Is this policy replacing or updating an existing City of Adelaide policy?
No. If adopted, this will be a new policy for the City of Adelaide.
What is the purpose of this policy?
This policy is intended to guide the renewal of community buildings and associated infrastructure in the Adelaide Park Lands to support:
mitigating the effects of climate change and ensuring integrated and sustainable development
The policy will also inform the City of Adelaide’s approach to investing in City of Adelaide owned community buildings and associated infrastructure that are (or proposed to be) leased and licensed to external community organisations.
Why are community sport facilities provided in the Park Lands?
Research shows that the provision of quality infrastructure that enables structured and unstructured participation in sport and recreation activities is an important contributor to liveability.
In 2018, a report titled The Value of Community Sport, found 8 million Australians use community sporting infrastructure annually and community sports facilities contributed close to $16b in benefits to the economy.
Grassroots sports clubs and associations are at the core of strong communities. A study by The Centre for Sport and Social Impact at La Trobe University found that members of sporting clubs gave greater social support to other members than through any other social networks including work, education or other community groups.
The Adelaide Park Lands play an important role in providing for the open space needs of metropolitan Adelaide. This balanced role includes providing opportunities for organised sport.
Will this policy identify where sports facilities are located in the Park Lands?
No. That is the role of the Adelaide Park Lands Management Strategy and Adelaide Park Lands Community Land Management Plan.
Does this policy inform how these sports facilities are managed?
No. The Park Lands Lease and Licence Policy informs how leased and licensed areas on the Park Lands are managed.
Will this policy result in more community sports buildings in the Adelaide Park Lands?
No. Research conducted to date indicates that there is a need for better quality buildings rather than more buildings in the Park Lands.
Building consolidation is part of achieving fit for purpose buildings in the Park Lands. The draft policy contains a performance measure that the ‘planning of new community buildings will include City of Adelaide identifying the removal of one or more existing buildings and/or equivalent hard stand areas’.
Why are new community sports buildings typically larger than existing buildings in the Park Lands?
Most buildings in the Park Lands were constructed before consideration was given to design elements that are now required and/or expected of community facilities, including:
Even achieving the minimum requirements of current community facility guidelines will see new buildings require a larger building footprint than most existing Park Lands buildings.
The desired objective of consolidating buildings and shared facilities will also result in larger building footprints.
What does the City of Adelaide mean by fit for purpose facilities?
Fit for purpose facilities are designed to service the intended sport and recreation activities. For example, a soccer pitch will have sports lighting that meets the lighting requirements for soccer training, and a building with changerooms that are large enough to accommodate soccer teams.
The drafting of the policy has taken into consideration the significance of the Adelaide Park Lands and minimising built form, proposing fit for purpose facilities that do not exceed ‘local’ level provision.
Why should the City of Adelaide consider co-funding community sports buildings that are leased to external organisations?
Most Australian councils fund the renewal of leased/licensed community sports facilities. The majority undertake some form of co-funding with either a contribution from another government agency, the lessee or a combination of the two. Very few have a predetermined funding ratio.
The City of Adelaide’s historical approach to the renewal of community sports infrastructure in the Park Lands is triggered, led and funded by a lessee. The disadvantages of this approach are:
How does this policy relate to the City of Adelaide’s Buildings Asset Management Plan?
Council Administration is currently developing a new Buildings Asset Management Plan for consideration by Council in 2024. This Plan will identify renewal funding based on the replacement value of existing buildings in the Park Lands, over a ten year period. Where the disposal of an existing building is identified in order to provide a new fit for purpose community sports building, the process will be guided by the Park Lands Community Buildings (Sport and Recreation) Policy.
How does this policy relate to the Adelaide Park Lands Building Design Guidelines?
Council Administration has committed to reviewing the Adelaide Park Lands Building Design Guidelines to ensure alignment with the Park Lands Community Buildings (Sport and Recreation) Policy.
