the murraylands & riverland region...tony siviour, chief executive officer, renmark paringa...

The Murraylands & Riverland RegionRegional Sport & Recreation Facilities Needs ReviewPHASE 1 REPORT September 2017

Tredwell Management | MRLGA Regional Sport and Recreation Facilities Needs Review September 2017 i | P a g e

Acknowledgements

The following people contributed significantly to the development of this plan and are thanked for their contribution:

Peter Bond, Chief Executive Officer, Murraylands and Riverland Local Government Association

Mayor Dave Burgess, President, Murraylands and Riverland Local Government Association

David Beaton, Chief Executive Officer, Berri Barmera Council

Vincent Cammell, Chief Executive Officer, Coorong District Council

Katrina Fromm, Acting Chief Executive Officer, District Council of Karoonda East Murray

Peter Smithson, Chief Executive Officer, District Council of Karoonda East Murray

Peter Ackland, Chief Executive Officer, District Council Loxton Waikerie

Russell Peate, Chief Executive Officer, Mid Murray Council

Michael Sedgman, Chief Executive Officer, Rural City of Murray Bridge

Tony Siviour, Chief Executive Officer, Renmark Paringa Council

Mia Dohnt, Chief Executive Officer, Southern Mallee District Council

Andrew Haigh, Manager Community Development, Berri Barmera Council

Sheridan O’Brien, Senior Community Development Officer, Coorong District Council

Sue Schultz, Community Development Officer, District Council Loxton Waikerie

Amy Loechel, Opal Program Manager, Mid Murray Council

Andrew Meddle, General Manager Sustainable Communities, Rural City of Murray Bridge

Kevin Heyndyk, Team Leader Youth Sport & Recreation, Rural City of Murray Bridge

Tarik Wolf, Manager Infrastructure Delivery, Renmark Paringa Council

Karlie Rice, Club and Volunteer Development Officer, Renmark Paringa Council

Disclaimer

While every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained within this report is complete, accurate and up to date, Tredwell Management Services make no warranty, representation or undertaking whether expressed or implied, nor do they assume any legal liability, whether direct or indirect, or responsibility for any errors or omissions.

For further information

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Contents Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................... iv

1. Introduction and Background .................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Murraylands and Riverland Region.................................................................................... 2

1.3 Project Objectives ............................................................................................................. 3

2. Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 4

3. Strategic Review ....................................................................................................................... 5

3.1 National Sport and Recreation Directions .......................................................................... 5

3.2 South Australian Sport and Recreation Directions ............................................................. 6

3.3 Local Government Sport and Recreation Directions .......................................................... 9

4. Participation & Trend Analysis ................................................................................................ 10

4.1 Megatrends ..................................................................................................................... 10

4.2 Participation .................................................................................................................... 11

4.3 Trends and Considerations ............................................................................................. 13

5. Demographic Analysis ............................................................................................................ 15

6. Facility Hierarchy .................................................................................................................... 17

6.1 Hierarchy Categories ....................................................................................................... 17

6.2 Benefits of Regional Sport and Recreation Facilities ....................................................... 19

6.3 Peak Body Regional Facility Requirements ..................................................................... 20

6.4 Current Regional Facility Initiatives.................................................................................. 22

6.5 Best Practice Examples ................................................................................................... 24

7. Consultation ............................................................................................................................ 26

8. Facilities Audit ......................................................................................................................... 27

8.1 Audit Process .................................................................................................................. 27

8.2 Regional Sport and Recreation Facilities ......................................................................... 28

8.3 Activity Analysis ............................................................................................................... 29

9. Provision Analysis ................................................................................................................... 34

10. Regional Events ...................................................................................................................... 36

10.1 Events Types .................................................................................................................. 36

10.2 Benefits of Events ........................................................................................................... 37

10.3 MRLGA Regional Events ................................................................................................. 38

11. Challenges & Opportunities ..................................................................................................... 40

Appendix 1: Regional Level Facilities and Events Audit .................................................................. 42

References ..................................................................................................................................... 48

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Figures Figure 1: Map of the MRLGA region ................................................................................................. 1 Figure 2: Demographic Characteristics for Constituent Council, compared with average for MRLGA ....................................................................................................................................................... 16 Figure 3: Sport and Recreation Facility Hierarchy ........................................................................... 17 Figure 4: Project Flyer..................................................................................................................... 26 Figure 5: Example of regional level sport and recreation facilities audit .......................................... 27 Figure 6: Map of Regional Level Facilities and District Community Sporting Hubs .......................... 30 Figure 7: Appeal of Events .............................................................................................................. 37

Tables Table 1: Project methodology ........................................................................................................... 4 Table 2: Key state and regional sport and recreation directions and findings .................................... 8 Table 3: Key local sport and recreation directions ............................................................................. 9 Table 4: Persons participating in sport and physical activity ............................................................ 11 Table 5: Adult Participation by activity (Top 10) .............................................................................. 11 Table 6: Most popular club sports ................................................................................................... 12 Table 7: Regional Demographic Features ....................................................................................... 15 Table 8: Regional level facility requirements as determined by sporting peak bodies ..................... 20 Table 9: Facility Initiative - The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend .............................................. 22 Table 10: Facility Initiative - Murray Bridge Equine Precinct, Gifford Hill ......................................... 22 Table 11: Facility Initiative - Riverland Regional Innovation & Sports Precinct ................................ 22 Table 12: Facility Initiative - Loxton Sporting Precinct, Loxton ......................................................... 22 Table 13: Facility Initiative - Murray Coorong Trail, Cadell to Salt Creek ......................................... 22 Table 14: Facility Initiative - Murray Bridge Skate Park, Sturt Reserve ............................................ 23 Table 15: Facility Initiative - Murray Bridge Rowing Club, Sturt Reserve ......................................... 23 Table 16: Facility Initiative - Mary Ann Reserve, Mannum ............................................................... 23 Table 17: Facility Initiative - Murray Bridge Olympic Swimming Pool .............................................. 23 Table 18: Facility Initiative – Berri Riverfront Wharf ......................................................................... 23 Table 19: Best Practice Example - Fleurieu Aquatic Centre, South Australia .................................. 24 Table 20: Best Practice Example - Port Augusta Central Oval, South Australia .............................. 24 Table 21: Best Practice Example - Copper Coast Sport & Leisure Centre, South Australia ............ 25 Table 22: Best Practice Example - Kauri Parade Community Sports Hub, South Australia ............. 25 Table 23: Best Practice Example - Mt Gravatt East Aquatic Centre, Queensland ........................... 25 Table 24: Regional Level Sport and Recreation Facilities ............................................................... 28 Table 25: Regional Level Sport and Recreation Activities ............................................................... 29 Table 26: Overview of Soccer Facilities and Events ........................................................................ 32 Table 27: Facility benchmarking ..................................................................................................... 35 Table 28: Distinct Types of Leisure Events ..................................................................................... 36 Table 29: RCMB Events ................................................................................................................. 39 Table 30: Regional Level Challenges and Opportunities ................................................................. 40

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Executive Summary The Murraylands and Riverland Local Government Association (MRLGA) has engaged Tredwell Management to prepare a Regional Sport and Recreation Facilities Needs Review to provide strategic directions and priorities for planning, allocation, development and management of the regional sport and recreation needs across the region. The Needs Review will provide benefits that will cover a range of issues, including;

• Provision of regional facilities which are appropriate to the needs of the region

• Provision of regional facilities which are sustainable

• Minimisation of unnecessary duplication or over-provision of regional facilities and programs

• Identification of new opportunities which will enhance the lifestyles of persons within the region to participate in regional sport and recreation activities

• Prioritisation of municipal development of regional facilities according to identified needs

This report includes the findings from Phase 1 which prepares the baseline information, highlighting findings from the research, consultation and the audit of regional level sport and recreation facilities. This baseline information will inform Phase 2 of the project which will involve the needs assessment and associated recommendations.

The population of the region at the 2016 census was 69,504 people and it is projected that the population will grow to more than 71,000 people by 2031. This growth is expected to be entirely driven by population increase in the Rural City of Murray Bridge, in line with the 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide, while the populations of each of the seven other local government areas are expected to decline over this period.

A regional level recreation and sport facility is a recreation and sport facility (either single purpose or community sporting hub) of regional level significance which because of its location and characteristics attracts users from a large council area and/or across multiple council areas and meets the standards required to host major regional/state level competitions, events and/or training.

The project included extensive consultation with key stakeholders including sporting, recreation and community organisations and relevant government agencies to determine the provision of existing regional level facilities and services including events, along with the current and future regional sport and recreation needs, issues and opportunities across the MRLGA region.

An audit of existing regional level sport and recreation facilities was conducted to inform the Needs Review. The audit involved a desktop assessment and visits to key sites throughout the region to assess the hierarchy classification, general condition, characteristics and functionality. The facilities audit identified 54 regional level sport and recreation sites including cross-boundary trails within the MRLGA. These facilities are of regional significance, attracting users from across multiple council areas and have the capacity to host major regional level competitions, events and/or training. In addition to the regional level facilities six district community sporting hubs were identified where regional facilities are not likely due to the population size and geographic location.

The number of regional level facilities that are available within each council area are:

• Rural City of Murray Bridge - 16

• Berri Barmera Council - 12

• Renmark Paringa Council - 7

• District Council of Loxton Waikerie - 8

• Coorong District Council - 3

• Mid Murray Council – 5

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In addition, there are three regional trails that traverse Mid Murray, Coorong and Murray Bridge Council areas.

The Rural City of Murray Bridge is the central location for regional level sport and recreation facility provision in the Murraylands region and is supported by its neighbouring Council areas (Mid Murray and Coorong District Councils), offering a diverse range of regional sporting and recreation opportunities. The Riverland also offers a wide range of regional level sport and recreation pursuits; however, this is more evenly spread across the three Riverland local government areas. The District Council of Karoonda East Murray and the Southern Mallee District Councils do not feature any regional level facilities.

According to the benchmarks outlined, the MRLGA region is well catered for with regards to regional level ovals, aquatic centres, tennis precincts, skate parks and play spaces and meets the provision standards for indoor sport and recreation centres and hockey pitches (synthetic). There is the opportunity to investigate further the demand and need for a regional level BMX facility. In terms of aquatic facilities Murray Bridge and Renmark have been identified as the regional level facilities.

Recent and future regional level sport and recreation events in the MRLGA region have been identified. These have been incorporated into the regional facility audit at the facility they are predominantly conducted at (refer Appendix 1: Regional Level Facilities and Events Audit).

The following challenges and opportunities have been identified for regional level sport and recreation facility and service provision across the MRLGA region.

• Regional level facility provision for a diverse and stable population

• Community expectations of high facility standards

• Ageing built infrastructure

• Shared use of regional level facilities

• Strategic resource allocation

• Sustainability of sports facilities, clubs and services

• Need to cater for emerging sports

• Consideration of life-cycle costing and asset management

• Public health issues caused by physical inactivity

• Facility provision aligned with elite sport pathways

• Further enhancement of regional level sport and recreation events

• Technology and innovation advances

• Adaptation of existing regional facilities rather than the creation of new regional facilities

The next steps will involve utilise the baseline as established in Phase 1 to undertake a further assessment of future need and to make recommendations regarding the future infrastructure requirements. Recommendations will assist council and other providers in the medium and long-term planning for regional sport and recreation infrastructure and service provision.

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1. Introduction and Background

1.1 Introduction The Murraylands and Riverland Local Government Association (MRLGA) has engaged Tredwell Management to prepare a Regional Sport and Recreation Facilities Needs Review (Needs Review) to provide strategic directions and priorities for planning, allocation, development and management of the regional sport and recreation needs across the region. The Needs Review will provide benefits that will cover a range of economic, social, political and democratic issues, such as:

• Provision of regional facilities which are appropriate to the needs of the region

• Provision of regional facilities which are sustainable

• Minimisation of unnecessary duplication or over-provision of regional facilities and programs

• Identification of new opportunities which will enhance the lifestyles of persons within the region to participate in regional sport and recreation activities

• Prioritisation of municipal development of regional facilities according to identified needs

This report includes the findings from Phase 1 which includes; baseline Information, key findings from research, consultation and the audit of regional level sport and recreation facilities. This baseline information will inform Phase 2 the development of a Needs Assessment for regional sport and recreation facilities and services and a series of prioritisation recommendations.

The MRLGA is the Regional Subsidiary of the eight Constituent Councils shown in Figure 1. Each of these Council areas are included in the Needs Review.

Figure 1: Map of the MRLGA region


1.2 Murraylands and Riverland Region The Murraylands and Riverland Region forms the Murray Lands Statistical Division in eastern South Australia and is dissected by the River Murray. It covers a large area, in excess of 50,000 km2, taking in the areas from the Riverland in the north, agriculture areas in the central, west, south and east along the Victorian border, and south westerly to the coast and lakes including the Murraylands area.

Rural based communities throughout the area share a common interest in agriculture and horticulture, with towns primarily servicing the farming and horticultural communities and supporting a growing tourism sector. At the 2016 Census, the region had a population of 69,504 people.

The Murray River, and its associated wetlands and wildlife, Lake Bonney and a number of National/Conservation Parks, support a range of sporting and recreational pursuits, and are major tourist attractions throughout parts of the Riverland and Murraylands. Towards the coast, the Coorong National Park, Lake Alexandrina and the shores of Lake Albert are all well-known attractions, particularly for recreational boating and fishing.

Murray Bridge provides regional services to the lower parts of the region and supports both an industrial and commercial base.

The Murray River travels from the north, and passing through seven of the member Councils, flows into Lake Alexandrina in the south. It supports a number of sporting and recreation activities such as water sports, sailing and boating.

The Region is serviced by the South Eastern Freeway, Princes, Dukes, Sturt and Mallee Highways, with the Berri (Loxton) to Murray Bridge Road providing a direct link diagonally across the region.

The MRLGA region is widely known as a key sporting region with many successful sports people living and raised there. Traditionally the region has been strong in sports such as Australian football, cricket, tennis, netball and basketball. Famous sports people such as Tony Modra, Mark Riccuito, Mark Mickan (Australian football), Pat Mickan (netball and basketball), Grant Schubert (hockey) and more recently Luke Saville (tennis), Chad Wingard (Australian football), James McCrae (rowing) and Karri MacMahon (hockey) are just some examples of sports people who have had success at the national and international level. In 1924 the Murray Bridge rowing team (known as the Murray Cods) was chosen to represent Australia at the Paris Olympics. As a result the region has always been seen as having a strong sporting culture particularly in traditional sports and this is represented through the large number of significant sporting infrastructure.

The region supports a wide range of water based sports including canoeing, kayaking, sailing, rowing, water skiing, wakeboarding and swimming. It also has a strong affiliation with motor sports and shooting sports and this will be further enhanced with the development of The Bend Motorsport Park at Tailem Bend which is currently being constructed.

Mary Ann Reserve, Mannum Mid Murray Council

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rowing_(sport)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1924_Summer_Olympics


1.3 Project Objectives The objectives of the project are to:

• Assist Constituent Councils in identifying priority regional sport and recreation infrastructure projects, that respond to changing community needs.

• To report on ways for Council to increase participation in sport and recreation activities for all members of the community.

• Provide Constituent Councils and other providers with sound baseline information regarding existing levels of supply and demand.

• Ensure Constituent Councils are adequately informed of the nature of likely future demands by a growing and changing community for regional sport and recreation facilities.

• Present qualified criteria for when identified infrastructure and services would be required relative to population/demographics thresholds being reached.

• Provide Constituent Councils and other providers with options for future provision so that it can effectively manage and plan for these demands.

• Establish a basis for Constituent Councils and other providers to prepare, plan and deliver regional sport and recreation facilities that meet changing population requirements.

The scope of the project is to:

• Broadly consider Constituent Councils owned regional sport and recreation facilities (including those that they lease to community groups) in terms of their location and suitability for meeting existing and future social infrastructure requirements. (A comprehensive assessment for each asset is not required).

• Provide an audit of existing sport and recreation facilities across the region that would contribute to regional sporting and recreation pursuits and events.

• Identify emerging demand for such facilities across the region.

• Provide a gap analysis of need against current facilities.

• Provide for a review of the standards that sport and recreation facilities should attain to attract and qualify for regional events.

• Provide an analysis of what is required of Constituent Councils and other sporting bodies to host certain regional events.

• Provide recommendations for the provision of regional sport and recreation facilities that will cater for forecast demand in 5-years, 10-years and longer term.


2. Methodology The project methodology is summarised in Table 1 below. This table outlines the two Phases that are being utilised in the development of the Needs Review and the key outputs delivered at the completion of each stage. This report is for Phase 1 only at this stage.

Table 1: Project methodology

Stages of methodology Key outputs

Phase 1 - Baseline Analysis ➢ Project Inception Meeting Minutes ➢ Engagement Strategy ➢ Literature Review ➢ Policy Framework ➢ Demographic Analysis ➢ Participation and Trend Analysis ➢ Audit including GIS Layers ➢ Mapping ➢ Consultation Findings ➢ Provider Role Statements ➢ Demand and Supply Analysis ➢ Phase 1 Report ➢ Executive Summary

Phase 2 – Social Infrastructure Needs Assessment and Recommendations

➢ Engagement Approach ➢ Confirmation of Constituent Council’s Roles ➢ Commentary on what other sector providers should consider in their

future planning ➢ 30-year prioritised Strategic Action Plan ➢ Triggers for Regional Facility Provision ➢ Best Practice Provision Model/s ➢ Identified Partners and Collaborative Approaches ➢ Funding Opportunities ➢ Spatial Provision Maps and Analysis ➢ Draft Phase 2 Report ➢ Final Phase 2 Report


3. Strategic Review

3.1 National Sport and Recreation Directions National Sport and Active Recreation Policy Framework (2011)1

This Framework provides a guide for the development and alignment of sport and recreation policies, strategies and programs at all levels of government. National priorities and objectives are outlined, which have been agreed to by the Commonwealth, States and Territories. The Framework clearly defines the roles and responsibilities of each level of government and service providers.

The role of Regional/Local Government in sport and active recreation is to:

• Facilitate a strategic approach to the provision of sporting and active recreation infrastructure including open space, and other needs.

• Establish local management and access policies to sport and recreation facilities.

• Support and coordinate local and regional service providers (venues and programs).

• Liaise and partner with state and territory governments on targeted program delivery.

• Support and partner with non-government organisations that enable sport and active recreation participation.

• Incorporate sport and recreation development and participation opportunities in Council plans.

• Collaborate, engage and partner across government departments on shared policy agendas.

• Invest in sport and active recreation infrastructure

The Australian Sports Commission is currently preparing a National Sports Plan to guide investment in sport and recreation, ensuring it achieves value and reflects the value society places upon sport. It is anticipated that the National Sports Plan will be released in early 2018.


3.2 South Australian Sport and Recreation Directions

The strategic direction for sport and recreation in South Australia is guided by state, regional and local policies and plans, which are outlined below.

South Australian Regional Level Recreation and Sport Facilities Planning Guidelines (2016)2

These guidelines provide the key planning principles for the planning and provision of regional level sport and recreation facilities.

The report identifies the following challenges which require strategic responses:

• Asset management: appropriate provision of sport and recreation facilities and ongoing asset management.

• Planning: strategic planning that achieves a spread of multi-functional and regional facilities across the State and determines the appropriate provision of local facilities.

• Funding: appropriate funding to enable implementation of planning and strategic asset management.

• Partnerships: strong partnerships between Local Government and other levels of government, state bodies and other stakeholders to collectively achieve desired outcomes.

The document outlines that economic efficiencies can be achieved through providing regional level facilities. Efficiencies are achieved through:

• Co-locating sports and other activities

• Sharing facilities, administration costs, overheads and financial contributions

• Avoiding the duplication of facilities where catchment areas and service markets overlap

• Offering opportunities for expansion (through permanent or temporary measures) to accommodate higher level sports participation, competitions and events that drive economic and promotional benefits

• Collectively providing improved facilities at the regional level to meet mandatory statutory standards, allowing investment to reach a greater number of users

• Delivering a broad range of activities to high standards, within the best facilities available

• Considering enhancement or expansion of existing facilities to serve the region

There is an opportunity for the MRLGA to further pursue regional facility development and enhancement to achieve these efficiency gains.


Guiding Principles for Regional Level Recreation and Sport Facilities

The following guiding principles have been established as part of the guidelines and provide direction for Local Government and other regional facility providers to capitalise on the benefits of regional level facility provision.

1. Working Collaboratively

1.1 Government, sport, education, community and commercial sectors will come together to adopt and promote a shared vision for regional level recreation and sport infrastructure.

1.2 Partners will commit to aligning planning processes and objectives to effectively provide, deliver and manage existing and future regional level facilities.

2. Information Sharing

2.1 Recognise and respond to the unique and changing environments and communities across individual regions.

2.2 Prioritise the consistent collection and sharing of data that will support the identification of specific local and regional needs.

2.3 Collectively use and interpret information to promote better decision making around the planning, provision, use, design and management of regional level facilities.

3. Targeted Investment

3.1 Provide collective investment towards priority projects

3.2 Target stakeholder resources that will grow a sustainable network of regional level facilities that promote increased use and benefit to their local and regional communities.

4. Professional Approach

4.1 Adopt a professional approach to planning, design and management functions that focus on understanding the sport and user context.

4.2 Engage with the sport, commercial and government sectors and ensure customer servicing is a priority.

4.3 Professional management will support efficient operations and access, responsible venue management, proactive asset management and renewal of regional level facilities.


In addition to the South Australian Regional Level Recreation and Sport Facilities Planning Guidelines, the following state and regional strategic documents have been reviewed as part of the background research. Key information components and directions have been utilised in this report where relevant.

Other State Strategic Documents

• Festivals and Events Guide for Local Government (2016)3

• 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide (2017 Update)4

• South Australia’s Strategic Plan (2017 - 2021)5

• Office for Recreation and Sport Strategic Plan (2017-2021)6

• The Strategic Infrastructure Plan for South Australia (2004/05 – 2014/15) and Discussion Paper (2010)7

• South Australian Tourism Plan (2015 – 2020)8

• Shared Use of School Facilities ‘Policy Considerations’, Policy Research and Directions for Sustainable Recreation and Sport Facilities (2011)9

• Guidelines for the Sustainable Management of Community Recreation Facilities (2014)10

• Sport and Recreation Provision and Management Policies, Policy Research and Directions for Sustainable Recreation and Sport Facilities (2011)11

• Nature like nowhere else. Activating Nature-based Tourism in South Australia (2016)12

Regional Strategic Documents

• MRLGA Strategic Plan (2016 – 2020)13

• Murraylands & Riverland Regional Public Health Plan (2013 – 2018)14

• River Murray Sustainable Recreation (2003)15

• Murray Coorong Trail/Murraylands River Trail Feasibility Study (2015)16

• Murraylands Integrated Regional Strategic Tourism Plan (2009)17

• Riverland Regional Recreation, Sport and Open Space Strategy (2004)18

• Destination Riverland Tourism Plan 2020 (2015)19

A summary of the key state and regional policy directions from these documents is provided in the Table 2 below.

Table 2: Key state and regional sport and recreation directions and findings

Key State and Regional Sport and Recreation Directions

Creation of community sporting hubs Consider asset management and lifecycle costs

Provide integrated and accessible facilities Maximise use of school facilities

Increase participation in sport and recreation Optimise community benefit

Provide improved and functional facilities Conduct a hierarchical planning approach

Encourage sharing and multi-use of facilities Acknowledge financial constraints

Adhere to universal design principles Secure adequate land for new facilities

Strategically plan for spectator and participatory sporting events to drive visitation

Consider consolidation and rationalisation of duplicated facilities

Encourage visitors to disperse around South Australia through regional events

Measure and report on the economic and social impacts of investment in to sport and recreation

Continued investment in South Australia’s standout collection of multi-day walking trails

Ensure recreational activities on or alongside the River Murray are sustainably managed

Use events to drive visitation Work with event organisers to encourage visitors to stay longer and to return.


3.3 Local Government Sport and Recreation Directions

The following strategies and plans are guiding the development of sport and recreation facilities across the MRLGA region at the local level.

Berri Barmera Council

• Berri Barmera Council Strategic Plan 2015 - 202020

• Berri Open Space Strategy (2010)21

District Council of Loxton Waikerie

• Loxton Sporting Precinct Master Plan (2013)22

• Loxton Sports Complex – Architectural Designs (2016)23

• District Council of Loxton Waikerie Strategic Plan 2015 – 202024

Renmark Paringa Council

• Open Space & Public Realm Strategy (2014)25

• Strategic Tracks and Trails Plan (2014)26

• Urban Design Framework (2017)27

Rural City of Murray Bridge

• Sport, Recreation Strategy and Open Space (2013)28

• Trail Strategy (2017)29

• Murray Bridge Swimming Centre Futures Report (2016)30

Mid Murray Council

• Community Plan (2016 – 2020)31

• Open Space, Recreation and Public Realm Plan (Draft 2017)32

• Marine Facilities Infrastructure Plan (2016-2021)33

• Mannum Sport & Recreation Precinct Feasibility Study (2012)34

• Mannum Leisure Centre Review Final Report (2010)35

• Recreational Boating Facilities Strategy Plan Review (2008)36

• Local Area Strategic Bike Plan (2015)37

Coorong District Council

• Strategic Management Plan 2016 – 202038

• Coorong Tourism and Economic Development Plan (2011)39

Southern Mallee District Council

• 2017 – 2021 Strategic Management Plan40

District Council of Karoonda East Murray

• Strategic Management Plan 2014 – 201641

A summary of the key directions outlined in Council plans is provided in the Table 3 below.

Table 3: Key local sport and recreation directions

Key Local Sport and Recreation Directions

Promote active lifestyles through providing both structured and non-structured recreational facilities

Explore opportunities for community infrastructure partnerships including those that enable community access to school facilities

Maintain the region’s reputation of an outdoors lifestyle and sporting excellence

Appreciate the value of the River Murray to the region, ensuring sustainable use

Invest in sport, recreation and lifestyle infrastructure Explore adventure recreation opportunities

Co-locate sporting, recreational and lifestyle facilities to provide at a high standard

Increase the community value and use of sporting facilities

Support sporting and community organisations in sourcing funding for facilities and support groups to build the capacity to manage facilities

Create event spaces and support infrastructure at key destinations and encourage events at these spaces


4. Participation & Trend Analysis

4.1 Megatrends The CSIRO’s report entitled The Future of Australian Sport (2013)42 identified six global sporting “megatrends” that will likely influence the Australian sport sector including at the local level over the next 30 years. These megatrends are summarised below.

A Perfect Fit

The increasing popularity of individualised sport and fitness activities such as walking, yoga, gym, aerobics and jogging. Individual fitness pursuits allow people to align their fitness activities with their increasingly busy lifestyles.

From Extreme to Mainstream

‘Adventure’, ‘Lifestyle’, ‘Extreme’ and ‘Alternative’ sports are increasing in popularity. These activities are often characterised by a strong lifestyle element and participants obtain self-expression through involvement in these activities.

Everybody’s Game

Sporting activities are becoming more geared towards the ageing and more culturally diverse Australian population. This will change both the types of sports we play and how we play them.

More than Sport

Governments and companies are increasing their use of sport to achieve their policy objectives by incorporating sport into various policies to tackle a range of issues from childhood obesity, mental health issues through to community wellbeing.

New Wealth New Talent

Growth of Asian countries (population & income) has resulted in a higher disposable income to spend on sport, leisure and recreation activities. Opening new markets in sports television, tourism, sports equipment, services and events.

Tracksuit to Business Suit

Participation levels are increasing in sports that receive higher salaries at the elite level. Market forces demand loosely organised community sporting clubs formalise their governance.


4.2 Participation The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) recently launched AusPlay, a national population tracking survey that captures adults’ and children’s sport and physical recreation participation data. A distinction is made between sport related activities (e.g. team sports, golf) and non-sport related physical activities (e.g. gym activities, bushwalking). The first report titled “AusPlay Participation data for the sport sector43” included findings between the period of October 2015 to September 2016.

The AusPlay findings indicate that adult participation (15+) in sport and physical activity in South Australia is closely aligned with the national level, with 80% of South Australian participating once or more per week, 72% twice or more per week and 58% of South Australians participating three times of more per week in sport or physical activity. The three frequency levels for the state and the nation are outlined in Table 4.

Table 4: Persons participating in sport and physical activity

Frequency South Australia National

1+ per week 80% 79%

2+ per week 72% 70%

3+ per week 58% 59%

In line with the national findings and the megatrends, unorganised physical activities are generally more popular than organised sports for South Australians, with the six most popular activities being walking (recreational), fitness/gym, athletics (including running and jogging), cycling, swimming and bushwalking. The top ten activities in South Australia are detailed in Table 5.

Table 5: Adult Participation by activity (Top 10)

Ranking South Australia Participation rate (%)

1 Walking (Recreational) 45.8%

2 Fitness/Gym 31.1%

3 Athletics, track and field (includes jogging & running) 13.5%

4 Cycling 12.2%

5 Swimming 10.3%

6 Bushwalking 6.3%

7 Australian football 5.3%

8 Golf 5.2%

9 Yoga 4.4%

10 Basketball 4.2%


The most popular organised sports in South Australia vary from those for the nation. Australian football and basketball featuring among the state’s most popular sports, while nationally, football/soccer and tennis are popular. The most popular club sports for adults in both South Australia and Australia are detailed in Table 6.

Table 6: Most popular club sports

Ranking South Australia National

1 Australian Football Golf

2 Golf Football/soccer

3 Netball Tennis

4 Basketball Cricket

5 Cricket Netball

The MRLGA region has a culture relating to sport and recreation. The region has strong leagues and associations in the traditionally popular sports of Australian regional areas, such as Australian football, cricket, netball, lawn bowls, tennis, motorsports and shooting sports. In addition, the location of the region, adjacent the Murray River, Lakes and Coorong, inspires high levels of participation from locals and visitors in aquatic activities such as water skiing, wakeboarding, fishing, sailing, canoeing and kayaking.


4.3 Trends and Considerations Planning for sport and recreation infrastructure needs to consider the trends and directions of activities to ensure that provision is relevant and fit-for-purpose now and into the future. Trends for key sport and recreation activities are outlined below. These trends have been identified through state participation data and peak body strategic directions. While there are limitations surrounding the availability of local participation data, it is expected that these trends will also be experienced in the MRLGA region.

Australian rules football

• Australian rules football participation in South Australia is increasing, and the participation rate is significantly higher than the average across the nation. Australian rules football ovals are generally in good condition, however the associated built infrastructure across the state is generally ageing

• Female participation in Australian rules football is increasing.

• Australian rules football facilities have generally been designed for male participants. Upgrades to amenities are required at many locations to cater for female participants. There is an opportunity to capitalise on the State Government’s grant program dedicated to female sporting facilities.

• The Riverland Women’s Football League was established early in 2017 with a modified competition including AFL 9s carnivals and showcase matches.

• The first ever women's football league representative game was held between Murray South East and Southern before the MAC SA Country Football Championships final in Murray Bridge in July 2017.

Cricket

• Cricket participation in South Australia is decreasing, however it is noted it is noted there is growth in introduction/schools programs, female participation and interest in cricket from many new arrival communities.

• Cricket ovals are generally in good condition, however the associated built infrastructure across the state is generally ageing.

• Synthetic pitches are preferred for junior level games.

• Female participation in cricket is increasing across the state and there is an opportunity to capitalise on the State Government’s grant program dedicated to female sporting facilities.

Netball

• Netball participation in South Australia is stable and has a higher participation rate compared with the national rate.

• Indoor netball is increasing in popularity.

• Netball facilities would benefit from enhanced clubrooms and support infrastructure (e.g. lighting).

• Netball SA has an identified hierarchy of facilities with consideration given to providing a balance of regional (12-29 courts), district (5-11 courts) and local (1-4 courts) netball facilities.

Tennis

• Tennis participation in South Australia is decreasing, although tennis has a high participation rate in South Australia compared with the national rate.

• A number of courts within the MRLGA region are restricted to club use only.

• Lawn tennis facilities face high costs associated with maintenance and a shortage of required specialised skills for court maintenance and preparation.


Soccer

• Soccer participation in South Australia is increasing, and there is a lower participation rate in SA compared with the national rate.

• There is a current trend towards the establishment of synthetic pitches for regional level soccer facilities.

• Female participation in soccer is increasing and there is an opportunity to capitalise on the State Government’s grant program dedicated to female sporting amenities.

• Futsal, indoor and small-sided soccer games are emerging disciplines of the sport.

Lawn bowls

• Specific expertise is required to maintain turf bowling greens. Bowls SA supports clubs to convert turf greens to synthetic greens where this is feasible and desired.

• Bowls SA has identified the need to upgrade support infrastructure at existing facilities (e.g. all-weather environments, sports lighting, car parking).

Athletics

• Athletics SA, through their facilities master plan, supports the development of modified synthetic track facilities such as 100m tracks [2-4 lanes] or 200m J curved tracks where it is not feasible to develop a full size synthetic track.

• Synthetic tracks require considerable funding for construction and ongoing maintenance/replacement.

Swimming

• Recreation South Australia is currently preparing a State-wide Aquatic Centre Master Plan, which is expected to provide guidance for facility provision into the future.

Additional sports

• Rowing SA is currently reviewing and investigating facility options across South Australia

• Golf is experiencing limited growth despite being one of the most popular sports. Increasing maintenance and golf course operating costs are placing pressure on many golf course managers and clubs.

• Water sports such as canoeing/kayaking and wake boarding have increased in popularity in recent years.

• Trail based activities such as walking, cycling including mountain biking and horse riding continue to be well participated in and provide opportunities to attract visitors to the region.


5. Demographic Analysis To inform the likely need and demand for the use of regional level sport and recreation facilities across the Murraylands and Riverland region, it is necessary to analyse the demographic profile of the catchment areas.

The population of the region at the 2016 census was 69,504 people44 and it is projected that the population will grow to more than 71,000 people by 203145. This growth is expected to be entirely driven by population increase in the Rural City of Murray Bridge, in line with the 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide, while the populations of each of the seven other local government areas are expected to decline over this period. Key demographic and social features for the MRLGA region are outlined in Table 7.

Table 7: Regional Demographic Features

Topic Demographic and social features Potential implication

Age profile In line with trends also experienced by other regional areas of South Australia, the MRLGA region has:

• a larger proportion of residents aged 65 + years (20.7%) compared to the state’s average (17.4%)46

• a smaller proportion of residents aged 18 to 34 years (18%) compared to the state’s average (21.9%).

Requirement for sport and recreation facilities which provide for ageing populations.

Cultural background

The MRLGA region has relatively high numbers of overseas-born residents (19.5%) compared to the average across regional South Australia (12.4%). The largest changes in birthplace countries of the MRLGA population between 2011 and 2016 were for those born in Philippines, Taiwan and China.

Opportunity to integrate and encourage people from various cultural backgrounds and ensure that facilities and services are responsive various cultures and backgrounds.

Demand for sporting and recreation activities from these countries may increase.

Physical activity

Residents of the MRLGA region had a low proportion of adults (26.3%) who met the guideline of 150 minutes of physical activity in the previous week, when asked for the National Health Survey (2014-15)47.

Requirement to provide sport and recreation facilities and services which encourage healthy and active lifestyles, contributing to enhanced health and wellbeing.

Mental health

Mental health has been identified as a serious issue across the MRLGA region for both adults and children48.

Voluntary work

The MRLGA region has high levels of voluntary work (25.2%) relative to the state’s average (19.8%)49.

Opportunity to train and develop existing volunteers to build on expertise and connect communities and highlight as a strength of the region.

Need for assistance

The proportion of the MRLGA population needing assistance with core activities (6.8%) is higher than the average across regional South Australia (6.2%).

Need to ensure that sport and recreation facilities cater for people requiring assistance and are compliant with standards and regulations specifically in relation to access.

Socio economic status

The MRLGA region has high levels of disadvantage (923.4 SEIFA index score) compared to the rest of regional South Australia (950.1 SEIFA index score)50.

Requirement for sport and recreation opportunities to be accessible to lower socio-economic groups such as the provision of low cost activities


The analysis of demographic indicators of each Constituent Council area outlines key similarities and differences between populations across the Murraylands and Riverland region refer Figure 2.

Figure 2: Demographic Characteristics for Constituent Council, compared with average for MRLGA

Source: Need for assistance, household structure, birthplace, Indigenous population: Profile Id. 2016 Census data SEIFA index: Profile Id. 2011 Census data


6. Facility Hierarchy

6.1 Hierarchy Categories Sport and recreation facility hierarchies exists to guide strategic facility planning and determine the appropriate service levels required to meet the needs of population catchments. Figure 3 distinguishes between the general characteristics of each level in the facility hierarchy, highlighting the characteristics of a regional level facility the focus of this study.

Figure 3: Sport and Recreation Facility Hierarchy51


The key attributes of a regional level sporting facility include:

• Accommodate a range of sport participation activities and outcomes (community, competition, events and high performance).

• Fit for purpose facilities for one or multiple activities.

• Caters for a catchment of one large local council area or multiple areas.

• Offers flexibility of use.

• Delivers high quality amenity, service and management.

The Office for Recreation and Sport (ORS) has developed a community hubs concept to encourage multi-use and sustainable community sporting facilities and precincts. The ORS have defined a Community Sports Hub52 as follows:

“A Community Sports Hub is a local, regional or state level centre of sport and active recreation activities that optimises the shared use of location and facilities to meet the needs of the communities it serves. In serving this purpose, a Hub must strive to be sustainable, multi-use, accessible, safe, inclusive and relevant to its communities and connected to the principles of community building.

A Community Sports Hub is also a catalyst to build and bring communities together by delivering services that meet the needs of the community and serve other purposes such as providing a safe meeting place and hosting the delivery of community programs that develop community capacity and connectivity.

A Community Sports Hub, with sport and recreation at its core, performs a number of functions and provides the catalyst for co-location of community services as well as providing a meeting place, passive and active open space in a safe and attractive environment.

A Community Sports Hub is inclusive and open to all sectors of the community including sport participants and members at all ability levels and age groups. A Community Sports Hub has sport in all its forms at its heart.”

Whilst the focus of this report is on regional level facility provision it is recognised that within some of the Council areas and communities there is not the population to sustain regional level facilities. In this instance district community sporting hubs have been identified in communities with populations exceeding 1000 people that play an important role in providing for sport, recreation and social opportunities in these communities and their surrounds.

It is also recognised that there is a large suite of local facilities that play an important role in sport and recreation network. Whilst these are critical to the provision of sporting and recreation opportunities in all communities throughout the region, they are not the focus of this study and would be considered in individual Council sport and recreation strategies and plans.


6.2 Benefits of Regional Sport and Recreation Facilities

Regional level sport and recreation facilities provide a wide range of benefits to individuals and communities. These benefits can contribute towards each of the five goals of the MRLGA Strategic Plan as outlined below.

Goal 1: Infrastructure

• Caters for large catchment areas, beyond Council boundaries

• Provides high standard infrastructure with the capacity to host large events

• Enhances the use and efficiency of community infrastructure through adaptable and flexible design, reducing duplication and ad-hoc provision

Goal 2: Sustainable Economy

• Contributes to economic growth through investment, employment, events and tourism

• Provides capacity to host large events, bringing large numbers of people to the region as participants and spectators

• Creates economic efficiencies through co-locating sports and other activities

• Enhances the reputation of the region

Goal 3: Environment

• Integrates long and short term environmental sustainability considerations into facility design

• Increased resource efficiencies in providing one high quality venue rather than multiple low standard venues.

Goal 4: Social and Community

• Creates a strong sense of community through sporting clubs, events and networks

• Provides a sense of belonging, ownership and responsibility within community spaces

• Creates opportunities for, and promotes, volunteering and networking across the region

• Fosters community pride and support

• Promotes healthy, active lifestyles

Goal 5: Governance and Leadership

• Provides opportunity for the establishment of regional networks and governance structures that support regional planning and further facility investment.

• Allows for a model of ownership and accountability amongst stakeholders


6.3 Peak Body Regional Facility Requirements Key sport and recreation peak bodies/associations have developed national and state-wide facility strategic plans which define a hierarchy of facilities for their specific activity. These definitions are generally determined by the number and quality of playing surfaces as well as other facility amenities such as clubrooms, changerooms, sports lighting and carparking. Table 8 provides an overview of the key characteristics of a regional level facility for each of the major sports.

Table 8: Regional level facility requirements as determined by sporting peak bodies

Netball53 Lawn bowls54 Australian football55

12+ courts

Sports lighting

Clubroom (600m2+)

Changerooms

Kiosk/Canteen

Disability access

Carparking (100+ spaces)

Shade/Shelter

18+ rinks (synthetic or natural)

Sports lighting

Clubroom (600m2+)

Kitchen/bar

Disability access

Shade/Shelter


1+ oval (maintained to a high standard and meets minimum AFL size specifications)

Sports lighting (competition level)

Pavilion/Clubroom including meeting room

Changerooms/Strapping room

Covered viewing area

Kitchen/Kiosk

Coaches boxes

Interchange benches

Scoreboard

Timekeeper/Scorers box

Public toilets

Storage (internal/external)

Oval fencing

Walking Trail56 Tennis57 Soccer58

30km+ prescribed trail

Trailhead with:

• Interpretation signage

• Trail information

• Toilets

Carparking

16+ courts

• 75% acrylic, clay or grass

Sports lighting

Show court

Clubroom and changerooms

Café/Kiosk

Carparking

3+ full-size pitches

• including 1 synthetic pitch

Sports lighting

Clubroom

Changerooms

Boundary fence

Players race

Coaches box


Canteen/Kiosk

Spectator area (200+ people)

Disability access


Cricket59 Hockey60 Athletics61

1+ playing fields (maintained to a high standard and meets minimum specifications)

Clubroom/Pavilion

Changerooms

Umpires room

Kitchen/Kiosk

Disability access

Outdoor training pitches

• 2 – 4 synthetic or 8 – 12 turf

Spectator viewing area


1+ synthetic surface

Sports lighting

Clubroom and changerooms

Kiosk/Canteen

Administration amenities

Electronic time clock

Permanent PA system

Media seating

Undercover spectator viewing

Carparking

4+ lane synthetic track

Sports lighting

Large clubroom

Carparking

Indoor recreation centre62 Indoor Volleyball* Basketball*

3+ multi-purpose courts

Changerooms

Canteen/café

Office/reception area

Fitness/Gym component

2-3 full international standard courts with provisions for volleyball posts

Court: 18 x 9 m with 3m+ runoff.

Free playing space/height of roof (without obstructions): 7m+

Court surface: wooden or synthetic surface

Sports lighting (700 lux)

Food/Drink outlet (preferred)

Spectator seating (preferred)

Toilets and changerooms

First Aid/Operations area

Carparking *

*referred to as Tier 2 facility

4+ full sized basketball courts

Including 1

Sprung wooden floors

Administration/meeting room

Canteen/bar

Referee room

First aid area

*While there is no published definition for a regional level basketball facility in South Australia, this definition has been advised by Basketball South Australia


6.4 Current Regional Facility Initiatives Across the region, a number of initiatives are planned or underway to develop new facilities or enhance existing facilities to cater for sport and recreation at a regional level. These initiatives are outlined below in Table 9 to Table 17.

Table 9: Facility Initiative - The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend

The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend

This state-of-the-art, $100 million multi-purpose motorsport complex is under construction. It will cater for major events for a range of motor sport disciplines. The facility is scheduled to open and host events in 2018

Table 10: Facility Initiative - Murray Bridge Equine Precinct, Gifford Hill

Murray Bridge Equine Precinct, Gifford Hill

A new equine precinct at Gifford Hill on the outskirts of Murray Bridge is being developed. It will feature a horse racing track, training facilities, equine facilities and function rooms. This will be a key regional venue for horse racing in South Australia.

Table 11: Facility Initiative - Riverland Regional Innovation & Sports Precinct

Riverland Regional Innovation & Sports Precinct

A new indoor recreation stadium to cater for a range of school and community uses. Featuring two indoor multi-use courts and a specialised gymnastics facility. The opening of the newly constructed facility is anticipated for early 2018.

Table 12: Facility Initiative - Loxton Sporting Precinct, Loxton

Loxton Sporting Precinct, Loxton

A master plan has been prepared and funding is currently being sourced for the sporting precinct redevelopment. Proposed new features include a new two court indoor sports complex, six outdoor multi-use courts, two bowling greens and new changerooms/amenities.

Table 13: Facility Initiative - Murray Coorong Trail, Cadell to Salt Creek

Murray Coorong Trail, Cadell to Salt Creek

Three Councils are working to establish an iconic walking trail along the Murray River between Cadell and Salt Creek. Stage 1 is underway and it is expected that the 450km trail will be completed over a 10 year period.


Table 14: Facility Initiative - Murray Bridge Skate Park, Sturt Reserve

Murray Bridge Skate Park, Sturt Reserve

Plans have been developed and construction underway for an extension to the existing skate park at Sturt Reserve. The extension offers the possibility of tying all of Sturt Reserve youth existing amenities together, creating an active youth hub for the Murraylands.

Table 15: Facility Initiative - Murray Bridge Rowing Club, Sturt Reserve

Murray Bridge Rowing Club, Sturt Reserve

The proposed plan for the redevelopment of the Murray Bridge Rowing Club features brand new clubrooms and boat sheds adjacent the existing facility which would result in Murray Bridge being the second-biggest rowing complex in the state.

Table 16: Facility Initiative - Mary Ann Reserve, Mannum

Mary Ann Reserve, Mannum

A master plan has been prepared for the enhancement of Mary Ann Reserve including benefits to Mannum Rowing Club such as formalising the launch and holding area, establishing a pontoon and enhancing trailer parking.

Table 17: Facility Initiative - Murray Bridge Olympic Swimming Pool

Murray Bridge Olympic Swimming Pool

A master plan to further enhance the pool as a regional aquatic centre has been developed. Construction of a splash pad and water slide have commenced, with opening anticipated prior to the 2017/18 summer season. Future initiatives include an indoor 25m pool and program pool.

Table 18: Facility Initiative – Berri Riverfront Wharf

Berri Riverfront Wharf

The redevelopment of the Berri Riverfront Wharf will enhance the capacity of the facility for aquatic sports, such as speedboat and skiing events. There is potential at this site to develop a sprint course for rowing and canoeing.


6.5 Best Practice Examples Examples of recently developed best practice regional sport and recreation facilities within South Australia and interstate are highlighted in Table 19 to Table 23

Table 19: Best Practice Example - Fleurieu Aquatic Centre, South Australia

Fleurieu Aquatic Centre, South Australia

After decades of investigations and planning, followed by a 21-month construction period, the Fleurieu Aquatic Centre was opened to the community in March 2017. The $21 million project was a joint initiative of the Alexandrina Council and City of Victor Harbor, with funding support from the Australian Government and State Government's Community, Recreation and Sport Facilities Program; and a generous land donation from Beyond Today. The Fleurieu Regional Aquatic Centre Authority was established under Section 43 of the Local Government Act 1999 in August 2015 by the City of Victor Harbor and Alexandrina Council to enable joint ownership and management of the centre. The facility provides an indoor 25m and program pool, gym and community rooms.

Table 20: Best Practice Example - Port Augusta Central Oval, South Australia

Port Augusta Central Oval, South Australia

The Port Augusta Central Oval redevelopment is a recent example of the successful development of a regional level sporting precinct implemented in a major regional population centre in South Australia. The development of this $16 million plus facility was jointly funded by Local, State and Federal Government. Key facilities at the centre include: three multipurpose indoor courts; retractable spectator seating; 11 outdoor netball courts; AFL standard oval; Two storey multi-use stadium; and raised viewing platform and community room.


Table 21: Best Practice Example - Copper Coast Sport & Leisure Centre, South Australia

Copper Coast Sport & Leisure Centre, South Australia

The Copper Coast Sport and Leisure Centre is expected to open in late 2017. The development has been a collaborative project between five councils to cater for the region. Various partnerships were established for funding and the centre will be commercially managed by Belgravia Leisure. The Yorke Regional Recreation, Sport and Open Space Strategy (2014) identified the need for a regional level facility in the area. Key facilities at the centre include: four multipurpose indoor courts; show courts with retractable spectator seating; 8 outdoor tennis courts; gym facility; reception area and café; and community meeting rooms.

Table 22: Best Practice Example - Kauri Parade Community Sports Hub, South Australia

Kauri Parade Community Sports Hub, South Australia

The Kauri Parade Community & Sporting Precinct in Seacliff is a new community sporting hub facility which has been purpose-designed to provide flexible, modern facilities to accommodate a music centre, a range of sporting and recreational clubs and the broader community. This project has a cost of approximately $13 million and is supported by external funding from the Federal Government, State Government and Tennis Australia.

Table 23: Best Practice Example - Mt Gravatt East Aquatic Centre, Queensland

Mt Gravatt East Aquatic Centre, Queensland

Brisbane’s Mt Gravatt East Aquatic Centre exemplifies the successful development of a low-cost regional level aquatic facility. Developed through partnerships with the state’s education department, Brisbane City Council and private providers. Featuring a 25 metre outdoor pool and an indoor program pool, the facility is located within the grounds of Mt Gravatt East State School and is utilised by schools, a private fitness provider, a private swim school and the wider community. The facility cost approximately $4 million dollars (2017 equivalent).


7. Consultation The project included extensive consultation with key stakeholders including sporting, recreation and community organisations and relevant government agencies to determine the provision of existing regional level facilities, current and future regional sport and recreation needs, issues and opportunities across the region.

Each Constituent Council nominated a delegate to provide input into the study which included the identification of issues and opportunities; provision of background information; assistance with the development of the facilities audit; and stakeholder identification. Interviews were held with each of the Council delegates. The project flyer, designed to inform Council delegates about the project scope and objectives, is illustrated in Figure 4.

A series of visits to the Murraylands and the Riverland were undertaken for the purposes of consultation and to undertake site visits as part of the on-ground facility audit. During these visits, the project was presented to the Riverland Local Government Association in Waikerie and to the MRLGA CEO Network Meeting in Lameroo.

Key user groups who utilise the identified regional level facilities or sub regional community hubs were contacted to inform the facilities audit and to assist with understanding the use of these facilities. Telephone interviews and online surveys were completed by representatives of 25 clubs/associations from across the region. Relevant information from these consultation methods was recorded in the facility inventory which has informed the key findings for each Council area.

Discussions with sport and recreation club/associations centred around the following themes:

• Providing family friendly clubs and venues

• Responding to changing community trends and lifestyles

• Retaining members and volunteers

• Encouraging and increasing participation

• Providing welcoming and well-maintained facilities

• Desire to host regional events and obtaining support from Councils

• Collaboration between clubs to host events

• Demand for venues with event capacity

• Generating economic benefits associated with events

• Support for sharing of compatible facilities

• Requirement to maintain local facilities in each town to cater for all teams in associations

• Need for additional and enhanced regional facilities

• Strengthening partnerships between school and community

• Need to successfully procure grant applications and funding

• Regional facilities currently meet core requirements but in some instances require enhancement to meet contemporary standards and expectations.

Figure 4: Project Flyer


8. Facilities Audit

8.1 Audit Process An audit of existing regional level sport and recreation facilities was conducted to inform the Needs Review. The audit involved a desktop assessment and visits to key sites throughout the region to assess the condition. Characteristics and location of key facilities were collated with the use of a GPS unit and this information has been used as a basis to prepare a series of GIS layers which each Local Government will be able to access and utilise for further planning and management.

The regional significance of facilities was determined through the audit findings, background research and consultation with stakeholders. Each facility was evaluated to determine its compliance with the definition of a regional level facility and its alignment with peak body requirements. Figure 5 illustrates an example of the regional facilities audit. The complete facilities audit is included in Appendix 1: Regional Level Facilities and Events Audit.

Figure 5: Example of regional level sport and recreation facilities audit


8.2 Regional Sport and Recreation Facilities The facilities audit identified 46 regional level sport and recreation facilities within the MRLGA. These facilities are of regional significance, attracting users from across multiple council areas and have the capacity to host major regional level competitions, events and/or training. Table 24 lists the regional level sport and recreation facilities within each council area.

Table 24: Regional Level Sport and Recreation Facilities

Rural City of Murray Bridge

Sturt Reserve

Murray Bridge Showgrounds

Johnstone Park

Christian Reserve

War Memorial Park

Murray Bridge Darts Club

Murray Bridge Lawn Bowls & Croquet Precinct

Murray Bridge Olympic Swimming Pool

Murraylands Cycle Speedway

Murray Bridge Speedway

Bridge Bowl

Kinchina Conservation Park

Monarto Sporting Precinct

Monarto Shooting Complex

Murray Bridge Racecourse & Equine Precinct

Lavender Federation Trail

Kidman Trail

Murray Coorong Trail

Murray Bridge Golf Course

Berri Barmera Council

Riverland Regional Innovation & Sports Precinct

Berri No. 1 and No. 2 Ovals

Berri Outdoor Courts

Berri Riverfront

Martins Bend Reserve

Barmera Playspace

Lake Bonney Yacht Club

Monash Adventure Park

Katarapko Canoe Trail

Berri Shooting Precinct

Barmera Pistol and Rifle Facility

Coorong District Council

Meningie Sailing Club

The Bend Motorsport Park


Tintinara Disc Golf Course

District Council of Loxton Waikerie

Loxton Sporting Precinct

Loxton Lawn Tennis Club

Loxton Dirt Kart Track

Loxton Shooting Precinct

Waikerie Sporting Precinct

Waikerie Football Oval

Waikerie Horse and Pony Club

Waikerie Enduro

Renmark Paringa Council

Renmark Sports Precinct

Darnley Taylor Park

Renmark RSL Bowling Club

Riverland Motorsports Precinct

Renmark Foreshore

Renmark Horse and Pony Club

Renmark Berri Field and Game Facility

Mid Murray Council

Mary Ann Reserve

Bedrock Ski Club

Mannum Sports Precinct

Swan Reach Ski Beach

Morgan Ski Beach

Kidman Trail

Lavender Federation Trail



8.3 Activity Analysis 93 regional level facilities across the MRLGA, plus 3 regional level trails. These facilities offer over 44 different sport and recreation activities, as shown by council area Table 25 and Figure 6.

Table 25: Regional Level Sport and Recreation Activities

Category Regional Level

Activity

Murraylands Riverland

Total RC MB

MMC CDC SM DC

DCK EM

BBC RPC DC LW

Indoor Sports

Basketball 1 1

Darts 1 1

Gymnastics 1 1

Ten pin bowling 1 1

Volleyball 1 1 2

Futsal 1 1

Field Sports

Australian football 1 1 1 1 2 6

Baseball/Softball 1 1

Cricket 1 1 1 2 5

Hockey 1 1

Outdoor Court Sports + Lawn Bowls

Croquet 1 1

Lawn bowls 1 2 3

Netball 1 1

Tennis 1 1 1 1 4

Water Sports

Rowing 1 1 1 1 4

Waterskiing 1 1 2 4

Wakeboarding 1 2 1 1 5

Powerboating 2 1 3

Sailing 1 1 2

Canoeing 1 1

Swimming 1 1 2

Cycling Sports

Cycle speedway 1 1

Cycling/Human powered vehicle

1 1 1 3

Mountain biking 1 1

Equestrian Sports

Horse sports/racing 1 1 1 1

Trail riding 1 1*

Motor and Shooting Sports

Shooting 1 2 1 1 5

Karting 1 1 1 1 4

Motocross 1 1 2

Speedway 1 1 2

Motorcycle racing 1 1

Car racing 1 1 2

Drifting 1 1

Rallying 1 1

4-wheel driving 1 1

Autocross 1 1

RC off-road racing 1 1

Model aero sport 1 1

Skateboarding/ Play

Play 2 2 4

Skateboarding 1 1 1 3

Other

Triathlon 1 1 2

Trail walking/cycling 2 1 2*

Golf/Disc golf 1 1 2

Total 30 8 10 23 17 11 95

District Community Sporting Hubs

i.e. Australian Football, Cricket, Netball, Tennis, Play

2 2 1 1 6

*Trails which cross boundaries and are counted within each council area in which they occur and excluded from the total. There are 2 regional level walk/cycle trails and 1 regional horse riding trail.


Figure 6: Map of Regional Level Facilities and District Community Sporting Hubs


The Rural City of Murray Bridge is the central location for regional level sport and recreation facility provision in the Murraylands region and is supported by its neighbouring Council areas (Mid Murray and Coorong District Councils), offering a diverse range of regional sporting and recreation opportunities. The Riverland also offers a wide range of regional level sport and recreation pursuits; however, this is more evenly spread across the three Riverland local government areas. The District Council of Karoonda East Murray and the Southern Mallee District Councils to not feature any regional level facilities.

The MRLGA’s top activities with the highest regional level provision are:

1. Australian football -6 2. Cricket – 5

Wakeboarding – 5 Shooting - 5

3. Tennis - 4 Karting - 4 Play – 4 Waterskiing – 4 Rowing – 4

The region also has a high level of provision for various motor and shooting sports at precincts located at Monarto on the outskirts of Murray Bridge, Tailem Bend (The Bend Motorsport Park) and the Riverland Motorsport Precinct between Berri and Renmark. The area also caters for many water sports at the regional level primarily utilising the River Murray, Lakes and Coorong and associated water bodies for pursuits such as rowing, waterskiing, powerboating, wakeboarding, canoeing and sailing. Regional trails also exist across the Murraylands with the Kidman Trail, Lavender Federation Trail and the Murray Coorong Trail traversing local government boundaries providing for cycling, walking and horse riding pursuits.

There are also six facilities that whilst they do not meet the definition for regional level sport and recreation facilities have an important role as district community sporting hubs. These six district community sporting hubs have been identified as:

• Karoonda Sports Precinct, Karoonda

• Jack Roberts Park, Lameroo

• Pinnaroo Oval, Pinnaroo

• Tailem Bend Sports Precinct, Tailem Bend

• Meningie Oval, Meningie • Barmera Memorial Oval Precinct, Barmera


Soccer

The audit has identified that there are no soccer facilities within the MRLGA region which meet the definition of a regional level faciliity. To align with the requirements of a regional level facility by the Football Federation of South Australia (FFSA), a facility must have 3 or more full sized pitches including one synthetic pitch, as well as other facility specifications (see section 6.3). There are 6 soccer clubs across the region, each with a local or district facility in their town.

The four soccer clubs in the Riverland play in the Riverland Soccer Association which includes female, male, junior and senior participants. Murray Bridge and Mannum both have teams in the Adelaide Hills Junior Soccer Association and Murray Bridge has a senior team which plays in the South Australian Amateur Soccer League.

Berri and Renmark have hosted FFSA Regional Rounds over recent years, with the games played on the adjacent Australian rules football oval, due to the higher standard of facilities. State Country Soccer Championships were held in Renmark and Barmera in 2015 and 2017, respectively.

The matrix below outlines key information relating to the soccer clubs across the MRLGA, their association/league, primary facility and events.

Table 26: Overview of Soccer Facilities and Events

Town Club name Association/League Primary facility Events

Murray Bridge

Murray Bridge United Soccer Club

South Australian Amateur Soccer League

Adelaide Hills Junior Soccer Association

Jaensch Oval

Mannum Mannum Community College Soccer Club

Adelaide Hills Junior Soccer Association

Mannum Community College Oval

Berri Berri River Rangers Soccer Club

Riverland Soccer Association

Berri Oval No. 2

FFSA Regional Round (2017)*

Renmark Renmark Olympic Soccer Club


Renmark Sports Precinct

FFSA Regional Round (2016)*

SA Country State Soccer Championships (2015)

Loxton Loxton United Soccer Club


Loxton Sporting Precinct

Barmera Barmera United Soccer Club


Barmera Soccer Complex

SA Country State Soccer Championships (2017)

*Game played on Australian rules football oval

With growth in soccer participation across the state and the nation, it may be necessary to consider the need for a regional level soccer facility in the MRLGA region in years to come.


Golf

Multiple golf courses are located across the MRLGA region. The Murray Bridge Golf Course hosts the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Murray Bridge Classic and is identified as a regional level facility. Other golf courses in the region do not meet the definition of a regional facility when considered in isolation. However, the five Riverland golf courses would be a regional level facility if considered together as a network. The Riverland courses attract golfers from outside of the region who may play multiple courses during a visit. Golf courses and events across the region are outlined in the table below. :

Golf Course Events Hierarchy

Murr

ayla

nds

Murray Bridge Golf Course Professional: Murray Bridge PGA Classic

Golf SA: Talent ID Program

Regional

Mannum Golf Course District event: Mannum Ladies Open Day Local

Cambrai Golf Course Local

Swan Reach Golf Course Local

Pinnaroo Golf Course Mallee Open Local

Lameroo Golf Course Lameroo Open Local

Tailem Bend Golf Course Local

Coonalpyn Golf Course Local

Lake Albert Golf Course Lake Albert Open Local

Riv

erla

nd

Berri Golf Course Berri Open District

Barmera Golf Course Golf SA: Women's Country Week District

Renmark Golf Course Golf SA: Brett Ogle Cup District

Loxton Golf Course District event: Riverland Closed District

Waikerie Golf Course District event: Riverland Golf Association Ladies 2 Day Event Foursomes

District


9. Provision Analysis Facility provision and benchmark analysis provides an indication of the required sport and recreation facilities provision for a designated area. Industry benchmarks sourced from Parks and Leisure Australia (PLA)63, the peak body for parks and leisure professionals in Australia, have been applied to the Murraylands and Riverland region population. However, due to the region’s vast geographic area and relatively low population density, typical provisional standards have some limitations. The provision benchmarks state that

“Regional rural areas and towns will have pockets of community provision that cannot be aligned to population benchmarks… Within these areas, it is essential to establish the need of the community on a case by case basis and ensure that where infrastructure is provided it meets minimum design, technical and spatial standards and provides suitable opportunities to provide outreach services”.

Regional level facility provision should also be guided by factors such as; financial limitations of stakeholders including the Local Government, additional demographic indicators such as age profile, cultural diversity, socio-economic status, demand drivers such as population projections, participation trends and patterns, lifecycle costs and industry best practice.

Table 27 details the demand for regional level sport and recreation facilities as based on the PLA benchmarks. Demand benchmarks are outlined for the region, as well as current supply levels and variance to identify potential oversupply or gaps in provision. Calculations are based on the estimated resident populations at 30 June 201664. Regional level sport and recreation facility provision in the Murraylands and Riverland should be tailored also to the specific needs and demands of the region’s population.


Table 27: Facility benchmarking

Facility

Regional Facility Provision

Benchmark

(facility: population)

MRLGA (Population = 68,857)

Approximate demand

Existing provision

Variance

Regional oval (Australian football & cricket)

1:15,000 5 6 1

Regional indoor sport & recreation centre (3+ court)

1:50,000 1 1 -

Regional aquatic centre

(25m or 50m pool)

1:75,000 1 2 1

Regional tennis precinct (16+ courts)

1: 30,000 2 4 2

Regional hockey pitch (synthetic)

1:75,000 1 1 -

Regional athletics track (synthetic)

1:250,000+ 0 0 -

Regional skate park 1:25,000 3 3 -

Regional BMX track (bitumen)

1:50,000 1 0 -1

Regional playspace 1:50,000 1 4 3

Golf course 1:30,000 2 10 8

Lawn bowls facility (district) 1:25,000 to 50,000 2 4+ 2+

According to the benchmarks outlined, the MRLGA region is well catered for with regards to regional level ovals, aquatic centres, tennis precincts, skate parks and play spaces and meets the provision standards for indoor sport and recreation centres and hockey pitches (synthetic). There is the opportunity to investigate further the demand and need for a regional level BMX facility.

In terms of aquatic facilities Murray Bridge and Renmark have been identified as the regional level facilities. The Murray Bridge Olympic Swimming Pool is regional due to its catchment population, plans for upgrade and redevelopment to include an indoor aquatic facility and lack of other competition from other similar facilities. Within the Riverland area there are four 50m outdoor pools of similar age and functionality. Currently only the Renmark Swimming Pool meets regional level status with its outdoor 50m pool and the indoor program pool at the Alan Coulter Recreation Centre. Previously, investigations have been undertaken into the feasibility of an indoor 25m pool and program pool in the Riverland however this has been found to be unviable.


10. Regional Events

10.1 Events Types Events are major features of community engagement and regional tourism in regional areas including across the MRLGA region. The Festivals and Events Guide for Local Government (2016)65 identifies the importance of tourism and events to regional development during the transition to a service based economy, providing a mechanism for Councils to strengthen and showcase their local communities. There are four distinct types of leisure events, as identified by Getz (2008)66. These event types are described in Table 28.

Table 28: Distinct Types of Leisure Events

Event typology Event characteristics Example

Mega events Events of international significance that will attract international visitors and confer a substantial economic benefit to the host region/country. (Not the remit of Local Government although they may be impacted by such events).

Commonwealth Games

Hallmark events Strongly identified with the spirit or ethos of a town, city or region and gain widespread recognition and awareness. They will attract a range of visitors including those from interstate and overseas, and will be associated with high levels of tourism demand and significant economic impact.

Tour Down Under

Regional events Have the capacity to attract visitors and media interest from outside the host region and are associated with medium levels of tourism demand. These events may be periodic or held just once.

SA Masters Games

Local events Low levels of demand and low value (from an economic perspective). Local events are likely to be community driven and provide primarily social benefits. They may be periodic or one time only.

Local sporting events

Key considerations for event portfolio management include:

• destinations should establish a portfolio of events which includes local, regional and hallmark events as well as incorporating different event types such as sports, entertainment and cultural.

• Different types of events will appeal to different visitor markets, and therefore will add value to the region and its brand as a whole.

• The value of the total event calendar should be far greater than the sum of the individual parts.

• Events should be strategically placed to stimulate demand across the year, with clustering of complementary events.


10.2 Benefits of Events Research by the Tourism Research Australia, in association with the South Australian Tourism Commission and Tourism Victoria67, found that almost one quarter (24%) of Australians have been to at least one event in a regional area within the last two years. One tenth (9%) had attended a regional event located interstate. The research also found that people who attend spectator or participatory sporting events are the most willing to take interstate and overnight trips, as shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7: Appeal of Events


10.3 MRLGA Regional Events Through this study process, recent and future regional level sport and recreation events in the MRLGA region have been identified. These have been incorporated into the regional facility audit at the facility they are predominantly conducted at (refer Appendix 1: Regional Level Facilities and Events Audit). Examples of these events include:

SANFL and AFL Matches, Mid Murray Council, Berri Barmera Council, Renmark Paringa Council and Rural City of Murray Bridge

AFL pre-season and SANFL games have been held at various facilities in the Riverland and Murraylands region over recent years. Games have been held at Johnstone Park in Murray Bridge, Mannum Sports Precinct, Berri Oval and Renmark Sports Precinct.

Annual Riverland Paddling Marathon, Berri Barmera Council and Mid Murray Council

Established in 1988, the Marathon Canoe Club of South Australia hosts the annual Paddling Marathon which starts in Berri and finishes in Morgan. The event is promoted as a festival of paddling marathons and features six paddling events offered consecutively over 3 days.

Annual Riverland Dinghy Derby, Renmark Paringa Council

Established in 1981, the Riverland Dinghy Derby is held across 100km of the unique river and creek systems around Renmark. The Dinghy Derby is currently sponsored by Red Bull and is round 2 of the Magic 931 championship series. The event features a weekend of racing with the Renmark Club Dash for Cash held at the Renmark water front at night under lights.

Annual Australian International Pedal Prix, Rural City of Murray Bridge

The 2017 race is the 32nd running of the Australian International Pedal Prix and the 21st 24-hour event in Murray Bridge. This race is the final Round of the UniSA Australian Human Powered Vehicle (HPV) Super Series and is regarded as the premier HPV endurance race in Australia. The race is conducted on a 1.7 km circuit around Sturt Reserve. 200 teams, 3,200 competitors and thousands of spectators make Sturt Reserve their home for 3 days in September each year.

2016/17 Taipan National Championships, Coorong District Council

In January 2017, the Meningie Sailing Club hosted the Taipan Catamaran National Championships. The event utilised the clubrooms and grass rigging area on the shores of Lake Albert, attracting participants and spectators from across Australia to Meningie.

2016 & 2018 South Australian Masters Games, Rural City of Murray Bridge

The South Australian Masters Games is a significant major event with more than 850 participants. Murray Bridge hosted the 2016 Masters Games for the first time in 2016. Prior to submitting an application to host the 2016 event, the Rural City of Murray Bridge conducted a workshop with representatives of 23 sporting associations in the region to assess their interest in being involved. With subsequent support from sport associations, the 2016 event was a major success. The event will be hosted in Murray Bridge again in 2018.

2018 Revolve24, Coorong District Council

In January 2018, the Revolve 24 endurance cycling challenge will be held at The Bend Motorsport Park in Tailem Bend as an official associated event of the Tour Down Under. Hundreds of riders will descend onto the newly launched world class 7.77km undulating track.


Regional Events Case Study: Rural City of Murray Bridge (RCMB)

An example of an events partnership attracting and executing regional level sport and recreation events is the Rural City of Murray Bridge’s engagement of Sports Marketing Australia. Council identified sporting events as a key strategy to develop tourism and deliver the associated economic and community benefits for the region, with the vision to become the regional sporting capital of South Australia.

In 2013, the Council established the partnership with Sports Marketing Australia to attract and manage events in the region. Utilising Sports Marketing Australia’s capability assessment of the region’s capacity to host events, this partnership has contributed to Council hosting numerous major events, including securing the opportunity to host the 2016 and 2018 South Australian Masters Games. Benefits associated with the events partnership include:

• A comprehensive capability assessment of the region's capacity to host events considering: demography; available facilities, infrastructure, accommodation and transport; activities and associations in the region.

• Continued use of the capability assessment to contribute to event applications and to promote business in the region (e.g. outlining the demand for accommodation).

• Identification of opportunities with a high, medium and low level of potential for the Council area.

• Facilitated event attraction utilising established and continuous relationships with sports associations, event promoters and organisers.

• Professional and reliable event management and promotion, ensuring minimal risk to Council

The Rural City of Murray Bridge has also worked with event promoters as well as directly with sporting associations such as Rowing SA to attract events. Example of the events included in the portfolio are shown in Table 29.

Table 29: RCMB Events

Annual events 2017 2018

• Australian International Pedal Prix

• Head of the Murray Regatta

• Murray Bridge Junior Tennis Tournament

• Murray Bridge Darts Grand Prix

• Murry Bridge Gold Cup

• Floatfest

• SA Ski Racing Titles

• SA Country State Basketball Championships

• SA Cycle Speedway Titles

• Rocky Gully Run n Roll

• SA Lawn Bowls Championships

• State and National Kart Championships

• State and National Motocross Titles

• State and National SSAA Muzzleloading Championships

• Floatfest

• South Australian Masters Games

• Sufferfest Triathlon

• Australian Speedcar Championships

In an effort to identify and quantify the impact of their investment in the Australian International Pedal Prix event, the RCMB used an event impact survey after the 2004 and 2007 events had taken place. The results highlighted that the 2007 Pedal Prix returned an estimated $3.8 million in economic value to the Murray Bridge community as well as intrinsic value to the Murray Bridge community in terms of promotional opportunities, visitor and destination recognition68.


11. Challenges & Opportunities The following challenges and opportunities (refer Table 30) have been identified for regional level sport and recreation facility and service provision across the MRLGA region.

Table 30: Regional Level Challenges and Opportunities

Challenges for regional level sport and recreation facility provision in the MRLGA region

Regional level facility planning for a diverse and stable population

Population forecasts predict that the MRLGA region will grow by an additional 1,500 people to the year 2031. This growth is not high and is predicted to be entirely within the Rural City of Murray Bridge, while the other local government areas will likely experience population decline. It is important to ensure that any new or redeveloped regional level sport and recreation facilities planned are assessed for long term sustainability. It is likely the enhancement and redevelopment of existing facilities is the priority rather than the creation of new facilities.

High facility standards and community expectations

Today’s society places high expectations upon community facilities including sport and recreation infrastructure. Clubs and service providers, such as Local Government, are required to meet facility standards and risk management measures. A focus on bringing existing regional facilities up to a higher standard of presentation and functionality should be a focus.

Ageing built infrastructure

A large proportion of the built regional sport and recreation facilities across the MRLGA region are ageing, with buildings requiring extensive maintenance, upgrade and/or replacement. This will place increasing financial pressure on facility owners and developers including local Councils.

Shared use of regional level facilities

To align with South Australia’s strategic direction and maximise use of resources, cooperation and collaboration is required between facility providers such as Local Governments, schools, private sector, clubs and participants to ensure shared use of regional facilities occurs. The community sporting hub model is an opportunity for local Councils to improve sharing of facilities across communities.

Strategic resource allocation

A strategically planned approach to regional level sport and recreation facility provision is required to ensure that the required facilities are provided to a high standard, addressing gaps in provision without duplication of facilities. This strategy seeks to achieve this.

Sustainability of sports facilities, clubs and programs

It is to ensure that regional level sport and recreation facilities and clubs remain viable and are self-supporting. This encompasses financial, social and environmental sustainability of both facilities and service providers.

Catering for emerging sports

Regional level sport and recreation facilities need to be dynamic and flexible in design in order to adapt to changing demand. Participation and interest in sports can be influenced by a range of factors including cultural influences, trends and popular culture. Whilst the region has in the past catered well for traditional sports there is an opportunity to capitalise on the rise of emerging sports and those not well catered for in the metropolitan area such as shooting and motorsports.

Life-cycle costing and asset management

Regional level facilities need to be planned, built, operated and maintained with appreciation of the associated costs. Facility owners and users require well thought out asset management strategies including sinking funds for replacement and redevelopment in the future.

Health issues caused by physical inactivity

Residents of the MRLGA are generally more inactive than other South Australians. Increased participation in sport and active recreation is needed to improve health outcomes. Regional level facilities can provide high level, dynamic and functional facilities that will entice people to become physically active.


Challenges for regional level sport and recreation facility provision in the MRLGA region

Facility provision aligned with elite sport pathways.

Regional level facilities should cater for general community use while also providing quality infrastructure for high level training and competition. Providing accessible regional level facilities is fundamental to providing elite sport pathways.

Regional level sport and recreation events

The MRLGA’s diverse range of regional level facilities offer capacity for a thriving region-wide sport and recreation events calendar. Councils can leverage off these events to ensure that communities are capitalising on the potential associated benefits.

Technology and innovation advances

Councils must embrace opportunities to progress the development and management of regional level sport and recreation facilities through new and emerging technologies.

Adaptation of existing facilities

Given the low demand for new regional facility provision in the MRLGA region and the need to upgrade and enhance existing regional facilities there is an opportunity to adapt existing facilities to improve their presentation, functionality, capacity and scope to enable them to cater for larger and more frequent events and diverse event/competition formats.


Appendix 1: Regional Level Facilities and Events Audit

Regional Level Facilities and Events Audit - Berri Barmera Council

Regional District Community Sporting Hub

1 Riverland Regional Innovation and Sports Precinct Gymnastics Gymnastics facility 1 Under construction Spectator stand, amenities, administration areaGlassey Park, Berri Basketball Basketball courts (indoor) 2 Under construction Spectator stand, amenities, administration area Riverland Junior Basketball Carnival (2018)

Netball Netball courts (indoor) 2 Under construction Spectator stand, amenities, administration areaVolleyball Volleyball courts 6 Under construction Spectator stand, amenities

Futsal Futsal 2 Under construction Spectator stand, amenitiesHockey Hockey pitch (synthetic) 1 Excellent Sportslighting, clubroom Regional Hockey Championships

Hockey pitches (grass) 2 Satisfactory Sportslighting, clubroom Regional Hockey Development ProgramsSoftball/Baseball Softball/Baseball diamonds 4 Good Sportslighting, clubroom Riverland Masters Softball Carnival (annual)

Lawn bowls Lawn bowls greens (synthetic) 2 Excellent Sportslighting, clubroom, administration area

2 Berri No. 1 and No. 2 Ovals Australian football Australian football oval 1 Good Sportslighting, clubroom, changeroom, scoreboard, interchange benches, graAFL pre-season match (2009) and SANFL match (2016)Fiedler St, Berri Cricket Cricket ovals 2 Good Clubroom, changeroom, scoreboard, grandstand

Cricket nets (synthetic) 3 GoodSoccer Soccer pitches 2 Good Changerooms, amenities FFSA State League Game (2017)

3 Berri Outdoor Courts Tennis Tennis courts (lawn) 19 Good Sportslighting, clubrooms, spectator shelters amenities u12 and u14 Australian Grasscourt Championships (2017)Trenaman Cres, Berri Tennis courts (synthetic) 4 Satisfactory Sportslighting, clubrooms, spectator shelters amenities Riverland Seniors Tennis tournament

Tennis courts (hard) 6 Satisfactory Sportslighting, clubrooms, spectator shelters amenitiesNetball Netball courts (outdoor) 6 Satisfactory Sportslighting, clubrooms, spectator shelters amenities

4 Berri Riverfront Rowing Rowing facility 1 Satisfactory Holding/Launching area, clubroom Riverland Regatta (annual)Draper Rd and Riverview Dve, Berri Cycling Cycling course 1 Satisfactory Tour of the Riverland (annual)

5 Martins Bend Reserve Waterskiing Waterskiing facility 1 Satisfactory Boat ramp, clubroom, amenities Speedboat SpectacularMartins Bend, Berri Powerboating Powerboating facility 1 Satisfactory Boat ramp, clubroom, amenities

6 Barmera Playspace Play Playspace (all access) 1 Good Picnic areaNookamka Terrace, Barmera

7 Lake Bonney Yacht Club Sailing Sailing facility 1 Satisfactory Boat ramp, clubroom, amenities Opening Day and Easter RegattasLakeside Dr, Barmera Triathlon Triathlon course 1 Good Murray Man Triathlon

Wakeboarding Wakeboarding facility 1 Satisfactory Wakeboarding SA CompetitionsWaterskiing Waterskiing facility 1 Satisfactory Australian Speed and Marathon National Ski Championships (201

Powerboating Powerboating facility 1 Satisfactory SA Barmera Carp Frenzy

8 Monash Adventure Park Play Playspace 1 Good Picnic areaMadison Rd, Monash

9 Katarapko Canoe Trail Canoeing Canoe trail 1 Good Boat ramps, camping areasKatarapko National Park

10 Berri Shooting Precinct Shooting Shooting range (pistol) 1 Good Clubroom, amenities Berri OpenSturt Hwy, Berri Shooting range (shotgun) 1 Good Clubroom, amenities Big River 225

Shooting range (rifle) 1 Good Clubroom, amenities

11 Barmera Memorial Oval Precinct Australian football Australian football oval 1 Satisfactory Sportslighting, clubroom, changeroom, scoreboard, interchange benchesNookamka Terrace, Barmera Skateboarding Skate park 1 Good Shelter

Netball Netball courts (outdoor) 4 Satisfactory Sportslighting, clubroom, amenitiesBasketball Basketball courts (outdoor) 4 Satisfactory Sportslighting, clubroom, amenities

Lawn bowls Lawn bowling green (synthetic) 1 Satisfactory Sportslighting, clubroom, amenities

BERRI BARMERA COUNCIL

Regional Level EventsRef FacilityHierarchy

Key Facility Component Quantity Condition Support facilities

Regional Level Facilities and Events Audit - District Council of Loxton Waikerie


1 Loxton Sporting Precinct Australian football Australia football oval 1 Good Sportslighting, clubroom, changeroom, scoreboard, interchange benches, gr Nippy's Loxton Gift Athletics Carnival (annual)Pine Ave, Loxton Cricket Cricket ovals 2 Good Clubroom, changeroom, scoreboard, grandstand

Cricket nets (synthetic) 3 GoodSkateboarding Skate Park 1 Good Shelter, lighting

Hockey Hockey pitches (grass) 2 Good Sportslighting, clubroomSoccer Soccer pitch 1 Good

Soccer pitches (junior) 2 GoodTennis Tennis courts (hard) 6 Poor Sportslighting, clubroomNetball Netball courts (indoor) 1 Poor Amenities, administration area Junior Lighting Netball Carnival

Netball courts (outdoor) 8 Poor Sportslighting, clubroomBasketball Basketball courts (outdoor) 4 Poor Sportslighting, clubroom Riverland Junior Basketball Carnival

Basketball court (indoor) 1 Poor Amenities, administration areaGymnastics Gymnastics facility 1 Poor AmenitiesSwimming Outdoor swimming pool (50m) 1 Poor Changerooms, amenities, administration area, spectator seating

Human Powered Vehicle HPV track (starts in town centre) 1 Good Loxton Pedal Prix

2 Loxton Lawn Tennis Club Tennis Tennis courts (lawn) 18 Good ClubroomBookpurnong Rd, Loxton

3 Loxton Dirt Kart Track Karting Kart track (dirt) 1 Good Pits, workshop/shed, spectator amenities State (2013) and Australian Karting Titles (2014)478 Karoonda Hwy, Loxton Riverland Karting Championships (annual)

4 Loxton Shooting Precinct Shooting Shooting ranges (pistol) 3 Satisfactory Clubroom Riverland Regional Shooting Contests (annual)Bates Road, Loxton Indoor range (air pistol) 1 Satisfactory Big River 225 (annual)

State Qualifying Shooting Events

5 Waikerie Sporting Precinct Swimming Outdoor swimming pool (50m) 1 Satisfactory Changerooms, amenities, administration area, spectator seating South Australian Premier League Cricket Match (2016)Lawrie Tce, Waikerie Cricket Cricket oval 2 Satisfactory Clubroom

Cricket nets (synthetic) 3 SatisfactoryHockey Hockey pitches (grass) 3 Satisfactory Clubroom

Basketball Basketball court (indoor) 1 Satisfactory Adelaide 36rs vs Shandong Hi-Speed Golden Stars (2016)Basketball courts (outdoor) 6 Excellent Sportslighitng, clubroom/Storage

Netball Netball court (indoor) 1 SatisfactoryNetball courts (outdoor) 6 Excellent Sportslighitng, clubroom/Storage

Indoor soccer Indoor soccer pitch 1 SatisfactoryFitness/gym Fitness/Gym facility 1 Satisfactory

Tennis Tennis courts (hard) 15 9 Poor + 6 Excellent Sportslighting, clubroomGymnastics Gymnastics facility 1 SatisfactoryVolleyball Volleyball court (indoor) 1 Satisfactory

Skateboarding Skate Park 1 Good Lighting, shelterLawn bowls Lawn bowls greens (2 natural + 2 syn 4 2 Good + 2 Poor Sportslighitng, clubroom

Athletics Athletics track 1 GoodThrowing circles (discus and shotput) 2 GoodLong jump/triple jump facilities 2 Good

6 Waikerie Football Oval Australian football Football oval 1 Good Sportslighting, clubroom, changeroom, scoreboard, interchange benches, grandstandLeonard Norman Drive, Waikerie

DISTRICT COUNCIL OF LOXTON WAIKERIE



Regional Level Facilities and Events Audit - Rural City of Murray Bridge


1 Sturt Reserve Tennis Cycling Tennis courts (lawn) 22 Satisfactory Clubroom, amenities Skinny Lattes Womens Cycling Race (2017)Charles Sturt Drive, Murray Bridge Rowing Dragon boating Rowing facility 1 Satisfactory Boat ramp, clubroom Head of the Murray Regatta (annual)

Trail walking Running (park run) Lavender Federation Trailhead 1 SatisfactorySkateboarding Skate Park 1 Good Shelter

Human powered vehicle racing HPV track 1 Good Australian International Pedal Prix (annual)Play Playground 1 Good Wakeboarding SA Competitions

Waterskiing Waterskiing / Wakeboarding facility 1 Good Boat ramp SA Ski Racing Titles (2017)Wakeboarding Rage cage / Multi-use court 1 Good Floatfest (2017 & 2018)

Triathlon Sufferfest Triathlon (2018)

2 Murray Bridge Showgrounds Basketball Basketball courts (indoor) 3 Satisfactory Changerooms, amenities, administration area SA Premier League Basketball Game (2017)Karoonda Hwy, Murray Bridge Equestrian activities Equestrian area 1 Satisfactory SA Country State Basketball Championships (2017)

Cricket Cricket oval 1 Satisfactory Clubroom, changeroom, scoreboard State Wheelchair Basketball Team - Demonstration MatchCricket nets 3 Satisfactory Adelaide 36rs vs. Shandong Hi-Speed Golden Stars (2016)

Baseball Baseball diamond 1 Satisfactory Clubroom, changeroom Murray Bridge Bullets Basketball CarnivalRugby Rugby field 1 Satisfactory Clubroom, changeroom

Greyhound training Greyhound training track 1 SatisfactoryTable tennis Table tennis pavilion 1 Satisfactory

Futsal Futsal courts 2 Satisfactory

3 Johnstone Park Australian football Australian football oval 1 Good Sportslighting, clubroom, changeroom, scoreboard, interchange benches SANFL matchAdelaide Road, Murray Bridge Cricket oval 1 Good Clubroom, changeroom, scoreboard

Cricket Cricket nets (synthetic) 3 GoodNetball Netball courts (outdoor) 3 Good Sportslighting, amenities

Pigeon racing Pigeon racing facility 1 Satisfactory ClubroomDog park 1 Satisfactory

4 Christian Reserve Netball Netball courts (outdoor) 12 Good Sportslighting, amenities Junior lighting netball carnival (annual)Recreation Avenue, Murray Bridge Tennis Tennis courts (hard) 12 Good Sportslighting, amenities Murray Bridge Junior Tennis Tournament (annual)

5 War Memorial Park Play Nature play space 1 Excellent ShelterMannum Road, Murray Bridge

6 Murray Bridge Darts Club Darts Darts facility 1 Good Clubroom, amenities National Junior Darts Championships (2016)Princes Hwy (White Hill) Murray Bridge Pacific Youth Masters (2016)

Murray Bridge Grand Prix (annual)

7 Murray Bridge Lawn Bowls & Croquet Precinct Lawn bowls Lawn bowls greens (synthetic) 3 Good Sportslighting, clubroom, administration area SA Lawn Bowls Championships (2016 & 2017)Thomas Street, Murray Bridge Lawn Bowling Green (natural) 1 Poor Sportslighting, clubroom, administration area

Croquet Croquet courts (natural) 4 Good Sportslighting, clubroom, administration area Murray Bridge Golf Croquet Gala Day (annual)

8 Murray Bridge Olympic Swimming Pool Swimming Outdoor swimming pool (50m) 1 Satisfactory Changerooms, amenities, administration area Murray Bridge Swimming Carnival (annual)Flavel Terrace, Murray Bridge Splashpad and waterslides 1 Under construction Changerooms, amenities, administration area

9 Murraylands Cycle Speedway Cycle speedway Cycle speedway track 1 Good Storage, spectator shelter SA Cycle Speedway Titles (2017)Homburg St, Murray Bridge Events contributing to National Cycle Speedway Titles

10 Murray Bridge Speedway Speedway Speedway track 1 Good Pits, workshop/sheds, spectator amenities, function rooms State and National Speedway TitlesKennett Road, Murray Bridge East Australian AMCA TitlesPrivately owned Australian Speedcar Championships (2018)

Demolition Derby (2018)Australian Late Model Championships (2018)

11 Bridge Bowl Ten pin bowling Bowling alleys 10 Good Amenities, administration areaMaurice Road, Murray BridgePrivately owned

12 Kinchina Conservation Park Mountain biking Mountain bike trail network 1 Good Rocky Gully Run n Roll (2017)Old Princes Hwy, Rocky Gully

13 Monarto Sporting Precinct Karting Kart track (sealed) 1 Excellent Pits, workshop/sheds, spectator amenities State and National Kart Championships (2017)Old Princes Hwy, Monarto Motocross Motocross track 1 Excellent Pits, workshop/sheds, spectator amenities State and National Motocross Titles (2017)

RC off-road racing RC off-road racing track 1 Good Pits, workshop/sheds, spectator amenitiesModel aero sport Model aero field 1 Good Pits, workshop/sheds, spectator amenities Adelaide Jet Action RC Plane Event (2017)Mountain biking Mountain Bike Long Distance Trail 1 Satisfactory Lofty 105 Cycle Challenge (annual)

14 Monarto Shooting Complex Shooting Shooting range (pistol) 2 Good Clubroom, amenities SSAA Muzzleloading State and National Championships (2017)Rifle Road, Monarto South Shooting range (rifle) 3 Good Clubroom, amenities State and National Titles (various shooting disciplines)

Shooting range (shotgun) 1 Good Clubroom, amenities

15 Murray Bridge Racecourse and Equine Precinct Horse racing Horse racing track 1 Under construction Clubrooms, spectator amenities, function rooms Murry Bridge Gold Cup (annual)Gifford HillPrivately owned

16 Lavender Federation Trail Trail walking Trail 1 Good

17 Kidman Trail Trail riding Trail 1 Good Campsites, horse facilities

18 Murray Coorong Trail Trail walking Trail 1 Under construction

RURAL CITY OF MURRAY BRIDGE



Regional Level Facilities and Events Audit - Mid Murray Council and District Council of Renmark Paringa


1 Mary Ann Reserve Rowing Rowing facility 1 Good Boat ramp, clubroom Mannum Regatta (annual)River Lane, Mannum Trans-Tasman Intervarsity Rowing Regatta (2017)

2 Bedrock Ski Club Water-skiing Waterskiing facility 1 Good Launching area, slalom ski jump, clubroom SA Slalom Waterski State TitlesMurbko Rd, BlanchetownPrivately owned

3 Mannum Sports Precinct Australian Football Australian football oval 1 Good Sportslighting, clubroom, changeroom, scoreboard, interchange benches SANFL Match (2016)Adelaide Rd, Mannum Cricket Cricket oval 1 Good Clubroom, changeroom, scoreboard

Cricket nets (synthetic) 2 SatisfactoryTennis Tennis courts (hard) 6 Good SportslightingNetball Netball courts (outdoor) 4 Good Sportslighting

Skateboarding Skate park 1 Good ShelterDog park 1 Satisfactory

4 Swan Reach Ski Beach Wakeboarding Wakeboarding facility 1 Good Boat ramp Wakeboarding SA competitionsSwan Reach

5 Morgan Ski Beach Wakeboarding Waterskiing facility 1 Good Boat ramp Wakeboarding SA competitionsMorgan

6 Kidman Trail Trail riding Trail 1 Good Campsites, horse facilities

7 Lavender Federation Trail Trail walking Trail 1 Good



1 Renmark Sports Precinct Basketball courts (indoor) 2 Satisfactory Amenities, administration area Riverland Junior Basketball ChampionshipsParinga St, Renmark Netball courts (indoor) 2 Satisfactory Amenities, administration area

Volleyball Voleyball courts (indoor) 6 Satisfactory Amenities, administration area Riverland Open Volleyball CompetitionSquash Squash courts 2 Satisfactory Amenities, administration area

Swimming Indoor program pool 1 Satisfactory Changerooms, amenities, administration areaOutdoor swimming pool (50m)+water 1 Satisfactory Changerooms, amenities, administration area

Australian Football Australian football oval 1 Good Sportslighting, clubroom, changeroom, scoreboard, interchange benches, graAFL Pre-season Match (2009)Cricket Cricket oval 2 1 Good + 1 Poor Sportslighting, clubroom, changeroom, scoreboard, interchange benches, graAustralian Cricket Association Masters Tour (2016)

Cricket nets (synthetic) 3 SatisfactorySoccer Soccer pitches 2 Good FFSA Regional Round (2016)Netball Netball courts (outdoor) 4 Excellent Amentities, administration area SA Country State Soccer Championships

Tennis Tennis courts (lawn) 16 Good ClubroomLawn bowls Lawn bowls greens (synthetic) 2 Satisfactory Sportslighting, clubroom

Lawn bowls green (natural) 1 PoorTable tennis Table tennis room 1 Satisfactory

Baseball Baseball cage 1 SatisfactoryCycling Velodrome 1 Poor

2 Darnley Taylor Park Skateboarding Play Skate park 1 Good ShelterRenmark Ave, Renmark Playspace 1 Good Shelter

3 Renmark RSL Bowling Club Lawn Bowls Lawn bowls greens (natural) 3 Satisfactory Sportslighting, clubroom, administration areaTolarno St, Renmark

4 Riverland Motorsports Precinct Speedway Speedway track 1 Good Pits, workshop/shed, spectator amenities Enduro National Round Event (2017)Sturt Hwy, Old Calperum Motocross Motocross track 1 Good Pits, workshop/shed, spectator amenities SA Motocross Championship Round

Karting Kart racing track (dirt) 1 Satisfactory Pits, workshop/shed, spectator amenities SA Dirt Kart Titles (2016)

5 Renmark Foreshore Wakeboarding Running (park run) Wakeboarding facility 1 Good Boat ramp, amenities Wakeboarding SA CompetitionsMurray Avenue, Renmark Rowing Rowing facility 1 Good Boat ramp, clubroom Riverland Regatta (annual) and State Championships (2017)

Powerboating Powerboating facility 1 Good Boat ramp, amenities Dinghy Derby (annual)Triathlon Triathlon facility 1 Good Renmark Triathon (annual)

6 Renmark Hosre and Pony Club Equestrian activities Equestrian area inc. crosscountry cou 1 Satisfactory Stables, canteen Zone CompetitionsBookmark Ave, Renmark

Key Facility Component Quantity Condition Regional Level Events

Ref FacilityHierarchy


Support facilities

Regional Level Events

MID MURRAY COUNCIL

RENMARK PARINGA COUNCIL


Regional Level Facilities and Events Audit - Coorong District Council, District Council of Karoonda East Murray and Southern Mallee District Council


1 Meningie Sailing Club Sailing Sailing facility 1 Satisfactory Boat ramp, launching area, clubroom, amenities Taipan National Championships (2017)Princes Hwy, Meningie

2 The Bend Motorsport Park Motorcycle racing Race circuits 4 Under construction Lighting, function centre, spectator facilities, administration area etc. Revolve 24 Endurance Cycling Challenge (2018)Cnr Dukes and Mallee Highways, Tailem Bend Car racing Drag strip 1 Under construction Lighting, function centre, spectator facilities, administration area etc. Australian Scouts Jamboree (2019)Privately owned Drifting Drift facility 1 Under construction Lighting, function centre, spectator facilities, administration area etc.

Rallying Rally track 1 Under construction Lighting, function centre, spectator facilities, administration area etc.Four wheel driving 4x4 Adventure Park 1 Under construction Lighting, function centre, spectator facilities, administration area etc.

Karting Kart track 1 Under construction Lighting, function centre, spectator facilities, administration area etc.Autocross Vmax road 1 Under construction Lighting, function centre, spectator facilities, administration area etc.

3 Tailem Bend Sports Precinct Australian football Australian football oval 1 Good Sportslighting, clubroom, changeroom, scoreboard, interchange benchesGranites Road, Tailem Bend Cricket Cricket oval 1 Good Clubroom, changeroom, scoreboard

Cricket nets (synthetic) 2 GoodNetball Netball courts (outdoor) 3 Good Sportslighting, amenities

4 Meningie Oval Australian football Australian football oval 1 Good Sportslighting, clubroom, changeroom, scoreboard, interchange benchesNarrung Rd, Meningie Cricket Cricket oval 1 Good Clubroom, changeroom, scoreboard

Cricket nets (synthetic) 3 SatisfactoryNetball Netball courts (outdoor) 2 Excellent Sportslighting, amenitiesTennis Tennis courts (hard) 3 Excellent Sportslighting, amenities


6 Tintinara Disc Golf Course Disc golf Disc golf course (9 hole) 1 Good SA Disc Golf Championships (2016)Kings Rd, Tintinara


1 Karoonda Sports Precinct Australian football Australian football oval 1 Good Sportslighting, clubroom, changeroom, scoreboard, interchange benchesKaroonda Hwy, Karoonda Cricket oval 1 Good Clubroom, changeroom, scoreboard

Cricket Cricket nets (synthetic) 2 SatisfactoryLawn bowls Lawn bowls green (synthetic) 1 Satisfactory Sportslighting, clubroom

Netball Netball courts (outdoor) 2 Good Sportslighting, amenitiesTennis Tennis courts (hard) 4 Good Sportslighting, amenities


1 Jack Roberts Park Australian football Australian football oval 1 Good Sportslighting, clubroom, changeroom, scoreboard, interchange benchesButler Tce, Lameroo Cricket oval 1 Good Clubroom, changeroom, scoreboard

Cricket Cricket nets (synthetic) 2 SatisfactoryNetball Netball courts (outdoor) 2 Satisfactory Sportslighting, amenities

Skateboarding Skate park 1 Satisfactory ShelterLawn bowling Lawn bowls greens (synthetic) 2 Good Sportslighting, clubroom

Tennis Tennis (lawn) 8 Poor ClubroomSwimming Outdoor swimming pool (25m) 1 Satisfactory Changerooms, amenities, administration area

2 Pinnaroo Oval Australian football Australian football oval 1 1 Good + 1 Poor Sportslighting, clubroom, changeroom, scoreboard, interchange benchesHomburg Tce, Pinnaroo Cricket Cricket oval 2 Good Clubroom, changeroom, scoreboard

Netball Netball courts (outdoor) 2 Excellent Sportslighting, amenitiesSkateboarding Skate park 1 Poor

Quantity Condition Regional Level Events


Key Facility Component Quantity Condition Regional Level Events

Key Facility ComponentHierarchy

FacilityRef

SOUTHERN MALLEE DISTRICT COUNCIL

COORONG DISTRICT COUNCIL

DISTRICT COUNCIL OF KAROONDA EAST MURRAY




References The following references have been used in writing this report.

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50 Profile id., 2017. Murraylands and Riverland RDA Region – SEIFA Index of Disadvantage. Available at http://profile.id.com.au/rda-murraylands-riverland/seifa-disadvantage-small-area?BMID=20 51 Local Government Recreation Forum. 2016. South Australian Regional Level Recreation and Sport Facilities Planning Guidelines. Accessible via https://www.lga.sa.gov.au/webdata/resources/project/2012.33%20-%20SA%20Regional%20Recreation%20and%20Sport%20Planning%20Guidelines.pdf 52 Office for Recreation and Sport, 2012. Community Sports Hubs. Accessible via http://www.ors.sa.gov.au 53 Netball SA, State-wide Facilities Audit and Master Plan, July 2014. 54 Bowls SA, State Wide Facilities Audit and Master Plan, October 2014. 55 Australian Football League (AFL), 2012. Preferred Facility Guidelines for State, Regional and Local Facilities, August 2012. Accessible via http://www.aflcommunityclub.com.au/fileadmin/user_upload/Play_AFL/News/AFL_Preferred_Facility_Guidelines_for_State__Regional___Local_Facilities_FINAL_2012.pdf 56 Over the Edge Destination Development, 2015. South Australian Recreational Trails 10-Year Master Plan 2015 – 2025. Accessible via http://www.southaustraliantrails.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Trails-Master-Plan-RS.pdf 57 Tennis Australia, Tennis 2020: Facility development and management framework for Australian tennis, 2012. Accessible via https://www.tennis.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Tennis-Blueprint-A4-2012-FA.pdf#page=6&zoom=auto,-202,217 58 Football Federation SA (FFSA), Facility Strategic Plan for Football in South Australia – Volume 2 Strategy Report, April 2013. 59 Cricket Australia, Community Cricket Facility Guidelines, September 2015. Accessible via http://community.cricket.com.au/clubs/facilities/facilities-guidelines 60 Hockey SA, Statewide Facilities Strategy, June 2012. Accessible via http://www.hockeysa.com.au/About-Us/Strategic-Planning 61 Athletics SA, South Australian Track and Field Facilities Master Plan, December 2011 62 Parks and Leisure Western Australia, 2012. Benchmarks for Community Infrastructure, A PLA Working Document. Accessible via https://www.parksleisure.com.au/documents/item/1280 63 Parks and Leisure Western Australia, 2012. Benchmarks for Community Infrastructure, A PLA Working Document. Accessible via https://www.parksleisure.com.au/documents/item/1280 64 Profile id., 2017. Murraylands and Riverland RDA Region – Estimated Resident Population, June 2016. Available at http://profile.id.com.au/rda-murraylands-riverland/ 65 Greenhill Research and Planning, 2016. Festivals and Events Guide for Local Government. Accessible via http://www.lga.sa.gov.au/contentFile.aspx?filename=LGA%20Festival%20and%20Events%20eGuide_Final.pdf 66 Getz, D., 2008. Event tourism: Definition, evolution, and research. Tourism Management, 29, 3, 403-428. 67 Tourism Research Australia, 2014. Events – Drivers of Regional Tourism. Accessible via https://www.tra.gov.au/Research/View-all-publications/All-Publications/events-drivers-of-regional-tourism 68 Rural City of Murray Bridge and Dynamic Project Delivery, 2007. Rural City of Murray Bridge Pedal Prix Impact Assessment Report. Accessible via http://www.murraybridge.sa.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/Pedal_Prix_Impact_Assessment_2007.pdf

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