others:

CITY OF PARRAMATTA AQUATIC FACILITIES NETWORK

draft Social Infrastructure Strategy 2017 121

AQUATICS CENTRES

Facility Name Catchment Facility Type Components Strengths Weaknesses

Epping Aquatic and Leisure Centre

3 Local neighbourhood outdoor only swimming pool

• 6 lane 50m outdoor pool

• Covered toddlers play pool

• Learn To Swim Pool

• Greatly valued by the community

• Within a park setting and surrounded by natural bush

• Open 6 months of the year

• Ageing infrastructure• Poor universal design/

disability access• Structural Issues• Hidden location• Poor public transport

access

NATURAL SWIMMING AREAS


Lake Parramat-ta Swimming Area – North Parramatta

4 Natural area swimming

• Designated swimming

• Natural setting• Fresh water offering• No cost for swimming• Co-located with other

recreation and leisure facilities

• Open all year round (primarily summer focus)

• Parking during peak times• Universal access• Limited public transport• Supervised swimming

for six months (March - October), and depen-dent on weather, e.g. temperature and poor water quality following heavy rain event.

WATER PLAY IN PARKS


Water Play in James Ruse Reserve

4 Water Play Water Play Toilets

• Within walking distance to current and future high density growth areas

• Within a park and other play facilities

• Shade structures• Good condition

• Temporary toilets• Limited parking

Water Play in Dundas Park

2 Water Play Water Play Temporary toilets

• Within a park with other recreation uses

• Parking• Good condition • Shade structures• Toilets

• Public transport

COUNCIL OWNED AQUATIC OFFERINGS


There are other aquatic options within the area which service City of Parramatta residents with varying degrees of public access for the community, including:

• Private Learn to Swim operators

• School facilities

• Commercial Fitness Clubs

• Commercial rehabilitation and wellness businesses

• Private swimming pools – backyard or within residential developments

• Aquatics facilities in neighbouring LGAs

RATES OF PROVISON Aquatics and Recreation Victoria (2011) Guidelines provide the following information on provision standards:

Regional Aquatic Facility for every 100,000 to 150,000 people

• Extensive and varied program

• Leisure water attractions

• Inclusion of indoor 50m pool and separate warm water pools

• Wellness/health club and extensive program room inclusions

• Complementary services and amenities, crèche, food and beverage

Although these provision standards are well accepted,

it is important to note that they reflect an historic approach to aquatics provision, and not necessarily the way in which aquatics offerings will need be provided in the future to reflect emerging best practice.

Having said that, benchmarks or provision standards, are intended as a guide and are useful as a comparison tool. Further, they give an indication of the amount of social infrastructure that would ideally be provided if opportunity exists, feasibility is demonstrated, funding is available and the local context and site opportunities and limitations, as well as the broader provision close by, are taken into account.

if applied, these provision standards would suggest that at least are one regional level aquatic facility is justified for the City of Parramatta’s current resident population of approximately 230,000.

A regional level facility is currently provided at Sydney Olympic Park. This is not Council owned or managed, the facility is very popular and the costs are likely to be prohibitive for some. The Parramatta War Memorial Swimming Pool (a large outdoor facility) was closed in March 2017 to make way for the Western Sydney Stadium upgrade. Planning and feasibility assessment is under way to consider the provision of a comprehensive aquatic facility in the Parramatta CBD to service residents, workers and visitors. The City of Parramatta’s future population is estimated to grow to almost 400,000 people by 2036. Based on the population benchmarking above this would

Facility Name Catchment Facility Type Components

Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, Sydney Olympic Park

6 Regional Scale Facility 10 lane 51.5m by 25 m pool with move-able bulkhead, 33m by 25 m utility pool (3m – 5m) for diving, water polo and synchronised swimming, leisure pool with water slide, river rapid ride and sprays, various diving springboards and platforms, health club, fitness and weights area

Facility Name Catchment Facility Type Components

Blaxland Riverside Park, Newington

6 Regional Destination Water Park

Parramatta Park, Parramatta

4 Regional Destination Water Play in a regional playground

Within City of Parramatta there exist a number of non – Council operated facilities with public access. Key facilities are listed in the table below:


justify two regional level aquatic facilities. Benchmarks provide an indication of future need and form one information input only into planning and analysis of the future provision of social infrastructure for our communities.

NEEDS ANALYSISThe broader network of aquatics facilities is under review in Parramatta.

There are a number of challenges and considerations, including:

• Ageing and increasingly financially unsustainable infrastructure and services

• Quality and breadth of services not being aligned to current consumer expectations and demand

• Facilities not well located to meet the current and future needs of the community and do not work effectively as a network of complementary and efficient services

The Parramatta River is an underutilised natural asset that is highly valued by the community. Historical practices and rapid industrial development along natural water ways have impacted water quality. This has led to the substantial degradation of the Parramatta River in many locations, currently limiting use of this important natural asset.

WHAT HAS THE COMMUNITY TOLD US?Throughout 2016, Council undertook extensive community engagement across the whole City of Parramatta local government area (LGA). As part of this process, many residents identified public pools as an important community need and highly valued resource. Across the City, public pools were one of the most frequently mentioned facilities that required improvement. Community members expressed their desire for a provision of pools that are accessible for all.

Lake Parramatta was also identified by the community as being well looked after and a valuable resource. Specifically, there was strong community sentiment expressed in the following areas:

• Securing a pool in Parramatta CBD to replace the now closed Parramatta War Memorial Swimming Pool.

• Retaining and improving Epping Aquatic and Leisure Centre swimming pool at Dence Park, Epping.

• Increasing the amenity and parking at Lake Parramatta.

• Members of the community felt that visitors to Lake Parramatta would benefit from an increased provision of seating, toilet facilities, parking and free WiFi. (Straight Talk, ‘A Shared Vision for Parramatta: Defining community

aspirations and identity’ Final Report, November 2016, pp.1-56)

Between March and May 2017, Council engaged a consultant to assist in further consultation with key stakeholders and the local community to better understand recreational and aquatics needs. The consultation utilised a wide variety of approaches, including via mail-outs, website information, publication in local media and social media posts and resulted in over 2,000 responses. A wide range of views were expressed as to the type and scale of aquatic leisure offerings that participants would like to see developed in Parramatta and the range of services and facilities that should be included. In summary the responses supported:

• A modern facility capable of meeting the needs of a rapidly growing local population.

• Affordability – somewhere you can go for a quick workout or a family can spend the whole day without breaking the budget. Some services could be user-paid.

• A combination of outdoor and indoor pools – offering year round opportunities whilst keeping the amenity benefits of a pool in a park.

• Complementary recreational facilities and services but the starting focus must be aquatics.

• Inclusivity – access for people of all physical capabilities and aquatics facilities suited to both very competent swimmers and those who are learning.

• Future proofing - with a rapidly growing population the pool should be designed for appropriate capacity and/or expansion.

• Good accessibility – by car, public transport and walking.

• Being uniquely Parramatta – sympathetic with the natural landscape and reflecting the cultural and heritage values of the site.

• Contemporary facilities – including comfortable and modern change rooms, hot showers, and good, affordable food and beverage options.

Further consultation will be undertaken during the

public exhibition period to hear your views


EMERGING TRENDSAquatics facilities, natural rivers and waterways form part of a diverse range of recreational opportunities that respond to the modern demands of Australian communities. These facilities provide services which promote physical fitness, water safety skills and confidence.

They are a place for competition and play; a place to seek relief from the summer heat; they have positive benefits for individuals’ mental and physical health; and are places to form social connections and relax. Swimming continues to be one of Australia’s most popular and well participated in recreational activities, and has played a central role in defining part of the nation’s culture and identity. Emerging trends include the following:

A Spectrum of Community ExpectationsThe community has demands for a range of water based play and engagement on a spectrum of experiences and customer needs. Each is an opportunity to provide vital experiences that will enrich people’s lives and provide broader social, cultural and economic outcomes.

The spectrum of experiences and market segments include:

• Water based play and aquatics for play (including cooling off)

• Water safety skills and confidence

• Aquatics for fitness and wellbeing

• Aquatics for sport and competition

Contributing to broader liveability objectivesTo varying degrees, aquatics facilities of the future will also be expected to meet other related objectives including:

• Activation of public domain and entertainment (e.g. fountains and water features)

• Activating waterways and open space adjacent to them

• Idyllic, relaxing or vibrant settings for a range of purposes including iconic and unique destinations, and as quieter locations which provide a buffer or escape from the built environment

• Improving awareness of water quality issues in major creeks and waterways

A Diversity of Offer In future, responses to the needs for aquatics and water based play opportunities can and should be diverse:

• Regional, district and/or local services

• Free, subsidised and market priced services

• Outdoor and indoor facilities

• Natural environment and formal facilities (and degree of formalisation)

• Publicly accessible offerings within parks and green spaces, within urban public domain, or within private spaces such as education campuses, commercial and residential developments

• Public access and/or member based services

• Wellness and other complementary offers

• Combining with other community and recreational infrastructure and services

• Private pools (no public access) within backyards and communal facilities within residential developments

Comprehensive Aquatic FacilitiesIn regard to planning of future regional aquatics facilities the offering should ideally cover dedicated learn to swim pools, water play areas, warm water exercise pools, family and group change facilities, group meeting and training spaces, complementary indoor recreation, leisure and wellness offerings, environmentally sustainable design and management as well as reception foyers.

Maximising Natural Assets The City of Parramatta’s future aquatics offering will need to include increased use of the Parramatta River. Gentrification is occurring along the river as high value is placed on having close proximity to a waterway. Community expectations are shifting and people are looking for quality open space and recreation experiences in and along the river. With advances in regulation and technology, the condition of the river has been improving and the Parramatta River Catchment Groups’ mission to bring back swimming to Parramatta is within reach.


STRATEGIC DIRECTIONSTo meet the needs of City of Parramatta’s growing and increasingly diverse community, and to mitigate against the impacts of an increasing urban heat island affect in CoP, Council will seek to enable access to a range of aquatic offerings for residents, workers and visitors. It is appropriate for Council to continue to work in this area, as this social infrastructure provision is not fully met by the private market, or accessible to the whole community.

To do this, Council will focus on the following strategic directions:

• Work with strategic partners and the community to realise a comprehensive aquatic facility in the Parramatta CBD. This should ideally include:

• Extensive and varied programing

• Leisure water attractions

• Inclusion of indoor 50m pool and separate warm water pools

• Wellness/ health club and extensive program room inclusions

• Complementary services and amenities, food and beverage

• Assess the condition and capacity of the Epping Aquatic and Leisure Centre to address local aquatic needs longer term and options for development of alternate or enhanced aquatic offerings including water play and indoor facilities.

• Maintain swimming and improve the recreation and leisure offering at Lake Parramatta as a complementary natural setting.

• Investigate site and design options to reintroduce natural area swimming and water play within and along the Parramatta River.

• Maintain Council’s current water play parks in our neighbourhoods, and seek to realise a moderate expansion of water play assets within high growth urban renewal areas where it is feasible (both in build, replacement and operating costs) and where it clearly meets the needs of the community.

• Seek opportunities to extend access to aquatic offerings for community use through shared use of assets at schools, universities, churches, businesses and community organisations throughout City of Parramatta.

THE FUTURE OF OUR AQUATIC NETWORK



REALISING NEW OPPORTUNITIESCouncil will seek to realise opportunities for the expansion of our aquatics network where proposed facilities will align with our strategic directions and add value to our existing provision, meet community

needs, maximise appropriate use of our natural assets, and where ongoing maintenance and operations are considered financially viable. Further information an our high growth areas can be found in Section 3.

When considering potential new aquatic offerings, Council must ensure that good outcomes are achieved for users of the facility and the broader community. This section refers to the relevant criteria

that will guide Council’s decision making on new aquatic offerings. They complement, and are used in conjunction with, City of Parramatta’s stated principles for social infrastructure planning found on page 34-35.

CRITERIA TO GUIDE DECISION MAKING FOR NEW AQUATICS OFFERINGS

FOR ALL SCENARIOS, WILL THE FUTURE AQUATIC OFFERING:

Align with City of Parramatta Council’s aquatic network strategic directions?

Contribute to and complement the current aquatic offerings throughout the City of Parramatta?

Be justified in terms of meeting an unmet need?

Be financially viable as demonstrated through a financial feasibility assess-ment, covering con-struction, ongoing maintenance and renewal costs as well as operational costs?

Be part of a master plan for the relevant site area?

Reflect universal design and support inclusive play?

Be located close to public transport?

Be sustainable in design and operations, as demonstrated through a sustainability assessment and minimise environmental impact?

Have positive social impact, as demonstrated through a social impact assessment that identifies (at a minimum) the:- Stakeholders likely to be affected by the proposal as well as those that stand to benefit

from the proposal and how, - The consultation and engagement processes undertaken or planned, - Probable impacts (positive and negative) and - Proposed mitigation strategies.

FOR ADDITIONAL NEW WATER PLAY PARKS, WILL THE FUTURE AQUATIC OFFERING:

Offer inclusive play options?

Include an amenities building?

Ideally be located close to public transport?

Identify ongoing maintenance costs?


QUESTIONS:

What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of the current aquatics network?

What strategies should Council consider to deliver aquatic offerings suitable for our future communities, in collaboration and partnership with others?




CURRENT PROVISIONThe City of Parramatta (The City) has limited indoor recreation facilities and City of Parramatta Council (Council) currently plays a very limited role in the provision of indoor recreation offerings.

The key publicly accessible indoor recreation facilities in the City are set out in the map below and table on the following page:

CITY OF PARRAMATTA INDOOR RECREATION NETWORK


CATCHMENT THREE

Facility Name Ownership Components

YMCA, West Epping Council owned land and building leased to YMCA to operate

1 large court facility (can accommodate 1 basketball court or 4 badminton courts) with gymnastics area and fitness facilities.

CATCHMENT FOUR


PCYC Parramatta Non-Council Owned 1 court

CATCHMENT FIVE


Sydney Olympic Park Authority

Non-Council Owned Sydney Olympic Park’s Sports Centre includes 2 indoor spaces. The main arena can be split into 3 courts (these are suitable for basketball, indoor soccer and other sports can be accomodated on request). The smaller indoor space can be split into 2 areas and is best suited for netball and volleyball.

INDOOR RECREATION FACILITIES BY CATCHMENTThe following table identifies key Council and non- Council owned indoor recreation facility by Catchment:

There are other options within the area which service City of Parramatta residents with varying degrees of public access for the community, including:

• Nearby local and state government owned/operated indoor recreation facilities – see table below


• Commercial fitness clubs and gyms

• Commercial rehabilitation and wellness businesses


OVERALL STRENGTHS OF THE NETWORK • There are a number of non-Council indoor recreation

facilities which support our communities across the LGA. These facilities include a number of private gyms and fitness centres.

• Several indoor recreation centres are located in adjoining council areas and provide further opportunities for our community participation in district or regional-level recreation activities.

• There is a good provision of indoor sport facilities in the southern part of the City of Parramatta, due to the provision of facilities in Sydney Olympic Park (SOP) and in surrounding council areas.

OVERALL WEAKNESSES OF THE NETWORK

• PCYC Parramatta is closing its Hassall Street premises in August 2017 and its interim arrangements will not include indoor court provision.

• SOP has regional level facilities but most are regional venues leased to primary tenants. SOP facilities are often utilised for elite sports purposes and therefore public access is limited. They can also be cost prohibitive for some households.

• Very limited provision within City of Parramatta for general public access.

Key Indoor Sport and Recreation Centres Adjoining City of Parramatta

Facility Facility Description and Potential Catchment

Auburn Basketball Centre, Wyatt Park Auburn

• 3 court indoor basketball centre, proposed upgrade • Around 11kms from Parramatta CBD • Potential to service southern part of the City of Parramatta (although major road barriers

exist)

Anne Clarke Netball Centre Church Street Lidcombe

• 4 indoor netball courts although Netball NSW has relocated to Sydney Olympic Park and the site is being reviewed by Cumberland Council

• Around 11kms from Parramatta CBD • Potential to service Lidcombe, Newington and Silverwater

Granville Youth and Community Recreation Centre

• A youth and community facility at Granville with activity and meeting spaces • Around 3kms from Parramatta CBD

Brickpit Sports Stadium, Thornleigh

• 4 basketball courts, 300 spectator seating • Around 16kms from Parramatta CBD • Potential to service Epping, Carlingford and Beecroft communities

Hills Sports Stadium, Castle Hill

• 4 court basketball facility managed by NSW Basketball Association • Around 16kms from Parramatta CBD • Potential to service northern areas such as North Rocks, Winston Hills and Northmead

Castle Hill Indoor Sports Centre

• Private facility, caters for indoor cricket, netball and soccer • Potential to service Northmead, Winston Hills and North Rocks communities

Macquarie University Sport & Aquatic Centre, Marsfield

• 4 badminton courts overlayed on 1 basketball court, synthetic flooring, fitness studio and weights room, gymnastics hall

• Potential to service eastern areas including Epping, Eastwood, Dundas Valley and Rydalmere

Ryde Community Sports Centre

• 2 indoor courts for basketball, netball, indoor soccer (Futsal), badminton and volleyball • Around 13kms from Parramatta CBD


RATES OF PROVISON Parks and Leisure Australia provide the following industry benchmark guide for provision of indoor courts

• Indoor courts - 1: 20,000 people• Indoor Sports Centre – 1: 50,000 – 100,000 people.

The ideal indoor sports centre would include 3+ multi-function courts, a gymnasium, and fitness facilities.

The Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) report on Planning for Community Infrastructure in Growth Centres (2008) suggests the following benchmarks for indoor recreation facilities:

• Indoor court - 1: 15,000 people • Higher order indoor sports court complex

(4 – 6 courts) – 1: 40,000 to 60,000 residents.

Though they are well accepted, it is important to note that these benchmarks reflect an historic approach to indoor recreation provision, and not necessarily the way in which indoor recreation will need to be provided in the future to reflect emerging best practice.

Having said that, benchmarks or provision standards, are intended as a guide and are useful as a comparison tool. Further, they give an indication of the amount of social infrastructure that would ideally be provided if opportunity exists, feasibility is demonstrated, funding is available and the local context and site opportunities and limitations, as well as the broader provision close by, are taken into account.

The City of Parramatta’s current provision of indoor recreation is severely lacking. The above benchmark would suggest that at least five courts and two higher order indoor sports centres would be ideal to meet the City of Parramatta’s current resident population of approximately 230,000.

The City of Parramatta’s future population is estimated to grow to almost 400,000 people by 2036. Based on population benchmarking this would justify up to 15 indoor recreation multiuse courts or three to four higher order indoor sports facilities by 2036. Benchmarks provide an indication of future need and form one information input only into planning and analysis of future social infrastructure for our communities.

NEEDS ANALYSISThe critical issues related to the indoor recreation network include:

• Significant under provision to meet the needs of the community now, which will worsen with population growth

• Limited public access to the indoor recreation facilities that do exist within the City of Parramatta

• Very limited access for communities living in Catchments 1, 2, 4 and 5.

WHAT HAS THE COMMUNITY TOLD US?Throughout 2016, Council undertook extensive community engagement across the whole City of Parramatta local government area (LGA). As part of this process, the community expressed that when planning for a growing LGA, it is important to have spaces and equipment especially designed to help people keep active. (Straight Talk, ‘A Shared Vision for Parramatta:

Defining community aspirations and identity’ Final Report, November 2016,

pp.1-56)

In a study on Sport and Recreation Participation in the City undertaken by Micromex Research in March 2015, the following key themes were identified in relation to aquatics and indoor recreation facilities:

• Aquatic and indoor recreation is largely a social experience with just under two thirds of activities undertaken with someone else

• Drivers of participation were general fitness (75%), to lose weight (26%), to undertake a challenge or to achieve a goal (25%), and sense of community (18%)

• 81% agreed or strongly agreed that aquatic and other recreation centres and facilities helped improve the quality of life for residents

• 69% agreed or strongly agreed Parramatta needed a larger facility combining a wide range of both aquatic and indoor sports and recreation services

• 69% of respondents strongly or very strongly agreed that Parramatta needs an indoor recreation facility for sports like basketball, futsal, badminton etc.

Throughout 2016, Council also undertook extensive research into the needs of teenagers and young people in the Parramatta CBD. As part of this research, they expressed that community infrastructure and particularly, an indoor youth facility (potentially linked to a library) would provide places for young people


EMERGING TRENDSDemand for indoor sports High level trends overall show an increased level of development of indoor sports facilities to cater for rising demand. There is current demand for basketball, futsal, badminton and table tennis. Given the cultural diversity of our community, many of whom have Asian backgrounds, this is likely to continue if provision is not increased. Schools have high demand for indoor recreation facilities to support sporting needs. Schools have limited infrastructure themselves and this is likely to continue to be the case as increasingly upgraded or new schools within urban environments are built vertically using less land resource. Increasingly, student requirements for recreation and sporting facilities will need to be met ‘off site’ within the community.

Flexible and multiuse facilities to meet diverse customer preferences and skill levels Increasingly indoor recreation facilities will need to be flexible in design and programming to provide for sport competition delivery as well as social and more flexible options aimed at wider participation interest levels, including those of neighbouring residents, workers, corporates, students, and mixed teams.

Supporting Access and Inclusion Indoor recreation facilities provide opportunities for people of varied physical capability to recreate, exercise, compete and socialise. Sports including wheelchair rugby, para – chair badminton, powerchair football, and wheelchair basketball require appropriate facilities. There are approximately 9,300 people in the City of Parramatta

that have some form of disability and require assistance with core activities, needing support to live well and fully participate in community life.

High UtilisationIndoor recreation facilities should have high utilisation and be operable over 12 – 18 hours per day and in some instances for 24 hours per day.

Size and Scale The provision of fewer, larger, facilities can provide a higher quality and wider range of spaces and activities than can be delivered in stand alone buildings. Management and maintenance costs, limited use, lack of flexibility, security issues and limited capacity for staffing are some of the drivers that have seen a move away from the delivery of small, stand-alone facilities.

Co-location and Ancillary Uses Co-locating sports, recreation and leisure facilities close to other community assets, such as retail precincts, arts precincts, libraries and other facilities is increasing. This enables maximum visibility and ease of use by the community. Also increasing is the design of sports, recreation and leisure facilities with meeting and social places. New large scale aquatics offerings now typically include indoor recreation facilities within their design.

Non-traditional sites Population growth, limited available space and increasing demand on current indoor recreation facilities to meet a variety of needs means that the use of non-traditional sites for the provision of indoor recreation is increasing. This requires increased collaboration between organisations and new ways of managing, monitoring and operating indoor recreation facilities.

to congregate with friends in a positive way. Indoor recreation facilities, associated sporting opportunities and events are important ways of enabling services to connect with young people and creating spaces for all young people within the community. (Cred Consulting,

‘Needs of Teenagers and Young People in the Parramatta CBD’ City of

Parramatta, September 2016, pp.1-41)


public exhibition period to hear your views.


STRATEGIC DIRECTIONSTo meet the needs of City of Parramatta’s growing and increasingly diverse community, Council will seek to enable access to a range of indoor recreation offerings for residents, workers and visitors. It is appropriate for Council to continue to work in this area, as this social infrastructure provision is not fully met by the private market.

To do this, Council will focus on the following strategic directions: • Work with strategic partners and the

community to realise a large indoor recreation facility containing a minimum three to four multi-use courts within the Parramatta CBD.

• Opportunities for co-location with a new aquatics offering should be investigated.

• Continue to support neighbourhood level indoor recreation facility provision through the YMCA Epping.

• Seek to deliver new neighbourhood indoor recreation facilities within high growth urban renewal areas.

• Seek opportunities to advocate for and facilitate the delivery of new indoor recreation facility options for the community using non-traditional sites (e.g. within corporate or residential buildings, within or on car parks).

• Seek opportunities to extend access to indoor recreation facilities for community use through shared use of assets at schools, universities, churches and community organisations throughout City of Parramatta

THE FUTURE OF OUR INDOOR RECREATION NETWORK



REALISING NEW OPPORTUNITIESCouncil will seek to realise opportunities for the expansion of our indoor recreation network where proposed facilities will align with our strategic directions and add value to our existing provision, meet

community needs, and where ongoing maintenance and operations are considered financially viable. Further information can be found in Section 3 of this draft Social Infrastructure Strategy on our high growth areas.

When considering potential new indoor recreation facilities, Council must ensure that good outcomes are achieved for users of the facility and the broader community. This section refers to the relevant criteria that will guide Council’s decision making on new

indoor recreation facilities. They complement, and are used in conjunction with, City of Parramatta’s stated principles for social infrastructure planning found on page 34-35.

CRITERIA TO GUIDE DECISION MAKING FOR NEW INDOOR RECREATION OFFERINGS

FOR ALL SCENARIOS, WILL THE FUTURE INDOOR RECREATION FACILITY OFFERING?

Align with City of Parramatta Council’s indoor recreation network strategic directions?

Contribute to and complement the current indoor recreation offerings throughout City of Parramatta?

Be justified in terms of meeting an unmet need?

Be financially viable as demonstrated through a financial feasibility assessment, covering construc-tion, ongoing maintenance and renewal costs as well as operational costs?

Be part of a master plan (or similar) for the relevant site area?

Reflect universal design and support inclusivity?

Be located close to public transport?

Be sustainable in design and operations, as demonstrated through a sustainability assessment?

Have positive social impact, as demonstrated through a social impact assessment that identifies (at a minimum) the:• Stakeholders likely to be affected by the proposal as well as those that stand to benefit from the

proposal and how, • The consultation and engagement processes undertaken or planned, • Probable impacts (positive and negative) and • Proposed mitigation strategies.


QUESTIONS:

What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of our current indoor recreation network?

What strategies should Council consider to deliver indoor recreation facilities for our future communities, in collaboration and partnership with others?


CURRENT PROVISION A play space refers to recreation spaces with a play focus for younger and older children such as playgrounds, nature play or adventure play.

City of Parramatta Council (Council) plays a significant role in the provision of play spaces to meet the needs of current and future populations.

The below map and table on the following pages detail City of Parramatta’s current play space provision by Council:

CITY OF PARRAMATTA PLAY SPACE NETWORK


CATCHMENT ONE

Suburbs Number of Playgrounds

Facilities No. DISTRICT

No. LOCAL

Winston Hills, Northmead, Toongabbie, Old Toongabbie, Constitution Hill, Northmead, Westmead, Wentworthville, Pendle Hill

41 AMBROSE HALLEN PARK 1ARMAGH PARK / ALICE WATKINS PARK 1ARTHUR PHILLIP PARK 1BINALONG PARK 1BIRK PARK 1BRUCE COLE RESERVE 1CABER PARK 1CAROLINE CHISHOLM 1CHARLES HERBERT RESERVE 1DORIS SARGEANT PARK 1FRANK HAYES PARK 1GALLERY GARDENS 1GREEN LEAF PARK 1HILLCREST AVENUE RESERVE 1JOHN BERGER RESERVE 1JOHN CURTIN RESERVE 1JOHN HOURIGAN RESERVE 1JOSEPH KNOX PARK 1McCOY PARK 1MCMILLAN AVENUE RESERVE 1MELBOURNE ROAD RESERVE

1

MODEL FARMS RESERVE 1NORTHMEAD PARK 1OTTO LOSCO RESERVE 1PALESTINE PARK 1PEACHTREE AVE RESERVE

1

PYE AVENUE RESERVE 1RAUSCH ST RESERVE 1REYNOLDS PARK 1RICHILL PARK 1ROBIN HOOD PARK 1RON HILL PARK 1SHANNONS PADDOCK 1SORLIE AVENUE RESERVE

1

COUNCIL OWNED PLAY SPACES BY CATCHMENTCouncil owns 136 local play spaces and 7 district level play spaces; 143 play spaces in total.


THANE STREET RESERVE 1THIRD SETTLEMENT RESERVE 1TIMBERGETTERS RESERVE

1

WILLMOT RESERVE 1WILLSFORD HOMES RESERVE 1WINSTON HILLS LIONS PARK 1WINTON AVENUE RESERVE

1

DISTRICT AND LOCAL TOTALS 0 43GRAND TOTAL (DISTRICT AND LOCAL)

43

CATCHMENT TWO



No. LOCAL

North Rocks, Carlingford, Dundas, Dundas Valley, Telopea

38 ACACIA PARK 1ANNA MARIA KING PARK 1ARUNGA STREET RESERVE 1BRADLEY DRIVE RESERVE 1CARMEN DRIVE RESERVE 1COX PARK 1DON MOORE RESERVE 1DOUGLASS AVENUE RESERVE

1

DUNDAS PARK 1DUNROSSIL PARK 1ELIZABETH MACARTHUR PARK 1FRED ROBERTSON RESERVE 1HOMELANDS RESERVE 1HUNTS CREEK RESERVE 1JAMES HOSKIN RESERVE 1JASON PLACE RESERVE 1JENKINS STREET RESERVE 1JOHN WEARN RESERVE 1KILPACK PARK CARLINGFORD 1LARRY BOLITHO RESERVE 1LINDISFARNE CRESCENT RESERVE 1MCMULLEN AVENUE RESERVE

1

NORTH ROCKS PARK 1PANAVIEW CRESCENT RESERVE

1


PEGGY WORMERSLEY RESERVE

1

PINETREE DRIVE RESERVE 1RAINBOW FARM RESERVE 1RAY PARK 1ROBIN ST PARK 1SEVILLE RESERVE 1SHIRLEY STREET RESERVE 1SIR THOMAS MITCHELL RESEREVE

1

SPEERS RD RESERVE 1STURT PARK 1TALINGA PARK 1TRIPOLI AVENUE RESERVE 1WILLIAM WADE RESERVE 1WILLIAMS RESERVE 1DISTRICT AND LOCAL TOTALS 0 40GRAND TOTAL (DISTRICT AND LOCAL) 41

CATCHMENT THREE

Suburbs Number of Play-grounds


No. LOCAL

Epping, Beecroft, Eastwood

15 BINGARA ROAD PARK 1BORONIA PARK 1 1DAVID HAMILTON RESERVE 1DAVID SCOTT RESERVE 1HENRY BRIGG PARK 1HAZLEWOOD ROSE PARK 1KIM RUTHERFORD RESERVE 1LOFTUS SQUARE 1LYNBRAE AVENUE RESERVE 1MOBBS LANE RESERVE 1ORCHARD PARK 1PEMBROKE STREET RESERVE 1ROCKLEIGH PARK 1SOMERVILLE PARK 1 1WEST EPPING OVAL 1DISTRICT AND LOCAL TOTALS 2 14GRAND TOTAL (DISTRICT AND LOCAL) 16


CATCHMENT FOUR



No. LOCAL

Parramatta, North Parramatta, Granville, Harris Park, Rosehill, Oatlands, Mays Hill, Camellia

24 BARTON PARK 1BELMORE PARK 1BILL THOMSON RESERVE 1BIPLANE PARK 1BURNSIDE GOLLAN RESERVE 1DOYLE GROUND 1F.S. GARSIDE PARK 1GEORGE GOLLAN RESERVE 2IRVING STREET RESERVE 1JAMES RUSE RESERVE 1JONES PARK 1JUBILEE PARK 1LAKE PARRAMATTA RESERVE 1NOLLER PARK 1OLLIE WEBB RESERVE 1PARRAMATTA RIVERSIDE PARK 1ROSELLA PARK 1ROSSLYN BLAY PARK 1SHERWIN PARK 1SYMONDS AVENUE RESERVE 1TIARA PLACE PARK 1W.R MUSTO PLAYGROUND 1WALTER BROWN PARK 1DISTRICT AND LOCAL TOTALS 4 20GRAND TOTAL (DISTRICT AND LOCAL) 24


CATCHMENT FIVE



No. LOCAL

Ermington, Melrose Park, Rydalmere

19 BRETBY PARK 1BRUCE MILLER RESERVE 1COWELLS LANE RESERVE 1ECCLES PARK 1ERIC PRIMROSE RESERVE 1GEORGE KENDALL RIVERSIDE PARK 1HALVORSEN PARK 1HANNIBAL MACARTHUR PARK 1HUGHES AVE RESERVE 1JOHN CARVER RESERVE 1KEN NEWMAN PARK 1LOCKYER RESERVE 1MARRI BADOO RESERVE 1RIVER PARK 1RYDALMERE PARK 1THOMAS WEMYSS PARK 1

TYNAN PARK 1

UPJOHN PARK 1

WINJOY RESERVE 1

DISTRICT AND LOCAL TOTALS 2 17GRAND TOTAL (DISTRICT AND LOCAL) 19

CATCHMENT SIX



No. LOCAL

Silverwater, Newington, Wentworth Point, Sydney Olympic Park

6 BLANKERS-KOEN PARK 1BURAWANG PARK 1CUMBERLAND SQUARE 1DEAKIN PARK 1PIERRE DE COUBERTIN PARK 1SILVERWATER PARK 1DISTRICT AND LOCAL TOTALS 0 6GRAND TOTAL (DISTRICT AND LOCAL) 6


OVERALL STRENGTHS OF THE NETWORK

• City of Parramatta has a vast network of play spaces distributed throughout the local government area.

• Play spaces are well maintained and highly valued by our local community

• A number of play spaces are good quality with some unique equipment or design elements and themes

• Many play spaces are co-located with parks or other outdoor recreation facilities or are located within natural settings

• A small number of play spaces which are significant (large, innovative and unique)

• Council is currently upgrading a range of existing play spaces throughout the LGA

• New additional playgrounds are being delivered within urban renewal precincts


• Play space provision is fragmented with areas of both over and under supply throughout the LGA.

• Many play spaces are of poor quality and design and require review

• Many existing play spaces are underutilised and have poor levels of accessibility

• There is a need for more youth focused facilities throughout the LGA

• Inequitable distribution wit areas of both over and under provision

There are some other alternate options within the area which service City of Parramatta residents with varying degrees of public access for the community, including:• Privately owned facilities

• Not-for-profit organisation facilities

• Commercial play gyms

• Surrounding local and state government plays paces (including regional offerings at Sydney

Olympic Park, Blaxland Riverside Park Newington, and Parramatta Park).

RATES OF PROVISON There are various provision standards that can be employed when determining future community needs and potential gaps related to play spaces. Parks and Leisure Australia (2012) identify a benchmark provision rate of one play space per 2,000 people (including district and regional provision).

This provision rate is well accepted, but it is important to note that it reflects an historic approach to play space provision, and not necessarily the way in which play spaces will need be provided in the future to reflect emerging best practice and to support and accommodate families living in high density areas. Having said that, benchmarks or provision standards are intended as a guide and are useful as a comparison tool.

Further, they give an indication of the amount of social infrastructure that would ideally be provided if opportunity exists, feasibility demonstrated, funding is available and the local context and site opportunities and limitations, as well as the broader provision close by, are taken into account.

Application of the benchmark to the current population shows that overall the City of Parramatta’s current play spaces of 143 in total are above the level of provision required to meet the 1:2,000 benchmark, which requires approximately 113 play spaces.

The above benchmark has been applied to City of Parramatta as a whole for the estimated future population at 2036 of 400,000 people, as shown in the table below. There is a gap between the current and ideal benchmark provision at 2036 of 57 play spaces.

City of Parramatta Play Space Provision and Benchmark Comparison

Current Provision (2016) 2036 Potential Requirements for Play Space Provision

Potential Gaps and Additional Facility Needs at 2036

158 total including natural areas and non-Council

198 play spaces + 40 play spaces including increase in higher level provision


An analysis of catchments in City of Parramatta shows the following:

Catchment One - Relatively good provision of play spaces (1: 1,267 in 2016) but need for youth facilities (particularly given family focus of area)

Catchment Two: Relatively good provision of play spaces (1: 1,408 in 2016) and youth facilities, but there is a need for an upgrade of these facilities

Catchment Three: Slightly lower provision of play spaces (1: 1,670 in 2016) and lack of youth facilities

Catchment Four: Lower provision of play spaces and youth facilities for the current and future population size (1: 2,187 play spaces in 2016)

Catchment Five: Good provision of play spaces in 2016 (1: 1,077) but provision could be low in 2036 and should have facilities to support older children and youth (with a current lack in provision)

Catchment Six: Low provision of play and activity opportunities (1: 3,878 plays spaces in 2016) and potential significant under supply in the future.

NEEDS ANALYSIS Challenges facing City of Parramatta’s existing play space network are as follows:

• Population growth is putting pressure on our play spaces leading to overuse in some areas and shorter timeframes for maintenance, renewal and replacement

• The distribution and quality of our play spaces across the City is not always reflective of community demand and need

• Community expectations are rising. People expect more from play spaces and to be able to access complementary services close by that add to liveability (e.g. cafes).

• Increasing medium and high density development means access to public play spaces that work as the ‘backyards’ for households become critical to support healthy lifestyles

• There is limited diversity in our play offering, including play spaces for older children and young people.

• There is limited inclusive play all abilities play spaces to support access and inclusion for all children and families.


WHAT HAS THE COMMUNITY TOLD US?Throughout 2016, Council undertook extensive community engagement across the whole City of Parramatta local government area. With regard to play spaces, the community has told us:

• There is a need for more playgrounds

• Both residents and visitors want to see more parks, reserves and natural spaces to relax, socialise and play. These spaces are seen as particularly important for the social and developmental needs of growing children. Parents do not want their children growing up in entirely urban landscapes.

• The maintenance of parks and park facilities, such as playgrounds and picnic shelters was recognised as one of the top three most important services provided by Council

• Children’s playgrounds were frequently mentioned as services which require improvement

• Those with children said that they would like more and safer places to take their kids to play and socialise with other children and families

• Many said that the increasing number of apartment blocks will mean that many more children will need places to play and more adults will need spaces where they can walk to and relax

• Adults need to play too and some suggestions were made around including places to swim, swing, BBQ, run or sit in nature (Straight Talk, ‘A Shared Vision for Parramatta: Defining community

aspirations and identity’ Final Report, November 2016, pp.1-56)

Council also undertook an online survey in 2016 to provide an overview of the needs, desires and motivators of future users of inclusive playgrounds. Findings from this survey indicated the following:

• Close to 5 in 10 respondents stated that they visited a playground once a week or more.

• Nearly 9 in 10 respondents felt that it is important or very important that the child in their care can play at a playground.

• Playgrounds must be inclusive. There is a strong desire for suitable playground facilities to extend to accessible parking, accessible toilets and large personal care areas. It includes provision of play equipment that is suitable and inclusive, allowing children to play together, although there is still a place for more traditional equipment too.

• There are preferences for best practice examples such as Blaxland Riverside Park and the reasons given relate to the variety of play equipment and activities available that are inclusive.


EMERGING TRENDS Play spaces are integral to the wellbeing of the City of Parramatta community. Providing quality play environments that are well designed, inclusive, well maintained and equitably distributed, gives our community the opportunity to engage with play in meaningful ways. The importance of access to play spaces for passive and active recreation uses will only increase in a highly urbanised environment with a growing population like City of Parramatta.

Some key emerging trends that will impact on play spaces into the future, include:

Diversity of InterestsThe way people utilise play spaces is changing and people are now relying on play spaces for an increasingly diverse array of activities. Coupled with increasing cultural diversity, this means that play spaces will need to be able to accommodate diverse activities to meet a variety of needs, including for all ages and ability levels.

Play spaces as a Network In order to serve the growing and diverse needs of our entire community, play spaces must be managed and planned for as a network. District and regional play spaces must work together to deliver a range of opportunities for activity and recreation throughout the City, that caters for all skill levels and needs.

Increased Maintenance and Renewal of Play spaces Increasing demand on our play spaces means that these facilities will experience an accelerated life cycle due to increased wear and tear. Play spaces need to be developed to withstand extended use, wear and tear; especially in the context of changing climatic conditions, for example, the impact of the sun increasing the temperature of play surfaces.

Housing Density Increasing density, smaller backyards and high density development around transport nodes means that there will be an increased need for play spaces close to where people live to play the role of a backyard for local residents.

Physical Activity and Obesity In City of Parramatta, we know that our communities’ health behaviours and health outcomes are worse than for those people living in Greater Western Sydney.

Increasing obesity rates are evident within Australia due to poor diet and lack of exercise. Open space can support and encourage physical activity by all ages, genders, cultural and socio-economic groups. The Government is currently promoting health and physical activity and recognises the need to encourage people and their families to make use of play spaces. There is a need for increased connectivity to play spaces and better walkability to ensure access to play space is readily available to all members of our community. Local vs Regional FacilitiesThere is an increasing need to provide a range of quality local play spaces as well as regional and district open spaces and facilities that are destinational. Play spaces must be located on land suitable for the intended use and must incorporate appropriate amenity facilities.

Increased Community ExpectationsCommunity expectations are rising and people are asking for more from our play spaces. Particularly, people are expressing their desire for an increase in amenity and other facilities within play spaces.

Inclusive Play The critical nature of play for all children is increasingly understood. More and more play spaces are being developed to enable children of all abilities to engage with play and with other children in the process. Play space designs that enable children with physical, sensory, intellectual and emotional issues to be active participants is essential to supporting their well-being as well as that of their family and carers. Play space and associated amenities must employ universal design principles and be accessible to all members of the community.

STRATEGIC DIRECTIONSTo meet the needs of City of Parramatta’s growing and increasingly diverse community, Council will seek to enable access to play spaces for residents, workers and visitors. It is appropriate for Council to continue to work in this area as this social infrastructure provision is not fully met by the private market.

To do this, Council will focus on the following strategic directions: • Increase the utilisation and hours of

use of Council’s existing play spaces through:

• Upgrade and redesign of play spaces to improve quality and diversity of offer in areas of unmet need and where future high population growth will occur

• Increase the all abilities play offerings in play spaces to support inclusion in play for all

• Increase the play offerings for older children and young people in play spaces that are close to public transport nodes and future populations of children and youth

• Enhance the pedestrian and cycling connections between play spaces

• Implement designs that balance play value with sound asset management, maintenance and renewal costs

• Increase overall play space provision for community use through the following:

• Seek formal agreements with other land owners and stakeholders (including NSW Department of Education, universities, churches, not-for-profit groups and the private sector) in order to make non – Council play spaces more available for community use

• Seek to advocate for new play space provision and undertake joint planning with stakeholders (to determine ownership, use, renewal and maintenance) in all urban precinct renewal sites. This includes seeking large and small scale local active play space options, close to new development and in areas of higher density

• Continue to influence the accessibility, design and function of Parramatta Park and Sydney Olympic Park with a particular focus on providing diverse and inclusive play offerings

• Seek land acquisitions and contributions to increase provision of Council owned play spaces throughout the LGA.

• Increase the respectful use of some natural areas for wilderness and adventure play

THE FUTURE OF OUR PLAY SPACE NETWORK


• Scope options for public play spaces in non-traditional sites throughout the LGA e.g. roof top of car parks

• Work with stakeholders to support the delivery of play spaces within new private development for surrounding community use

• Work in partnership with neighbouring Councils to understand capacity of nearby play spaces and opportunities for coordination and future joint planning to meet community needs

• Where overprovision is identified, in specific areas in consultation with the community, consolidate or relocate play spaces that have limited play value because of their location or site constraints and where redesign will not enable increased use.

KEY OPPORTUNITIES FOR CURRENT PLAY SPACESIn the short term, Council will seek to collaborate with various stakeholders to better understand their current and future needs and preferences, and develop a plan for all current play spaces that aligns with the strategic directions for the network.

REALISING NEW OPPORTUNITIESCouncil will seek to realise opportunities for the expansion of our play space network where proposed facilities will align with our strategic directions and add value to our existing provision, meet community needs, and where ongoing maintenance and operations are considered financially viable.

Further information can be found in Section 3 of this draft Social Infrastructure Strategy which covers planning for our high growth areas.



When considering potential new play space facilities, Council must ensure that good outcomes are achieved for users of the facility and the broader community. This section refers to the relevant criteria

that will guide Council’s decision making on new play space facilities. They complement, and are used in conjunction with, City of Parramatta’s stated principles for social infrastructure planning found on page 34-35.

CRITERIA TO GUIDE DECISION MAKING ON NEW PLAY SPACES

FOR ALL SCENARIOS, WILL THE ADDITIONAL PLAY SPACE:

Align with City of Parramatta Council’s play space network strategic direction?- Does it provide high quality, meaningful and rewarding play opportunities?- Allow for enough additional space for supporting infrastructure? (including parking, lighting,

toilets, seating)

Contribute to and complement the current play space offerings throughout the LGA?

Be designed to incorporate elements and activities that cater for a diversity of ages, genders, ethnicities and levels of ability and support inclusive play?

Be within an easy walk (400m or 5-minute walk) of residential development?

Be designed to integrate with and incorporate elements of the natural environment and provide opportunities for participants to interact with a diversity of natural features e.g. water, rocks and trees

Employ universal design principles and meet CPTED requirements?

Have adequate parking provision in the case of larger and district-level play spaces?

Be located in a highly visible location and preferably close by to public transport?

Be innovative in design and incorporate:- Challenging aspects to encouraged managed risk taking for children- Elements that maximise the creativity and confidence of children; allowing for the development

of analytical and problem solving skills as well as imagination

Demonstrate financial feasibility through a formal assessment, including construction, ongoing maintenance and renewal costs as well as operational costs?

Incorporate equipment that is durable and sustainable, considerate of climatic conditions and safe for users?

Exceed Australian Standards and provide high play value for users and their families?


QUESTIONS:

What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of our current play space network?

What strategies should Council consider to deliver play spaces for our future communities, in collaboration and partnership with others?


CURRENT PROVISION Sports fields refer to outdoor open green space that has the potential to support sporting activities, including informal sporting activities as well as organised sport and competition based activities of sports clubs and schools.

City of Parramatta Council (Council) plays a significant role in the provision of sports fields to meet the needs of current and future populations.

The map below and tables overleaf detail City of Parramatta’s current sports field provision by Council:

CITY OF PARRAMATTA SPORTS FIELDS NETWORK


CATCHMENT ONE

Suburbs Number of Sports fields

Total Size (HA)

SPORTS FIELD NAME SIZE (HA)

Winston Hills, North-mead, Toongabbie, Old Toongabbie, Constitution Hill, Northmead, West-mead, Wentworthville, Pendle Hill

13 12.23 ARTHUR PHILLIP PARK 1.89Field 1 0.96Field 2 0.93BINALONG PARK 3.25Field 1 0.91Field 2 0.84Field 3 0.81Field 4 0.69JOHN CURTIN RESERVE 1.03Field 1 1.03MAX RUDDOCK RESERVE 2.14Field 1 0.99Field 2 1.14McCOY PARK 1.84Field 1 0.90Field 2 0.94NORTHMEAD RESERVE 2.08Juniors Field 0.69Seniors Field 1.39

COUNCIL OWNED SPORTS FIELDS BY CATCHMENT


CATCHMENT TWO


Total Size (HA)



18 13.08 CARLINGFORD SCHOOL'S OVAL

2.21

Field 1 0.55Field 2 0.85Field 3 0.81COX PARK 1.47Field 1 1.11Mini Field 0.36DUNDAS PARK 2.24Curtis Oval Field 1 0.70Curtis Oval Field 2 0.82Curtis Oval Field 3 0.72HAROLD WEST RESERVE 0.93Field 1 0.93HOMELANDS RESERVE 0.83Field 1 0.73Mini Field 0.10MURRAY FARM RESERVE 0.97Baseball Diamond 1, 2, 3 & 4 0.97NORTH ROCKS PARK 1.31Field 1 0.66Field 2 0.65PEGGY WOMERSLEY RE-SERVE

0.95

Field 1- Kingsdene Oval 0.95SIR THOMAS MITCHELL RESERVE

0.92

Field 1 0.92SPEERS ROAD RESERVE 1.15Field 1- Hazel Ryan Oval 1.15STURT PARK 0.09Mini Field 0.09


CATCHMENT THREE


Total Size (HA)



5 2.92 BORONIA PARK 0.77Field 1 0.77DUNCAN PARK 0.10Croquet Court 0.10ROSELEA RESERVE 0.66Field 1 0.66SOMERVILLE PARK 1.39Field 1 0.84Mini Field 0.55

CATCHMENT FOUR


Total Size (HA)



18 20.38 BARTON PARK 2.65Athletics Track & Field 1.75P H Jeffery Field 1 0.90BELMORE PARK 1.79Richie Benaud Oval Field 1 0.85Richie Benaud Oval Field 2 0.94DAN MAHONEY RESERVE 2.00Dan Mahoney Dog Park 2.00DOYLE GROUND 5.49Field 1 1.21Field 2 1.30Field 3 1.54Field 4 1.45F S GARSIDE PARK 0.94Field 1 0.94JONES PARK 3.30Croquet Court 0.11Field 1 0.95Field 2 1.14Field 3 1.10OLLIE WEBB RESERVE 2.52Field 1 1.00Field 2 1.52ROBIN THOMAS RESERVE 1.67Field 1 0.84Field 2 0.83


CATCHMENT FIVE


Total Size (HA)



11 10.34 ERIC PRIMROSE RESERVE 1.51Field 1 0.77Field 2 0.74GEORGE KENDALL RIVER-SIDE PARK

4.99

Baseball Diamond 1 1.49Baseball Diamond 2 1.45Field 1 0.84Field 2 0.86Mini Field 0.36RYDALMERE PARK 2.55Field 1 0.89Field 2 0.87Field 3 0.79UPJOHN PARK 1.27Field 1 1.27

CATCHMENT SIX


Total Size (HA)



2 1.33 WILSON PARK 1.33Field 1 0.64Field 2 0.69


OVERALL STRENGTHS OF THE NETWORK • Overall, sports fields are well maintained and there

is a consistent and planned approach to maintaining them to a high standard.

• The provision of a number of large regional and district sportsgrounds in the network, with 11 sportsgrounds being greater than 5ha in size.

• Good consideration of accessibility and the need to support people of all abilities to use open space with a large proportion of sportsgrounds incorporating pathways.

• Many sports fields feature an appealing grassed landscape incorporating trees, some of which are substantial tall canopy trees.


• Some areas with very poor quality sports fields, particularly in Silverwater, Wentworthville and parts of Carlingford.

• A large number of small parcels of land that are less usable for recreation or sport, with 105 land parcels being less than 0.2 ha in size.

• A number of club buildings within sportsgrounds that are small, poor quality and/or poorly designed.

• A lack of support facilities for sports such as adequate lighting, cricket nets and durable training areas for sport.

• A number of sports fields that are surrounded by backyards and have poor passive surveillance as a result.

• A lack of adequate car parking connected to many sports fields.

• A number of open space areas comprise narrow riparian corridors that are unsuitable for sport due to size and

There are some other alternate options within the

area which service City of Parramatta residents with

varying degrees of public access for the community,

including:

• Nearby local and state government owned/operated sports and recreation facilities. Sydney Olympic Park is a significant resource with regional and elite level facilities.


RATES OF PROVISON There are various provision standards that can be employed when determining future community needs and potential gaps related to sports fields. Two benchmark approaches have been used: 1. A percentage of land approach 15% of the land

area for open space, of which: • 6% is formal sport • 5% is informal and passive recreation • 4% is natural area

2. Provision rate of hectares per 1,000 people with

3ha/ 1,000 people being used as the benchmark

based on industry approaches. This includes:

• 1ha/ 1,000 people for parks • 1ha/ 1,000 people for sporting open space • 1ha/ 1,000 people or more for natural areas

and other open spaces

These types of provisions or benchmarking rates are reasonably well accepted, but it is important to note that they reflect an historic approach to open space provision, and not necessarily the way in which sports fields will need to be provided in the future to reflect emerging best practice.

Having said that, benchmarks or provision standards are intended as a guide and are useful as a comparison tool. Further, they give an indication of the amount of social infrastructure that would ideally be provided if opportunity exists, feasibility is demonstrated, funding is available and the local context and site opportunities and limitations, as well as the broader provision close by, are taken into account.


City of Parramatta Open Space Provision and Benchmark Comparison (TOTAL SPORTSFIELDS)

Provision (hectares)

% of Land area (based on LGA 8,375ha)

Hectares per 1,000 in 2016 (based on 226,149)


Bench-mark - % of land area

Benchmark - ha/1,000

Potential Gap in 2036 Based on Land Area Benchmark

Potential Gap in 2036 Based on Hectares per 1,000 people

147.7ha 1.76% 0.65ha/1,000 0.37ha/ 1,000

6% 1ha/1,000 354.8ha gap in provision

249.6ha gap in provision

The open space sports field benchmarks have been applied to City of Parramatta as a whole for the population at 2016 and the estimated future population of approximately 400,000 people at 2036 as shown in the table below:

This data shows that, based on population benchmarking, the gap in Council owned sporting open space against an ideal provision will be significant by 2036. In 2036, 147.7 hectares will represent 0.36 hectares / 1,000 people (verses 1 ha / 1,000 people ideal). It also indicates that the City of Parramatta’s current sports field provision overall is below adequate.

The previously discussed benchmarks have been applied to the City of Parramatta’s catchment areas to provide an indication of sports field provision in 2036. Data indicates that catchments 3, 4 and 6 will have a particularly low provision of Council owned or managed sport open space for their projected population size.

An analysis of walkable catchments (250m, 300m, 400m) to useable Council owned recreation and sport open space shows gaps for communities in the following areas:

Catchment One: Northmead and Westmead

Catchment Two: Carlingford and North Rocks

Catchment Three: Epping

Catchment Four: Rosehill

Catchment Five: Melrose Park

Catchment Six: Silverwater, Sydney Olympic Park and Wentworth Point.

It is clear from the benchmark analysis that population growth within some catchment areas will far exceed the capacity of the current Council owned sports fields located directly within these catchments. In future, infrastructure planning, it will be critically important to view Council’s current sports fields’ provision as a complementary network that can be managed to meet the needs of the community. Further, opportunities to increase utilisation of current Council assets, and to maximise community use of non-council sports fields in our City (for example in schools), represent practical and achievable actions to increase access for the community to sports fields and meet the gap in provision. Increasing Council owned sports fields as the only action is not supported. There are practical issues to consider including:

• Character impacts – of any increase in large parcels of land for sports field use on the overall neighbourhood character that exists

• Displacement of community - through any acquisition of land

• Land costs – the land values in and around City of Parramatta are such that acquisition of land of the size required to support a sports field(s) may not be a financially feasible option

• Flow on density changes – considering any changes to densities that may result if an area of land changes use from residential to enable provision of social infrastructure (like a sports field), and what that means for density in other parts of the community


NEEDS ANALYSISCouncil has undertaken an initial review of the current network of sports fields and open space in City of Parramatta.

The review identifies a number of challenges and issues for the network including:

• Current Council owned sports fields are already at capacity in most areas

• Poor condition of some sports fields within newly acquired areas of City of Parramatta (post amalgamation)

• Increasing impacts of severe weather conditions on field surfaces and maintenance costs, including extreme heat and flooding

• Competing uses and demands on sports fields for both informal and formal sporting uses

• Competing uses and demands for regional, district and local level sports uses

• Cost of land in urbanised areas like City of Parramatta making it cost prohibitive to achieve increased sports field provision through acquisition in most cases

• Community expectations are rising and people are expecting more from open space. Sporting clubs often desire exclusive use of sports fields and associated buildings, but this practice is no longer sustainable

• A current lack of sports field provision in suburbs that are projected to have high population growth in the future (Epping, Wentworth Point, Lidcombe, Granville, Rosehill).

WHAT HAS THE COMMUNITY TOLD US?Throughout 2016, Council undertook extensive community engagement across the whole City of Parramatta local government area.

As part of this process, it was clear that many members of City of Parramatta wanted to see improvement in the quality of existing sports fields and increased access to sport and recreation facilities.

Sports fields are recognised as being critical social infrastructure for all of the community. As part of Straight Talk’s online and intercept survey defining the community’s aspirations and identity, Sport and Recreation was ranked eight within the top twelve priorities for the City of Parramatta. Community members are concerned about parking provision at sports fields, particularly in the context of increasing population density.

The community expressed concerns about the safety and quality of playing surfaces and the increasing levels of wear and tear on these facilities. Residents who live in close proximity to these sports fields have also raised concerns about noise pollution and the competing uses of sports fields. (Straight Talk, ‘A Shared Vision

for Parramatta: Defining community aspirations and identity’ Final Report,

November 2016, pp.1-56)




EMERGING TRENDS Sports fields are vital social infrastructure for all of the community. They support formal and informal sport and recreation and enable the community to lead healthy active lifestyles. Through sports clubs and organisations, a strong sense of community belonging and social cohesion can be built. The importance of access to green open spaces for passive and active recreation uses will only increase in City of Parramatta’s increasingly urbanised environment. Some key emerging trends that will impact on sports field provision into the future, include:

Diversity of InterestsThe way people utilise sports fields across the LGA is changing and people are now relying on open space for an increasingly diverse array of activities. Coupled with increasing cultural diversity, this means that sports fields need to accommodate diverse activities to meet a variety of needs, including for both formal and informal playing opportunities.

Sports fields as a NetworkIn order to serve the growing and diverse needs of our entire community, sports fields must be managed and planned for as a network. Neighbourhood, district and regional sports fields must work together to deliver a range of opportunities for activity and recreation throughout the LGA that cater for varied skill levels and needs.

Adaptable Multiuse Sports fieldsTo meet increasing expectations of our sports fields, the quality and design of playing surfaces must reflect best practice approaches. Sports fields will need to employ adaptable, multi-purpose design principles that allow the space to change according to shifting community needs. For councils, the ability to maintain the quality of sports field surfaces, and extend the use of the playing surface, will be at the centre of resource planning and decision making. In some locations this is likely to include the use of synthetic surfaces.

Increased Maintenance ImpactsIncreasing demand on our sports fields means that playing surfaces will experience an accelerated life cycle due to increased wear and tear. Sports fields need to be developed to withstand extended use, wear and tear, especially in the context of changing climatic conditions. Sports fields are increasingly being

used for both formal and informal sporting activities which means that the space available will have to manage and support competing interests. The cost of maintenance will increase in order to maintain a high quality standard. Overshadowing due to increased building heights in high density areas also impacts turf growth which can reduce capacity of grass fields

Organisation of Formal Sport Given the increasing pressure on our already at capacity sports field resources, the patrons of sports fields, be they clubs or organisations, will increasingly need to accommodate a different way of playing and organising junior and senior competition. This could include:

• Sharing the use of sports fields and club buildings by different sports clubs and organisations

• ‘Games Day’ matches held on weekdays in addition to weekends

• The use of different sports fields for training and competition purposes

• Supporting complementary use of fields for formal and informal sports

Housing Density Increasing density, smaller backyards and high density development around transport nodes means that there will be an increased need for public spaces close to where people live. These public spaces will need to support ‘day to day’ recreation and exercise as well as provide facilities for organised sport and activity. Sports fields located in close proximity to residential dwellings also mean that residents will be exposed to increased noise and light impacts.

Physical Activity and ObesityWe know that our communities’ health behaviours and health outcomes are worse than for those people living in Greater Western Sydney.

Increasing obesity rates are evident within Australia due to poor diet and lack of exercise. There is a need to ensure that open space can support and encourage physical activity by all ages, gender, cultural and socio-economic groups.


The Government is currently promoting health and physical activity and recognises the need to encourage people and their families to make use of open space. There is a need for increased connectivity of our green spaces and better walkability to ensure access to open space is readily available to all members of our community.

Local verses Regional FacilitiesThere is an increasing need to provide a range of quality local spaces as well as regional and district open spaces and facilities. Sports fields must be located on land suitable for the intended use and must incorporate appropriate amenity facilities. Open space must also employ universal design principles and be accessible to all members of the community.

PartnershipsReduced resources and access to open spaces means that alternative modes of delivery for open space will need to be explored. There is increased interest in partnerships with sports, schools and other bodies. This trend relates to potential access to school facilities for community sport. Increased Community ExpectationsCommunity expectations are rising and people are asking for more from our open space. Particularly, people are expressing their desire for an increase in amenity and other facilities within open space. Existing residents located within close proximity to parks are also advocating for better management and the noise pollution associated with its use.


STRATEGIC DIRECTIONSTo meet the needs of City of Parramatta’s growing and increasingly diverse community, Council will seek to enable access to sports fields for residents, workers and visitors for formal and informal use. It is appropriate for Council to continue to work in this area as this social infrastructure provision is largely unmet by the private market.

To do this, Council will focus on the following strategic directions: • Increase the utilisation and hours of

use of Council’s existing sports fields through a review of options to:

• improve surface quality, lighting and building amenities

• support universal design and principles of inclusion and access for all

• provide additional multi-use playing fields,

• maximise multi-use playing field configurations

• increase the number and type of users at sites, including better matching of user requirements with available assets

• develop shared-use arrangements with sporting clubs and organisations

• Increase sports field provision for community use through the following:

• Seek formal agreements with other land owners and stakeholders (including NSW Department of Education, universities, churches, not-for-profit groups and the private sector) in order to make space more accessible for community use

THE FUTURE OF OUR SPORTS FIELD NETWORK

• Seek to advocate for new sports field provision and undertake joint planning with stakeholders (to determine ownership, use, renewal and maintenance) in urban precinct renewal sites at Camellia, Carter Street Lidcombe, North Parramatta, Rydalmere, Melrose Park and Pendle Hill

• Continue to influence the accessibility, design and function of Parramatta Park and Sydney Olympic Park with a particular focus on providing sporting open space

• Seek land acquisitions and contributions to increase provision of Council owned sports fields throughout the LGA.

• Scope options for sports fields in non-traditional sites throughout the LGA e.g. roof top of car parks, multi-use courts on commercial/residential building roofs.

• Enhance pedestrian and cycling connections between sporting facilities

• Work in partnership with neighbouring Councils to understand capacity of nearby sports fields and opportunities for coordination and future joint planning to meet community needs


areas of City of Parramatta. This is particularly true for provision of sports fields (which are undersupplied and require significant space).

Council will seek to realise:

• An active use sports field ideally shared with the proposed new primary school (minimum 1.9ha)

• Possible provision of flexible multiuse sports fields for community use on the inner fields of the Australian Turf Club

Carter Street, LidcombeCarter Street is located directly south west of Sydney Olympic Park, which is a multi-use precinct. Given Carter Street will be home to a new residential community living in relative high-density and that the areas surrounding Carter Street have limited social infrastructure, planning should be considered with a networked approach.


• The opportunity to increase the current proposed provision of open space to 2.98ha of useable regional open space, colocated with the new school. Public access to sports fields for active use ideally shared with the proposed new primary school.

• Provision of one multipurpose court.

Wentworth PointWentworth Point is now home to a new and growing large-scale high-density residential community. However, development has so far outpaced provision of social infrastructure, and shortfalls will be exacerbated by the additional projected population.


• Upgrades to existing sports fields nearby to Wentworth Point to increase capacity

• Increased access to school facilities within Wentworth Point for shared use

Rydalmere, Ermington and Melrose ParkAs a result of the gentrification and renewal occurring within this corridor, more households will be living in high-density dwellings and this includes families with young children. Land use is changing and many sites are large and in limited ownership. Given that this corridor will have to meet the needs of both existing and emerging communities, it is important to ensure that social infrastructure considers the needs of these populations simultaneously.

KEY OPPORTUNTIES FOR CURRENT SPORTS FIELDSIn the short term, Council will seek to collaborate with various sporting stakeholders to better understand their current and future needs and preferences, and develop a plan for all current sports fields that aligns with the strategic directions for the network.

REALISING NEW OPPORTUNITIESCouncil will seek to realise opportunities for the expansion of our sports field network where proposed facilities will complement and add value to our existing sports field provision and meet community needs. The City of Parramatta is forecast to grow significantly in the coming years and much of this growth will be driven by twelve precincts situated along major public transport infrastructure within Greater Parramatta and the Olympic Peninsula (GPOP) and at Epping.

To support the needs of future communities, City of

Parramatta Council will seek to:

• Share its knowledge about urban precinct renewal, population growth and the likely demographics of the area with sporting stakeholders to assist with their long term strategic planning.

• Understand from sporting stakeholders their preferred facility and space requirements, and use this to inform planning in urban renewal areas as well as advocacy with other agencies for appropriate social infrastructure provision.

Council has identified the following opportunities for new sports field provision in high growth areas in City of Parramatta. The opportunities identified here are provided as a guide and will require monitoring and will change as the planning for high growth areas is refined and dwelling numbers and expected future population demographics finalised. More information on our high growth areas can be found in Section 3 of the draft Social Infrastructure Strategy.

Through advocacy, partnerships and the resources of many, Council will seek to realise the following outcomes within high growth precincts:

CamelliaIn an urbanised environment like Greater Sydney, the opportunity to renew and plan for a site as large as Camellia is rare. Careful consideration should be given to options for realising land for community uses where it might be otherwise impossible to achieve in other



• Increased provision of green sporting open space

• Upgrades to existing parks and sports fields to increase capacity and diversity of offering, including delivering the George Kendall Park master plan to increase quality and provision of recreation, sports and leisure offerings.

When considering potential new sports field facilities, Council must ensure that good outcomes are achieved for users of the facility and the broader community. This section refers to the relevant criteria that will

guide Council’s decision making on new sports field facilities. They complement, and are used in conjunction with, City of Parramatta’s stated principles for social infrastructure planning found on page 34-35.

CRITERIA TO GUIDE DECISION MAKING FOR NEW SPORTS FIELDS

FOR ALL SCENARIOS, WILL THE ADDITIONAL SPORTS FIELD:

Be of adequate size to support junior and senior sports?- Be a minimum of 180m x 180m and support a full size adult cricket boundary?- Allow for enough additional space for supporting infrastructure? (including parking,

lighting, toilets, seating)- Be free of significant overshadowing with good solar access to ensure sports field grass can grow?

Include irrigation and flood lighting?

Give consideration to the changing climatic conditions of the LGA?

Be configured to support multiple sports users (both sporting pavilion and field)?

Employ universal design principles, be DDA compliant and meet CPTED requirements?

Include adequate parking provision? - Ideal provision of 50-80 spots (site dependant)

Be located near public transport?

Provide a sporting pavilion that is flexible in design to support wider meeting room uses by the community? - Ideal inclusion of meeting space of no less than 100sqm- Include kitchen facilities- Toilets- Store rooms- Referee facilities- Kiosk- Change roomsBe financially viable, as demonstrated through a financial feasibility assessment that includes construction, ongoing maintenance and renewal costs as well as operational costs?

Be provided as unencumbered land, free of contamination or remediated to satisfactory levels?

Be located at a centrally accessible and highly visible location?


QUESTIONS:

What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of our current sports field network?

What strategies should Council consider to deliver sports fields for our future communities, in collaboration and partnership with others?


CURRENT PROVISION City of Parramatta Council (Council) plays a significant role in the provision of open space parks and outdoor recreation to meet the needs of current and future populations. Parks are defined as public land that has the potential to support recreation, sport or community activities. Outdoor recreation includes any facility or open space that is used for unstructured

recreation including tennis courts, netball courts, off-leash dog parks, cricket nets, circuit paths, exercise equipment, youth facilities (skate, kick walls, BMX), picnic areas and event spaces. Play spaces are discussed separately and not included here.

The following maps and tables detail the current Council owned Parks and Outdoor Recreation facilities throughout City of Parramatta:

CITY OF PARRAMATTA PARKS AND OUTDOOR RECREATION NETWORK


CATCHMENT ONE

Suburbs Total Reserves

Size Strengths Weaknesses

Winston Hills, Northmead, Toongabbie, Old Toongabbie, Constitution Hill, Northmead, Westmead, Went-worthville, Pendle Hill

93 70.9ha Council recreation and sport open space

Natural area focus linked to water courses

• Many reserves are average quality while some are poorer quality

• High levels of disparity in quality• Large proportion of open space needs upgrade

and redesign• Low provision in Westmead, Northmead, Pendle

Hill, Wentworthville and Constitution Hill• Many facilities do not support quality recreation

facilities

CATCHMENT TWO





• Good provision of sports-grounds

• Natural area focus

• Most reserves are average quality or good quality• Lower provision in North Rocks and southern part

of Carlingford • Limited number of large recreation parks• Need to improve quality of parks, play provision

and other facilities.

CATCHMENT THREE





Area includes a number of key open spaces (Bo-ronia Park, Forest Park, Avonlea Park) which justify being good quality

• Many reserves are average quality while some are poorer quality and others are higher quality (high levels of disparity in provision quality exist)

• Lower provision in southern and northern parts of Epping and Eastwood

• Need to enhance and improve the function and usability of open space

• Lack of recreation activities for older children and young adults

CATCHMENT FOUR





• Parramatta Park is in this area (82ha)

• Parramatta River focus (with key open spaces along the river)

• Many reserves are average quality while some are poorer quality and others are higher quality (high levels of disparity in provision quality exist)

• Lower provision in Granville, Harris Park, Oatlands and Camellia

• Camellia requires accessible and usable open space for planned new communities

• The open space within this catchment is already at or nearing capacity, provision is already limited and will not be adequate to meet the needs of future populations.


CATCHMENT FIVE





• Parramatta River focus (key open spaces along the river)

• Key recreation parks including Cowells Lane Reserve, Hal-vorsen Park, George Kendall Reserve Riverside Park, Ken Newman Park, , Eric Primrose Reserve, Thomas Wemyss Park and Upjohn Park.

• Most reserves are average quality or good quality

• No provision in Melrose Park but George Kendall Riverside Park nearby

• The quality and function of the existing open spaces needs to be improved

CATCHMENT SIX





• 4.75ha open space planned for Lid-combe

• Sydney Olympic Park is in the area (396.4ha but large proportion is natural area and built sports and showground facilities)

• Parramatta River focus

• A number of reserves are of poorer quality

• Limited provision in Wentworth Point but 3.9ha reserve proposed and communal open spaces and streetscapes are pro-vided or planned

• Low provision in Silverwater


OVERALL STRENGTHS OF THE NETWORK

• Many of Council’s parks are average or good quality and are well maintained by Council.

• Many of Council’s parks provide some kind of recreation opportunity including a playspace, outdoor court or exercise equipment.

• Pathways are included within many open spaces to provide access to activity spaces and enable movement between open spaces.

• Many parks have an appealing landscape with mature trees and grassed areas.

• A number of parks are co-located with community buildings and commercial spaces and support users of those buildings and spaces.

• Many parks have good consideration for accessibility and support people of all ages and abilities.

• Bush walking tracks and pathways provide good opportunities to access natural areas and experience nature.

OVERALL WEAKNESSES OF THE PARKS NETWORK

• A number of parks are in poor condition. The greatest need is to upgrade buildings and toilets, play spaces, youth facilities, picnic settings and seating.

• A number of parks that have been transferred from other councils (following amalgamations and boundary realignment in 2016) are in need of an upgrade.

• Some parks are under developed and there is potential to use these spaces to create quality parks in areas that will soon experience high growth.

• Only a small proportion of parks provide dedicated parking. This creates issues with traffic in streets at some parks, particularly in higher growth areas.

• For a number of parks, the provision of shade and irrigation could be improved.

• The ability for residents to walk 5 – 10 minutes to active open space from their homes is vary variable throughout the City.

• Lack of active transport options or public transport options that serve to connect people to the network of parks

• The current provision of Council owned parks in areas that are increasingly being developed with medium and high density dwellings (and where demand for open space will be high) is poor. This includes Epping, Granville, Harris Park, Parramatta (suburb), Telopea, Wentworth Point and Westmead.

There are a number of other parks within the area that service City of Parramatta residents but are not owned by Council. These include:

• Sydney Olympic Park (A comprehensive recreation and sporting destination with a focus on elite sport. It features a variety of facilities including a major tennis centre, an oval, a major athletics centre, hockey pitches and two major outdoor sports stadiums)

• Parramatta Park (82 hectares of space, including a number of field areas that are available for community sport and seasonal hire. Facilities include a main oval with a turf cricket pitch, one defined playing field and six cricket pitches on less formal playing areas).


COUNCIL OWNED OUTDOOR RECREATION BY CATCHMENTA summary of Council owned outdoor recreation facilities within each catchment is provided below and further details are given in Attachment A:

CATCHMENT ONE

PICNIC AREAS

CRICKET NETS

CRICKET WICKETS

TENNIS COURTS

HARD-COURTS

EXERCISE EQUIPMENT

SKATE FACILITY

DOG PARK

15 BBQ PLATES

10 8 13 9 3 0 2

CATCHMENT TWO

PICNIC AREAS

CRICKET NETS

CRICKET WICKETS

TENNIS COURTS

HARD-COURTS

EXERCISE EQUIPMENT

SKATE FACILITY

DOG PARK

15 BBQ PLATES

9 5 7 9 4 3 0

CATCHMENT THREE

PICNIC AREAS

CRICKET NETS

CRICKET WICKETS

TENNIS COURTS

HARD-COURTS

EXERCISE EQUIPMENT

SKATE FACILITY

DOG PARK

7 BBQ PLATES

2 2 5 1 3 0 0

CATCHMENT FOUR

PICNIC AREAS

CRICKET NETS

CRICKET WICKETS

TENNIS COURTS

HARD-COURTS

EXERCISE EQUIPMENT

SKATE FACILITY

DOG PARK

9 BBQ PLATES

6 8 19 2 7 2 1

CATCHMENT FIVE

PICNIC AREAS

CRICKET NETS

CRICKET WICKETS

TENNIS COURTS

HARD-COURTS

EXERCISE EQUIPMENT

SKATE FACILITY

DOG PARK

16 BBQ PLATES

2 3 4 3 4 0 1

CATCHMENT SIX

PICNIC AREAS

CRICKET NETS

CRICKET WICKETS

TENNIS COURTS

HARD-COURTS

EXERCISE EQUIPMENT

SKATE FACILITY

DOG PARK

6 BBQ PLATES

0 0 0 3 1 0 1

Total 29 26 48 27 22 5 5



OVERALL STRENGTHS OF THE OUTDOOR

RECREATION NETWORK

• Council is upgrading and providing new outdoor recreation facilities and infrastructure within the network currently, including exercise equipment, picnic settings, barbecues and public toilets.

• Many outdoor recreation facilities are co-located within or adjacent to parks.

• Most exercise stations are in very good condition.

• Picnic facilities are provided in a large number of reserves.

• Recreation courts and multi-use courts are provided in parks. A number of tennis courts are also available for recreation use.

• A large number of open spaces incorporate a pathway; of which many are in good condition.

OVERALL WEAKNESSES OF THE OUTDOOR

RECREATION NETWORK

• Many of the outdoor recreation facilities are ageing.• Quality and provision of infrastructure within smaller

parks is often poor.• Only two recreation parks have soccer goals and

there is a lack of other less traditional facilities such as flying foxes, adventure play, nature play, table tennis and defined ball game areas.

• Play opportunities are lacking for older children and there is a lack of play spaces with ‘all access’ equipment.

• There is a low provision of activity opportunities for youth. Many of Council’s current youth facilities are ageing and some justify replacement.

• Current supply of recreation courts is low. • Many of Council’s current picnic settings and seating

require upgrade and the LGA could benefit from further provision of these resources.

• Many of Council’s dog off-leash areas require improvement in their level of service and quality.

RATES OF PROVISION – OPEN SPACE PARKSThere are various provision standards that can be employed when determining future community needs and potential gaps related to open space parks. Two benchmark approaches have been used:

1.A percentage of land approach

15% of the land area for open space, of which:

• 6% is formal sport

• 5% is informal and passive recreation

• 4% is natural area

Plus consideration of Distance from dwelling to passive open space:

• 250 metres or around 2-3 minutes’ walk (high density areas)

• 400 metres or 5-10 minutes’ walk (everywhere else)

2. Provision rate of hectares per 1,000 people with

3ha/ 1,000 people being used as the benchmark

for total open space, based on industry

approaches. This includes:

• 1ha/ 1,000 people for recreation open space (parks)

• 1ha/ 1,000 people for sporting open space

• 1ha/ 1,000 people or more for natural areas and other open spaces

Further outlined below is a best practice open space benchmark which is widely accepted in the industry and useful for comparison purposes:

Best Practice Open Space Benchmarks

20% of locale is dedicated as open space

+ 200 metres distance to nearest local open space

These provisions or benchmarking rates are reasonably well accepted, but it is important to note that they reflect an historic approach to open space provision, and not necessarily the way in which parks will need to be provided in the future to reflect emerging best practice.

Having said that, benchmarks or provision standards are intended as a guide and are useful as a comparison tool. Further, they give an indication of the amount of social infrastructure that would ideally be provided if opportunity exists, feasibility is demonstrated, funding is available and the local context and site opportunities and limitations, as well as the broader provision close by, are taken into account.


City of Parramatta Park Provision and Benchmark Comparison

Provision (hectares)

% of Land area (based on LGA 8,375ha)



Council Bench-mark (% of land area)

Indicative Industry Benchmark (ha/1,000)

Potential Gap in 2036 Based on Land Area Benchmark

Potential Gap in 2036 Based on Hectares per 1,000 People

206.9ha 2.47% 0.88ha/1,000 0.52ha/ 1,000

5% 1ha/1,000 211.8ha gap in provision

190.4ha gap in provision

The above open space sports field benchmark has been applied to City of Parramatta as a whole for the population at 2016 and estimated future population of approximately 400,000 people at 2036 as shown in the table below:

This data shows that, based on population benchmarking, the gap in Council owned parks open space against an ideal provision will be significant by 2036. In 2036, 211.8 hectares will represent 0.53 hectares per 1,000 people (verses 1 ha per 1,000 people ideal). It also indicates that City of Parramatta’s current parks provision overall is below adequate.

The open space parks benchmark was further applied to the six catchment across City of Parramatta. The analysis shows parks provision as:

• Relatively low in Catchments 1 and 2 in relation to both proportion of land area and future population size

• Low in Catchments 3 and 4 in relation to both proportion of land area and future population size. This highlights the importance of the non-Council land (Parramatta Park) in Catchment Area 4 and the need for quality open spaces in both catchment areas

• Good in Catchment 5 in relation to the proportion of land area but relatively low for the future population size

• Very low in Catchment 6 for both land area and future population size. This highlights the importance of the non-Council land (Sydney Olympic Park) and the need for accessible good quality open spaces across the Catchment

An analysis of walkable catchments to usable parks was also undertaken. The analysis considered the level of access to open space based on a walkable catchment of 300m for parks. The analysis highlighted that there are particular gaps in the current provision

of Council owned or managed parks in the catchments and suburbs listed below:

Catchment One: Northmead and Westmead

Catchment Two: Carlingford and North Rocks

Catchment Three: Epping

Catchment Four: Rosehill

Catchment Five: Melrose Park

Catchment Six: Silverwater, Sydney Olympic Park and Wentworth Point

A number of suburbs in the City of Parramatta will incorporate medium and high density development by 2036. However, the current provision of Council’s parks and sports fields in areas that will have increasing density and where demand for parks will be high, is very poor for a number of suburbs. The following table outlines the provision of parks within City of Parramatta’s suburbs where there will be significant high density apartments in the future.


RECREATION AND SPORT OPEN SPACE PROVISION IN SUBURBS WITH GROWING HIGH DENSITY HOUSING IN 2036 Council Owned Recreation and Sport Open Space (Excludes Non-Council, Natural Areas and General Community Use)

Suburbs Recreation and Sport Open Space*

2036 Population % of Land Hectares / 1,000 Comments

Carlingford 41.0ha 35,827 4.85% 1.14 ha/1,000 Greatest gaps around high den-sity nodes

Epping 18.6ha 37,271 2.70% 0.50ha/1,000 Significant gap in provision

Ermington + Melrose Park

46.3ha 40,190 10.79% 1.15ha/1,000 Relatively good provision around new development areas but poten-tial high need due to population growth and high density

Granville 4.0ha 18,335 2.43% 0.22ha/1,000 Significant gap in provision

Harris Park 1.9ha 6,593 2.92% 0.29ha/1,000 Significant gap in provision for the population size

Parramatta suburb

29.2ha 55,246 5.23% 0.53ha/1,000 Significant gap in provision for the population size

Sydney Olympic Park

0.0ha 25,207 0 0 Major gap but good provision through non-Council land

Telopea 7.2ha 14,135 4.67% 0.51ha/1,000 Significant gap in provision

Wentworth Point 0.0ha 18,286 0 0 Major gap with reliance on other areas although large park proposed

Westmead 0.0ha 11,981 0 0 Major gap with reliance on other areas


It is clear from the benchmark analysis that population growth within some catchment areas will far exceed the capacity of the current Council owned parks located directly within these catchments. In future infrastructure planning it will be critically important to view Council’s parks provision as a complementary network that can be managed to meet the needs of the community nearby and further away.

Further, opportunities to increase utilisation of current Council assets, and to maximise community use of non- Council open space in our City (for example in schools and regional parks) represent practical and achievable actions to increase access for the community to parks and meet the gap in provision. Increasing Council owned parks as the only action to address provision deficiency is not supported.

There are practical issues to consider with this approach including:

• Character impacts – of any increase in large parcels of land for parks use on the overall neighbourhood character.

• Displacement of community - through any acquisition of land

• Land costs – the land values in and around City of Parramatta are such that acquisition of land of the size required to support a large park may not be a financially feasible option

• Flow on density changes – considering any changes to densities that may result if an area of land

changes use from residential to enable provision of social infrastructure, and what that means for density in other parts of the community

RATES OF PROVISION FOR OUTDOOR RECREATION As with open sports fields, there are a number of provision standards that could be employed as one information input for determining future community needs and potential gaps. Benchmarks are a guide and are useful as a comparison with other findings. They give an indication of the amount of open space or the number of sport and recreation facilities that would ideally be provided if the opportunity exists and are subject to feasibility and site opportunities and constraints.

The outdoor recreation provision standards used are outlined below:

Facility Type Benchmark

Recreation Courts 1: 10,000

Exercise Equipment 1: 15,000

Youth Facilities 1: 50,000 skate 1: 50,000 BMX

Dog Parks 1: 50,000

The table below outlines current outdoor recreation provision in 2016. It also shows the provision is at 2036

with a future estimated population of close to 400,000 people.

Facility Type Current Provision Rate of Provision 2016 (236,272 pop)

Rate of Provision 2036 (397,339 pop)

Recreation Courts 23 recreation courts (2 netball, 21 multi-use)

1: 10,273 1: 17,276

Exercise Equipment 22 exercise stations 1: 10,740 1: 18,061

Youth Facilities 3 skate parks (5 skate spaces across 3 sites)

1: 78,757 1: 132,446

Dog Parks 5 designated dog parks (fenced) 4 unfenced dog off leash areas

1: 47,254 (designated) 1: 26,252 total

1: 79,468 (designated) 1: 44,149 total


When the benchmarks are further applied at a catchment level across City of Parramatta, data highlights that the provision of council owned or managed outdoor recreation is as follows:

• Recreation courts are particularly lacking in Catchment 4 and in Catchment 6

• Youth facilities are particularly lacking in Catchment 1 (where there is a strong family focus) and in Catchment 3 and Catchment 6

• Dedicated dog parks are lacking in Catchment 3 and the southern part of Catchment 4

WHAT HAS THE COMMUNITY TOLD US ABOUT PARKS AND OUTDOOR RECREATION?Throughout 2016, Council undertook extensive community engagement across the whole City of Parramatta local government area.

As part of this process, it was clear that for many members of City of Parramatta, parks are a key component to support good management of development and in planning for the future of the area. Parks are a highly valued resource within the community.

The following table shows the ideal outdoor recreation provision for an estimated population of 400,000 people in City of Parramatta at 2036.

CURRENT OUTDOOR RECREATION FACILITY SUPPLY VS. POTENTIAL FUTURE

Facility Current Provision Potential Facility Requirements in 2036

Potential Gaps and Additional Facility Needs in 2036

Recreation Courts

23 recreation courts (2 netball, 21 multi-use)

40 recreation courts +17 recreation courts

Exercise Equip-ment

22 exercise stations 26 exercise stations +4 exercise stations

Youth Facilities 3 skate parks (5 skate spaces across 3 sites)

8 skate parks8 bike facilities

+5 skateable facilities +5 bike facilities

Dog Parks 5 defined dog parks 4 unfenced off leash areas

8 defined dog parks +2 defined dog parks

There was a high demand for recreation parks, play spaces and trails and many community members spoke of the value of the ‘green’ environment, including trees, streetscapes and landscapes within parks. The community expressed a desire for a variety of outdoor recreation facilities that increase access to opportunities for physical activity.

Our community spoke about the importance of protecting our parks and maintaining existing provision rates and where possible, extending existing provision. There was also high demand across the LGA for a mix of open space types featuring conveniently located local parks that are of good quality. (Straight Talk, ‘A Shared Vision for Parramatta: Defining

community aspirations and identity’ Final Report, November 2016, pp.1-56)



NEEDS ANALYSISIn a time of great change and rapid population growth, City of Parramatta Council is considering how to best provide parks and outdoor recreation that meet the needs of the entire community.

Challenges facing current parks and outdoor recreation provision are outlined below:


• There is uneven distribution of parks across the City and several areas are under serviced. More often than not these are also areas that happen to be where significant population growth from high density development is expected.

• The intensity of use of many of our parks is increasing, especially as event spaces. This is placing pressure on maintenance schedules and budgets as park designs and infrastructure are often not suitable for mass crowds that are now more regularly gathering in them. This is especially true for parks near the Parramatta CBD, including Prince Alfred Square, Robin Thomas Reserve and the CBD River Foreshore. There is no showground (or similar) space within City of Parramatta.

• There is opportunity to increase the value and use of our parks through improvements in design and provision of more outdoor recreation facilities, as well as connections between them and with our valuable natural assets.

• Space and facilities for older children and young people is lacking throughout the City.

EMERGING TRENDS Parks and outdoor recreation facilities will need to continue to provide the active and passive recreation opportunities that they currently perform in the future.

However, they will also need to evolve to reflect the expectations and demands of the community. Parks and outdoor recreation facilities are critical to influencing positive physical and mental health outcomes for community members, to increasing community cohesion and to ensuring a variety of affordable leisure and recreation opportunities. As density increases, these spaces will increasingly need to be planned for to address gaps in private provision and to support population growth. Some key emerging trends that will impact on parks and outdoor recreation provision into the future, include:

Diversity of InterestsThe way people utilise parks and outdoor recreation across the LGA is changing and people are now relying on open space for an increasingly diverse array of activities. Coupled with increasing cultural diversity, this means that parks and outdoor recreation will need to be able to accommodate diverse activities to meet a variety of needs, including provision of things like animal friendly parks and boot-camp facilities, group and individual fitness, formal and informal activities. Walking and running are increasingly popular as recreation activities and parks can provide the destinations and linkages to facilitate them.

Parks and Outdoor Recreation as a NetworkIn order to serve the growing and diverse needs of our entire community, sports fields must be managed and planned for as a network. Neighbourhood, district and regional sports fields must work together to deliver a range of opportunities for activity and recreation throughout the LGA that cater for varied skill levels and needs.

Quality and Design To meet increasing expectations of our parks and outdoor recreation facilities, the quality and design of these spaces must reflect best practice approaches. Parks and outdoor recreation facilities must be


located on land suitable for the intended use and must incorporate appropriate amenity facilities. Parks and outdoor recreation facilities must also employ universal design principles and be accessible to all members of the community to promote accessibility and inclusion. Parks and outdoor recreation facilities of the future will also need to consider future technology and how people will want to engage with this technology in these spaces.

Increased Pressure on Parks and Outdoor Recreation FacilitiesHeightened demand on our parks and outdoor recreation facilities means that these spaces will experience an accelerated life cycle due to increased wear and tear. Parks and outdoor recreation facilities are increasingly being used for both formal and informal sporting activities which means that the space available will have to manage and support competing interests. Parks are also experiencing more pressure to accommodate private infrastructure within our reserves and to act as regular event spaces.

Housing Density Increasing density, larger houses on smaller land, and development around transport nodes means that there will be an increased need for public spaces close to where people live. These public spaces will need to support ‘day to day’ recreation and exercise need as well as provide facilities for organised sport and activity. Higher quality of park space and outdoor recreation facilities is increasingly needed to support constant and heavy usage.

Physical Activity and ObesityIncreasing obesity rates are evident within Australia due to poor diet and lack of exercise. There is a need to ensure that our open space can support and encourage physical activity by all ages, cultural and socio-economic groups. The Government is currently promoting health and physical activity and recognises the need to be encourage individuals and their families to make use of open space. There is a need for increased connectivity of our green spaces and better walkability to ensure access to parks and outdoor recreation facilities is readily available to all members of our community.

Local vs Regional FacilitiesThere is increasing recognition of the importance of local recreation spaces as well as larger reserves. There is a need to provide a spread of quality local spaces as well as regional and district parks and facilities.

PartnershipsReduced resources and access to open spaces means that alternative modes of delivery for parks and outdoor recreation facilities will need to be explored. There is increased interest in partnerships and shared assets by sports associations, schools and other bodies.

Increased Community ExpectationsCommunity expectations are rising and people are asking for more from our parks and outdoor recreation facilities. Particularly, people are expressing their desire for an increase in amenity and other adjunct facilities within parks that support liveability ( e.g. cafes).


STRATEGIC DIRECTIONSTo meet the needs of the City of Parramatta’s growing and increasingly diverse community, Council will seek to realise a networked approach to the delivery of open space parks and outdoor recreation facilities. Adequate open space in the right locations in each catchment will be critical to enabling the delivery of quality facilities as expected in the future.

To do this, Council will focus on the following strategic directions:

• Seek no net loss of the current park and outdoor recreation space provision in City of Parramatta

• Increase the utilisation and hours of use of Council’s existing parks and outdoor recreation facilities, through improvements to:

• Quality and Design (including universal design standards), lighting and amenities – especially for areas with high density dwellings

• Diversity of offer

• Enhanced pedestrian and cycle connections to and between parks and outdoor recreation facilities, and

• Access to public transport and/or parking facilities

• Increase usability and accessibility of natural areas through City of Parramatta for outdoor recreation whilst maintaining their natural values, including:

• Pedestrian and cycle tracks within natural settings and connections between settings

• Outdoor recreation adventure options

• Seek to increase provision of open space for parks and outdoor recreation facilities through the following:

• Seek to realise public access to the river foreshore throughout the City of Parramatta

• Seek to advocate for high quality new parks and outdoor recreation provision and joint planning with stakeholders (to determine ownership, use, renewal and maintenance ) in all urban precinct renewal sites. Seek diverse park and outdoor recreation facilities, experiences and associated amenities within the high growth precincts

• Seek formal agreements with other land owners and stakeholders (including NSW Department of Education, universities, schools, churches, not for profit groups and the private sector) for shared use of assets for community use

• Continue to advocate and influence the accessibility, design and function of

THE FUTURE OF OUR PARKS AND OUTDOOR RECREATION NETWORK


Parramatta Park and Sydney Olympic Park

• Seek land acquisitions and contributions to increase provision and quality of Council owned open space for parks and outdoor recreation facilities throughout the LGA

• Require the delivery of quality open space and recreation facilities within private developments for localised use

• Seek to realise small scale local active options, close to new development and in areas of higher density e.g. street corner half courts

• Scope options for outdoor recreation facilities in non-traditional sites throughout the LGA e.g. roof top of car parks or other buildings

• Enhance pedestrian and cycling connections between parks and outdoor recreation facilities

• Seek opportunities for streetscapes and well placed open space close to new development and in areas of higher density

• Work in partnership with neighbouring councils to understand capacity of nearby parks and outdoor recreation facilities and opportunities for coordination and future joint planning to meet community needs

• Scope potential of creating a dedicated events space with appropriate public transport access and/or access to parking opportunities


KEY OPPORTUNITIES FOR CURRENT PARKS AND OUTDOOR RECREATION FACILITIESIn the short term, Council will seek to collaborate with various stakeholders to better understand their current and future needs and preferences, and develop a plan for all current parks and outdoor recreation that aligns with the strategic directions for the network.

As part of this work, Council has produced or is currently producing several Plans of Management or master plans that outline site specific approaches for design and upgrade of parks and outdoor recreation within the City of Parramatta. These are listed below and provide immediate focus for improvements to Council’s parks and outdoor recreation network:

Park / Reserve Catchment Status

George Kendall Reserve, Riverside Park Melrose Park, Ermington

5 Adopted Master Plan

Rydalmere Park, Rydalmere

5 Requires a Master Plan Under development

Prince Alfred Square, Parramatta


Robin Thomas Reserve, Parramatta

4 Adopted Master Plan Requires review in context of CBD planning

Lake Parramatta, North Parramatta

4 Adopted master plan. Requires review in context of recently reintroduced swimming.

Boronia Park, Epping


Dence Park, Epping

3 Requires a Master Plan in context of Epping Town Centre Review

Sommerville Park, Eastwood


Sturt Park, Telopea 2 Adopted Master Plan Requires review given now adopted Telopea Master Plan 2017

Cox Park, Carlingford 3 Adopted Master Plan

North Rocks Park, Carlingford


Jones Park, Parramatta

1 Adopted Master plan

Sue Savage Reserve, Toongabbie



REALISING NEW OPPORTUNITIES Council will seek to realise opportunities for the expansion of our existing parks and outdoor recreation network where proposed facilities will complement and add value to our existing provision and meet community needs. Currently, Council has identified the following opportunities for new parks and outdoor recreation provision in high growth areas in City of Parramatta. The opportunities identified here are provided as a guide and will require monitoring and will change as the planning for high growth areas is refined and dwelling numbers and expected future population demographics are finalised.

More information on the high growth areas can be found in Section 3.

CAMELLIA

Given this site will be home to a new large-scale high density residential community, a significant opportunity exists to realise the greater provision of parks and outdoor recreation facilities to address the current lack of provision.


• Regional open space including public access to the Parramatta River foreshore (passive use)

• A sports field (active use) of minimum 1.9 hectares and ideally shared with the proposed school

• Possible provision of flexible multiuse sports fields for community use on the inner fields of the Australian Turf Club

• Increased provision publicly accessible open space and recreation facilities within private development to support the needs of residents, including those of families with children.

CARTER STREET

Carter Street is located directly south west of Sydney Olympic Park. Given Carter Street will be home to a new residential community living in relative high-density dwellings and that the areas surrounding Carter Street have limited social infrastructure, planning should be considered with a networked approach.


• A quality larger town centre plaza, greater than the current proposed village square and no less than 0.3 hectares.

• Widening of the proposed linear open space along

Haslams Creek to greater than 20 metres

• Review of location and increase in size of the smaller parcels of open space proposed throughout the precinct

• 2.98 ha of useable open space, co-located with the new school; including sports fields with public access for the community shared with the new primary school.

• Provision of open space and recreation facilities within private development to support resident’s needs.

• Provision of outdoor recreation facilities including at least one exercise station, one flexible multipurpose court and six play spaces for children and young people.

• Increased pedestrian and bike connections to natural assets and key parks and open spaces, and to areas outside of Carter Street.

WENTWORTH POINT

Wentworth Point is now home to a new and growing large-scale high-density residential community, however, development has so far outpaced provision of social infrastructure.


• Increased provision of quality parks and green open space within Wentworth Point, including through shared use of school facilities, street treatments, a large park of 1.05 hectares linked to the river foreshore, and development of a 3.9 hectare peninsula park along the foreshore, advancing the vision for the Homebush Bay Promenade

• Increased provision of open space and recreation facilities within private development to support resident’s needs

• Increased pedestrian and bike connections to natural assets and key parks and open spaces, and to areas outside of Wentworth Point

RYDALMERE, ERMINGTON AND MELROSE PARK

As a result of the gentrification and renewal occurring within this corridor, more households will be living in high-density dwellings and this includes families with young children. Given that this corridor will have to meet the needs of both existing and emerging communities, social infrastructure must respond to the needs of these populations simultaneously.



• Revitalisation of the Parramatta River Foreshore and enabling public access with pedestrian and bike links

• Increased provision of sporting open space as a land use within the corridor.

• Upgrades to existing parks and sports fields to increase capacity and diversity of offering including delivering the George Kendall Riverside Park master

plan to increase quality and provision of recreation, sports and leisure offerings

• Increased provision of open space and recreation facilities within private development to support resident’s needs

When considering potential new parks and outdoor recreation facilities, Council must ensure that good outcomes are achieved for users of the facility and the broader community. This section refers to the relevant criteria that will guide Council’s decision making on

new parks and outdoor recreation facilities. They complement, and are used in conjunction with, City of Parramatta’s stated principles for social infrastructure planning found on page 34-35.

CRITERIA TO GUIDE DECISION MAKING FOR NEW PARK AND OUTDOOR RECERATION FACILITIES

FOR ALL SCENARIOS, WILL THE ADDITIONAL OPEN SPACE/FACILITY:

Contribute to meeting the strategic directions for the network and complement the existing district and regional open space network?

Be financially viable and give consideration to ongoing staffing, operational and maintenance costs?

Facilitate open space and facilities in a high density urban renewal area?

Be located within close proximity to regular public transport services?

Be located to ensure visibility within the site?

Be physically accessible and employ universal design principles?

Be designed to maximise flexibility in use and be capable of accommodating a diversity of uses ?

Include appropriate facilities to maximise amenity including accessible toilets?

NON-TRADITIONAL OUTDOOR RECREATION SPACE SHOULD MEET THE ABOVE CRITERIA (AS RELEVANT), AND ADDITIONALLY:

Ideally, be located within a community hub or in a town/site centre?


QUESTIONS: What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of our current parks and outdoor recreation network?

What strategies should Council consider to deliver parks and outdoor recreation facilities for our future communities, in collaboration and partnership with other?


During consultation at Council’s early

learning centres, children drew their

‘favourite place.’ For many children,

playing at parks and playgrounds is

a treasured experience.

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