Cardinia Shire Council
Garfield Recreation Reserve Master Plan
Version: Draft September 2015
Prepared by:
Cardinia Shire Council
Sustainable Communities Unit
Adopted:
Published
© Cardinia Shire Council 2015
Phone: 1300 787 624
Fax: (03) 5941 3784
Email:
Web: www.cardinia.vic.gov.au
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1. Introduction
The Garfield Recreation Reserve Master Plan has been developed to provide direction for the future development of the reserve. This report also includes a description of the rationale for the key directions for new and/or upgraded works at the reserve.
1.1 Purpose and Use of a Master Plan
A master plan determines a broad Vision for an area and outlines a number of projects and strategies that are required to be implemented to achieve the new Vision. Further investigation and feasibility of some of the projects and initiatives recommended in the Garfield Recreation Reserve Master Plan may be required depending upon their scale, likely impact and estimated cost. It is important to note that the inclusion and reference to projects in the master plan does not directly commit the Reserve Committee, the reserve user groups, the Cardinia Shire Council or any other organisation to a responsibility for funding and implementing these projects.
This report provides an overview of the process undertaken in development of the master plan, key findings and future direction of the reserve.
2. Background
The township of Garfield is located approx. 80km south east of Melbourne with a large component of the township located on the north side of the Princes Freeway referred to as Garfield North.
There are two large reserves located within this area providing active recreation spaces. Cannibal Creek Reserve is located north of the freeway providing for equestrian use and Garfield Recreation Reserve, located to the south on the corner of Beswick Street and Fourteen Mile Road which serves as the main sporting reserve for the Garfield township.
Garfield Recreation Reserve is approximately 12ha in size and is split between two titles, with approximately half the site owned by Council and the other half being Crown Land. The reserve is zoned Public Park and Recreation Zone (PPRZ) and is managed by the Garfield Recreation Reserve Committee of Management, a Section 86 (Local Government Act) Committee of Council. This committee is voluntary and consists of representatives from the reserve user groups and members of the wider Garfield community.
The main sporting and community facilities at Garfield Recreation Reserve are as follows:
· District level oval and pavilion;
· Two (2) district level netball courts and pavilion;
· Two (2) local level tennis courts;
· District level synthetic bowling green and clubrooms
· District level Skate Park
· District level Playground
· Seasonal Aquatic Facility, comprising of a thirty three (33) metre main pool, a ten (10) metre learners pool and a wading pool.
· Garfield Community Centre
The reserve is currently home to a number of user groups, including:
· Garfield ‘Stars’ Senior Football Club who participate in the Ellinbank and District Football League. The club currently fields teams in Seniors, Reserves, U16 and U18’s competition.
· Garfield Junior Football Club who participate in the Warragul and District Junior Football League. With a total of 78 playing members, the club currently fields 1 team in each of U10’s, U12, U14. The junior club will also seek to expand an Auskick program, which has had approximately 50-60 participants in recent years.
· Garfield Netball Club who participate in the Ellinbank and District Netball Association. The club currently field teams in B,C,D,E & F Grade (currently no A Grade)
· Garfield Bowling Club who participate in competition run by the West Gippsland Bowls Division
· Garfield Angling Club
· Bunyip Tennis Club currently use the tennis courts as an overflow venue for junior competition.
· West Gippsland Cricket Association and other cricket clubs use the oval as an overflow venue for summer competition
· Garfield Community Association who have recently commenced discussions with the Reserve committee to establish a community garden at Garfield Recreation Reserve.
2.1 History
During the late 1800’s the parcel of land located on the corner of Beswick Street and Fourteen Mile Road in Garfield was set aside in the Shire planning scheme for the purpose of a recreation reserve. Records indicate that the football and cricket clubs have participated in competition at the reserve since the turn of the century.
The reserve has previously also been host to a horse training track and bike track surrounding the oval. The pool and lawn bowls clubs were constructed in 1967 and 1970 respectively. In 1992, the community centre was constructed after the old community hall burnt down in 1986. The existing plexi pave tennis courts were constructed in 1989.
2.2 Population and Demographics
In 2015, the population of Garfield is estimated to be 1,729 people. It is expected to increase by approximately 509 people to a total of 2,238 by 2026.
2011 Census data for Garfield also indicates the following key statistics:
· Garfield has a relatively even spread of genders
· Over 85% of residents were born in Australia and only 2% of Garfield residents speak a language other than English at home
· There is a relatively high proportion of ‘empty nesters’ and primary and secondary school age residents, however there is a significantly low number of ‘young workforce’ compared with the Melbourne average.
· Car dependency in Garfield is significantly higher than the Melbourne statistical average
This data will generally impact the provision of sport and recreation facilities in Garfield as follows:
· Increasing population in the rural sub regions (south and east of the shire) will results in modest increases in demand for additional recreation facilities and services.
· The proportion of residents from non-English speaking backgrounds is extremely low compared to other areas, hence demand for participation in traditional Australian / Anglo sports and activities is likely to be high, e.g. Cricket, Australian Football, Tennis, Netball, Basketball and Swimming.
· Younger people generally have higher participation rates in formal sports, clubs and activities compared to older adults, hence due to the high number of school aged residents in Garfield, this is likely to reflect strong demand for recreation services.
Whilst the data above is specific to Garfield, it is recognised that reserves such as Garfield will also attract users from Cardinia’s main growth area around Pakenham, Officer and Beaconsfield.
2.3 Community Consultation and Master Planning Process
Council officers first began informal discussions with the Garfield Recreation Reserve Committee of Management in 2012/13 regarding future planning options at the reserve. At the time, the reserve committee were keen to explore the possibility of relocating the dam at the reserve to make way for a larger secondary training area at the southern end of the reserve.
Given the above and a number of other planned upgrades to the reserve, Council began developing a master plan in 2014. As part of the master planning process, more formal consultation sessions were held with the Garfield Recreation Reserve Committee of Management, user groups and the community. The aim of these discussions was to identify needs, aspirations, future upgrades and general issues and opportunities associated with the reserve.
Further meetings and discussions were held with representatives of the Reserve Committee of Management and relevant stakeholders in early 2015 to clarify proposed directions and review issues and opportunities identified in the early stages of the development of the draft master plan.
Discussions and investigations were also undertaken with a variety of departments within Council to seek further advice on areas of significance in the reserve.
The draft Garfield Recreation Reserve Master Plan has been designed to not only reflect the needs and aspirations of the Reserve Committee and user groups, but to also incorporate new opportunities and innovations for sporting and recreation facility provision.
3. Strategic Context
The Garfield Recreation Reserve Master Plan was informed by a number of research and planning considerations. This section provides a summary of the key planning and contextual factors which were important to be assessed and considered during the preparation of the new master plan.
3.1 Cardinia Shire Council Plan (2013-2017)
The Cardinia Shire Council Plan (2013-2017) identifies a vision for the Shire as follows:
Cardinia Shire will be developed in a planned manner to enable present and future generations to enjoy and experience the diverse and distinctive characteristics of our Shire.
The Council Plan recognises and encourages residents to improve their health and wellbeing as a key challenge and commits to addressing health and wellbeing through five key performance areas.
· Our People:
o We support a variety of needs and lifestyles through programs and activities that promote and develop the wellbeing of Cardinia Shire’s people.
· Our community:
o We will foster a strong sense of connection between Cardinia Shire’s diverse communities
· Our environment:
o We will continue to plan and manage the natural and built environment for present and future generations.
· Our economy:
o We will create and support local employment and business opportunities for our community and the wider region.
· Our governance:
o We will consult with the community, as appropriate, in an open and accountable manner to assist in determining the key direction of Council.
The vision and objectives of the Council Plan have been considered throughout the development of the Draft Garfield Recreation Reserve Master Plan.
3.2 Garfield Recreation Reserve previous planning
A ‘Concept Master Plan’ was developed for Garfield Recreation Reserve in 2005. This document outlined a number of projects to enhance the reserve, many of which have been long completed or are no longer relevant. Since this time the following works have occurred at the reserve:
· Full reconstructions including drainage, irrigation and surface works to the oval;
· Upgrade of the football / cricket pavilion to provide additional change facilities
· Netball Court resurfacing, lighting upgrade and pavilion improvements
· Tennis Court resurfacing
· Oval Lighting upgrade
· Bowling green resurfacing.
· Construction of the skate park
The concept master plan recommended that a review of a reserve master plan would be required periodically to ensure that future planning for the reserve remained relevant.
3.3 Garfield Township Strategy (2002)
The Garfield Township Strategy aims to provide a strategic policy framework for the future development of the Garfield township. The strategy specifically addresses key areas such as Residential Development, Economic Development, Community Development, Open Space, Traffic and Transport, Physical Infrastructure, Environment, Heritage and Town centre design guidelines.
The township strategy identified the need for a long term master plan for the Garfield Recreation Reserve to provide for the future direction and improvement of the facilities within the reserve and provide a basis for future funding submissions.
4. Analysis of Issues and Opportunities
The reserve’s major issues and opportunities are discussed below.
Oval
The sports oval has a playing area of approximately 175m x 145m and is currently used for junior and senior football, junior cricket and senior cricket for both training and competition.
The oval playing surface was reconstructed in 2005. The base of the oval is a sandy loam (soil) and incorporates both drainage and irrigation systems. The surface is in good condition and is mostly couch (turf) with a very small amount of kikuyu.
The oval floodlighting was upgraded in 2012 to ensure that the minimum lighting level (LUX) was met for training (in accordance with Australian Standards). Both the Junior and Senior Football Clubs have noted that the ground still has some dark areas, which may require further investigation onto the existing lighting levels and potential further upgrade to comply with Council’s Recreation Facility Standards Policy.
Recommendations
- That the oval continues to be maintained to its existing standard
- Pending the outcome of lighting LUX level testing, the oval floodlighting may require further upgrade to ensure compliance with Australian Standards and Council’s Recreation Facility Standards Policy (100 Lux).
Pavilion
The pavilion is adequate in size for the existing user groups, however some areas (particularly some of the amenities) will require upgrading in the near future. The pavilion was last renovated in approximately 2008/09 to incorporate new change rooms and amenities. Whilst the building meets (and in some cases, far exceeds) the requirements of Council’s Recreation Facility, the existing layout of some of the original areas of the building now present some challenges in functionality and disability access.
Given the age of the building, routine maintenance requirements will also increase.
Recommendation
- Discussion to continue with users in regard to a potential pavilion upgrade and support be provided for applications to Council’s Community Capital Works Grants program and potentially other external funding sources.
Kiosk / Timekeepers / Scoreboard
In addition to the main pavilion, the reserve also has a standalone Kiosk and Timekeepers building with a relatively new electronic scoreboard mounted on it’s roof. The reserve committee have indicated that the building is in poor condition and will require major upgrade in the future.
Recommendation
- That the reserve committee and football club consider potential upgrade options. As this building is in excess of Council’s ‘Recreation Facility Standards Policy’, The reserve committee and user groups may wish to apply for a community capital works grant to upgrade the building.
Public Toilets
There are two separate public toilets within reserve. The public toilet at the northern end of the reserve is a standalone building with male, female and accessible amenities. The building is in good condition and is only unlocked during game days and events at the reserve. There is also an additional unisex public toilet located within the netball pavilion, which is also only unlocked when netball activities occur.
The public toilet at the northern end of the reserve has limited pathway and ramp access, which can cause some difficulty in access.
The Garfield Township is well serviced for public amenities with public toilets located adjacent to Garfield Main Street, hence there is no requirement for public toilets at the reserve to remain open for community access beyond the requirements of the reserve user groups.
Recommendation
- Improve pathway and ramp to existing public toilets at the northern end of the reserve to increase accessibility.
Netball Courts
The two netball courts were resurfaced approximately 2 years ago in 2013, following concerns about the abrasiveness of the previous asphalt surface. The flood lighting was also repaired and the electricity was upgraded in conjunction with the court resurfacing. A new boundary fence around the courts was also installed approximately 3 years ago in 2012.