Wollongong City Council develop their five year game plan for sportsgrounds and facilities

Wollongong City Council are developing their Sportsgrounds and Sport Facilities Strategy for the next five years and are calling for community comment on the draft Vision, Guiding Principles and Key Focus Areas.

The overall Strategy assists Council to plan and meet the existing and future needs of sportsgrounds and facilities in a sustainable way. Ahead of developing the broader Strategy for 2022-2026, their first phase is to check with community that the draft Vision, Guiding Principles and Key Focus areas reflect the priorities of their active community.

Wollongong City Council Director Community Services Kerry Hunt notes “the draft statements will help guide the development of the strategy and actions that will support our community’s ongoing access to sportgrounds and facilities. From this we’re able to identify how we can support and encourage recreational activities across our city.

“It’s an important document as it not only sets out our high-level objectives to support sport and recreational pursuits but will assist to prioritise future provision of sports infrastructure. Our existing Strategy 2017-2021, has help guide installation of sports field lighting, renewed outdoor fitness equipment, support emerging sports such as mountain bike riding, and assisted sports to secure funding and grants over the past five years. Now it’s time to look at the next steps.”

Following community feedback and finalisation of the draft Vision, Guiding Principles and Key Focus Areas, the broader Strategy will be developed. This draft Sportsgrounds and Sport Facilities Strategy 2022-26 will then be publicly exhibited for community comment early next year.

The 10 draft key focus areas include managing sportsground capacity issues, catering for emerging and unstructured sports and having sportsgrounds and facilities that have greater climate resilience.

Some of the guiding principles include inclusive and accessible, encouraging participation, supporting safe and sustainable activities and facilities, partnering and collaborating.

Hunt added “although it’s been a quiet year for our sporting communities, this is a great way to start planning for the future and look at ways to encourage participation and equal opportunities for all.

“Our residents are active in an array of recreational and sport activities. Therefore, it’s important that we capture this diversity, not only looking at our traditional structured competitions but also the likes of skateboarders, mountain bike riders and frisbee players.

“So, from local sport clubs, to outdoor fitness equipment users to friend groups playing basketball at our outside courts – let us know what you think. It will ensure we’re heading in the right direction in developing this Strategy.”

For more information and to provide your feedback visit Our Wollongong website.

Feedback closes on Monday 15th November 2021.