South WestRegional Club Development Plan2013-2017

Prepared by the Department of Sport and Recreation in partnership with key club development stakeholders in the South West Region.

August 2013

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CLUB DEVELOPMENT IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Vision

Sport and recreation clubs are well resourced, supported and adaptable organisations that create stronger, healthier, happier and safer communities.

Purpose

Sport and recreation clubs are sustainable organisations that deliver diverse opportunities for people to participate in physical activity in their local community, in a safe and welcoming environment.

Guiding Principles

Advocate for and support the development of sustainable high-level sport and recreation clubs

Recognise and respond to the diverse cultures, changing environments and the needs of sport and recreation clubs

Provide leadership and develop partnerships to achieve club development initiatives Provide education, training and professional development opportunities for club volunteers

and community organisations Collaborative approach to club development by connecting State Sporting Associations,

Regional Sporting Associations, Local Government and other relevant community organisations

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REGIONAL CLUB DEVELOPMENT PLAN INTENT AND IMPLEMENTATION

This Regional Club Development Plan has been developed by the Department of Sport and Recreation in consultation with regional club development stakeholders. It aims to highlight challenges and opportunities for club development across the region and helps to inform the future direction and delivery models required to achieve the outcomes identified.

The intent of this plan is to: Increase stakeholder understanding of emerging club development challenges in the region Guide strategic and operational planning processes for organisations involved with the

delivery of club development Guide investment in club development activities and initiatives.

This four year plan will be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure it remains relevant and continues to respond to the needs of clubs in the region.

This plan does not belong to the Department of Sport and Recreation. It is a strategic plan to guide all stakeholders that have a role to play in the delivery of club development across the region. State and Local government working in partnership with industry and other regional stakeholders is vital.

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WESTERN AUSTRALIAN SPORT AND RECREATION INDUSTRY STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS 2011–2015 (SD5)

Western Australia’s sport and recreation industry has been guided by three five-year strategic directions since 1997, giving the industry a framework in which to operate and develop. It has also guided State Government decision-making and funding directions and has been the catalyst for the achievement of a range of industry outcomes.

SD5 is the title for the next generation of strategic directions.

The intent of the Strategic Directions documents is to:

Establish a sport and recreation industry vision and strategic direction; Highlight the current and future key issues and challenges facing the development of the

sport and recreation industry; Establish a guiding framework within which sport and recreation organisations can develop

their own strategic plans and development priorities; Provide advocacy and policy support to achieve a range of industry outcomes; Promote understanding of Government priorities and their relation and impact to sport and

recreation; and Establish key partnerships within, and between, government and industry on key issues.

SD5 is a dynamic framework. Issues and challenges will continue to evolve over the lifetime of the framework.

Relevance to Club Development

This Regional Club Development plan has been informed by two key challenges in SD5, Organisational and People Development.

People Development1. The industry must bolster its attraction and retention strategies to ensure competitiveness in

a projected tight labour market.

2. Innovative solutions and models are required to:a) enable productivity gains for ‘time poor’ volunteers; andb) engage young people in volunteering.

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3. A strengthened and ongoing commitment to workforce training and professional development is required to underpin the Industry’s long-term sustainability. This extends to initiatives that:

a) strengthen the skills, efficiency and knowledge of employees/contractors; andb) bolster executive and board governance capability.

Organisational Development

1. Greater focus is needed on sport and recreation organisations evolving relevant and robust business models that enable:

a) sustainable operational and financial viability;b) responsiveness to changing markets and contexts (e.g. commercialisation, industrial awards, structure of sport system, unitary modelling, changing participant markets); andc) efficient application of new technology and business systems.

2. Concerted efforts are required to manage or reduce the regulatory and compliance burden on the Industry, especially those that impact on the 200,000 volunteers within the Industry.

3. Partnerships must be formed to assist the Industry to interpret implications and to develop responses to key strategic externalities (e.g. tax reform, multiple COAG agendas, carbon tax introduction, water shortages, climate change).

Meeting these challenges will require a collaborative effort across the Industry and at regional levels. As a call to action, all stakeholders must commit time and energy to progress these challenges.

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REGIONAL PROFILE

Population

154,519 based on WA Tomorrow 2012.

The region’s resident population is projected to grow by around 22% between 2010 and 2016, with suggestions that resident population will increase to 198,505 by 2016 and to 230,000 by 2026.

Demographic Profile

The region is located in the south-west corner of the state, facing the Indian and Southern Oceans, and covers an area of 23,998 sq. km. The South West is a major tourism destination with some of the attractions being:

Rugged coastline World-class surfing Caves Wineries

Bunbury is the Regional Centre for the South West, but Busselton is also now classified as a City. The South West has 3 distinct districts (sub-regions):

Bunbury-Wellington (Greater Bunbury & Collie) Vasse (Busselton & Margaret River) Warren Blackwood (Lower South West)

Local Governments

Shire of August-Margaret River Shire of Boyup Brook Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes City of Bunbury City of Busselton Shire of Capel Shire of Collie Shire of Dardanup Shire of Donnybrook-Balingup Shire of Harvey Shire of Manjimup Shire of Nannup

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Primary Industry

The region's main economic activities include:

Agriculture and horticulture Timber and forest products Mineral extraction, processing and manufacturing Retail Tourism Construction Manufacturing Service industries Fishing and aquaculture

Climate

The South West has a Mediterranean climate, with dry summers and wet winters. About 900mm of rain falls per year, with almost all of it falling between May and September. Mean maximum daily temperatures range from 16°C in July to 32°C in February.

Sport and recreation

Sport is an important part of life across the South West with each community providing a range of facilities to cater for a range of sports from outdoor to indoor. The South West Sports Centre in Bunbury was built to accommodate Bunbury and many of the South West’s major indoor sporting competitions with the provision of an indoor 50m Olympic standard swimming pool.

Majority of sports are available in the South West with several involved in state league competitions covering a higher level of competition to athletes that live in the region.

The South West was the first region to establish a Regional Academy. The South West Academy of Sport supports young athletes in the South West region of Australia to reach their potential. An individual scholarship program and talent development pathways in AFL, basketball, cricket, hockey, netball, soccer and tennis give local athletes the best possible chance of making it to the top of their sport.

High participation sport and recreation activities

Given the South West population, a strong sporting background exists with majority of sports being played in a structured environment.

The major participative sports would include:

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AFL Soccer Netball Hockey Cricket Basketball

In addition to structured sports there is also a growing demand on non-structured and recreational pursuits, particular those focused around water activities – fishing, swimming, kayaking and in-land activities – motor bike riding, trekking and mountain biking.

The South West is also renowned for the number of high level sporting events that are conducted annually. These include the Margaret River Pro, Cape to Cape Mountain Bike, Karri Cup Mountain Bike, Busselton Ironman and Anaconda to name just some of the major events that help promote not only the sport but the region.

Key Regional Drivers

Population Growth Accessibility to water catchment areas for recreation purposes Physical Activity Levels of Young Children FIFO / DIDO – Impacts of Community Sport & Recreation

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CHALLENGES, ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES FACING SPORT AND RECREATION CLUBS IN THE REGION

Workshops conducted in March 2013 with both Local Government and regional sport & recreation groups resulted in a detailed SWOT analysis to be developed which was consequently used as a driver in developing an Action Plan for the South West.

Listed below is the key points listed within the SWOT along with stakeholder feedback.

Strengths Weaknesses Team sport – good brand / culture Promotes sense of belonging Town/community pride resulting from sports/clubs Volunteers – band together to “make” the club Power of social media CDO program (Greater Bunbury only) Generally good level of facilities available KidSport Club sport is more affordable

Only “Club” in SW (e.g. BMX) or area (e.g. Rugby)

Rugby struggle with volunteers Loss of “Sense of Community” in larger towns More choices impacts on smaller sports/clubs Fast food/sport mentality Clubs don’t share – don’t want to co-exist (tall

poppy syndrome) Lack of volunteers Facilities – some communities are over supplied

whilst others have no home ground facilities KidSport – level of administration for LG Limited succession planning

Opportunities Threats Population increase – demands on clubs and LG Available land to cater for increased growth CDO expansion – to provide a more coordinated

approach across the entire region Mentoring program – professional guidance Succession planning – what about the future? Newer sports being available i.e. rugby Education – legal requirements/responsibilities Sports/clubs co-existing, sharing

resources/knowledge To come together as clubs Baby boomers – available skills and knowledge Involving more young people on committees Be willing to “think outside the box” sometimes as

some of the ideas from left field can be very successful if implemented correctly

Social media – using as a marketing tool

Volunteers stay too long in roles and prevent new ideas from coming into a club

Transient populations & transient work force Drop and run mentality Breakdown of family unity / change in family

dynamics FIFO / DIDO – work commitments preventing

involvement Recruitment / retention of volunteers – too

much red tape Constant increase of utility and operational

costs to clubs Population increases in larger areas and

population decreases in smaller communities LG amalgamation – unknown effects on sport Society is generally becoming more selfish and

taking the feeling of “what do I get out of it” approach.

Social media – negative publicity

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What issues/ challenges/ limitations do sport and recreation clubs experience in your community? FIFO workers, this is causing a huge problem with a lot of people away and when they are

home not willing to assist, which puts considerable strain on the few that do the work Family Unity Breakdown. Similar issue to 1 in that parents are generally fighting amongst each

other and not willing to assist. In all the years I’ve been involved with sport, there aren’t too many people I can remember that are separated actually assist. This flows onto the kids attitudes when trying to implement team strategies etc.

Society is generally becoming more selfish and taking the feeling of “what do I get out of it” approach.

Most sports in Australia now are governed by 1 major body. Some of the decisions/rules they make generally don’t work to well in smaller populated areas – “one size does not fit all!”

Lack of facilities. Some SSA’s very metro oriented and all resources in Perth. Very hard to stay connected. Some sports have small numbers of competitors in different categories and spread across SW

makes barriers to development programs. Need to keep up to date with using IT to promote club, events and key messages etc. but

difficult to keep up with what is needed in website design, event registration etc.

What support/information/resources do you consider are required to overcome these issues? Video-conference of meetings and link ups with SSA’s. Support to house a sports development staff regionally. Funding camps and other opportunities for small groups to come together for development

programs Marketing seminars including use of IT.

What does successful club development look like? Having a strong structure in place from a committee basis, President, Vice President,

Treasurer, Sec, General Committee, etc. Continually looking ahead and discussing with existing committee what their future intentions

are so that if someone is stepping down at end of the year, it gives committee a chance to find someone else in an orderly fashion.

Get committee members to attend personal development courses, first aid, coaching , etc. Trying to ensure that whatever decisions are made, that they are made by the majority so

that the majority put out a uniformed approach. Clear vision and purpose and up to date documents to support including plans, constitution

and guidelines. Growth in members and participation Growth in skilled volunteers in relevant roles and succession planning. Financially viable Risk management procedures

Key Issues -

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CDO expansion to the entire region Population challenges – meeting the growth as well as sustainability in areas of decline Impacts of workforce on community sport – FIFO/DIDO and transient movements Recruitment and retention of volunteers Upskilling of volunteers Parental involvement in their child’s sport Succession planning – planning for the future Most sports in Australia now are governed by 1 major body. Some of the decisions/rules they

make generally don’t work to well in smaller populated areas – “one size does not fit all!”

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ACTION PLAN

Key Focus Area Strategies Partners/ Key Stakeholders Timeframe

Governance

(Organisational Development)

1. As an extension to the Club Mentoring program provide support to Regional Sports Associations in developing Strategic Plans that focuses on the future direction of the sport in the South West.

Basketball & Cycling (2013/14) BMX & Hockey (2014/15) Rowing & Tennis (2015/16)

2. Provide assistance in developing strong operational capacity within clubs by promoting / coordinating a range of workshops/seminars that will cover key topics.

3. Develop a range of educational programs for clubs that focuses on:

Technology Club Talk Play by the Rules

4. Promote the Australian Sports Commissions Club Health Checklist to sport and recreation clubs

5. Support and advocate the extension and expansion of the Club Development Officer Scheme to greater service the SW region

Local Government, RSA, SSA

Clubs, RSA, Club Doctors, Club Development Officer, WASF

Club Development Officer, Local Government, Clubs, RSA, WASF

Club Development Officer, Clubs, RSA

Local Government

2 RSA’s p/year

Ongoing

Ongoing

Ongoing

Ongoing

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Key Focus Area Strategies Partners/ Key Stakeholders Timeframe

Volunteers

(People Development)

1. Promote and support clubs in developing Volunteer Management Plans by accessing funding through Community Volunteer Grants

2. Create a program that assists clubs in “Gaining, Training & Retaining” their volunteers.

3. Provide support to sports in up skilling their volunteers, coaches and officials

4. Introduce a South West Coaches Forum that assists in identifying and coordinating opportunities for coaches to be exposed to higher level training and education

Clubs, SW Volunteer

RSA, SW Volunteers

Clubs, RSA, SSA

Clubs, RSA

2013/14

2014/15

Ongoing

2013/14

Participation 1. Promote KidSport to assist community members to overcome financial barriers in joining sport and recreation clubs in the South West.

2. Look to relaunching the “Sports the Name, Fun’s the Game” program beyond Bunbury and how it might co-exist with the “Choose Respect” campaign.

a. Review Bunbury pilot programb. Seeking funding for extension of programc. Implementation and extension

3. Support sports in identifying ways of promoting their sport that encourages:

Participation Fun and safe environments More parental involvement

4. Coordinate an education campaign targeting parents to increase their understanding of sport and recreation clubs; how they operate and the benefits for children in joining a club

Local Government, Clubs, RSA, RDA

Local Government, SWDC, Dept. of Families

Clubs, RSA

RSA, SSA, WASF, SWDC

Ongoing

2013/142014/152015/16

Ongoing

2014/15

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Key Focus Area Strategies Partners/ Key Stakeholders Timeframe

People and Population 1. Conduct a pilot program that investigates the impact FIFO/DIDO has on clubs.

2. Identify and work with areas that are experiencing population declines and consider what opportunities within sport and recreation exist.

3. Identify and work with areas that have high population growth and provide support to cater for any growth within clubs.

4. Investigate the various workplace challenges being experienced by sport and recreation throughout the South West, including:

FIFO / DIDO Shift work Seven day trade

City of Busselton, Rio Tinto, FIFO Families

Local Government, SWDC

Local Government, SWDC

Local Government, SWDC, CCI

2013/14

Ongoing

Ongoing

2014/15 – 2015/16

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