STRATEGIC FACILITIES PLAN 2014 2016 - NORTHERN SUBURBS FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION - SPORTSTG
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Northern Suburbs Football Association STRATEGIC Facilities PLAN 2014 – 2016
Table of Contents 1
Table of Contents
Introduction 3
A Snapshot of Facilities 5
Fields Currently Available Within the Association 6
NSFA Operations as they Relate to Facilities 6
Survey 7
Saturday Afternoons 7
Review of NSROC and Council Policies 9
Councils’ Role in Facilities Funding 12
Managing Increases in Demand 15
Football – A Summer Sport? 16
Planning and Managing Infrastructure
and the Carrying Capacity of Grounds 18
Grass vs Synthetic – A Comparison 19
Wet Weather Policies 20
Training Ground Allocations 20
Home Ground Policy 20
Pricing and Occupancy of Facilities 22
Funding Capital Works 24
The Role of Individual Clubs in Improving Facilities: A Case Study 25
Costs of Facilities Projects 27
Football New South Wales 28
Current and Future Projects 30
Alternative Forms of the Game 32
Consolidated View of the Association’s Priorities 34
Conclusion 37
Appendices 39
Appendix A – Council and School Ground Audits 40
Appendix B – NSFA Club Satisfaction Survey 46
Appendix C – Relevant Council Policies 48
Appendix D – Wet Weather Policies 51
Appendix E – Training Ground Allocations 52
Appendix F – Home Grounds 59
Appendix G – Ground Hire Costs 60
Appendix H – Government Programs and Partnerships 63
2
Introduction 3
Introduction
Football is the most popular game in the world in The Plan also aims to transparently assess the current
part because of its simplicity – all you needs is a ball, state of football facilities throughout the Association
some players and somewhere to play. The ball and and to provide information on the mechanisms for
the players are easy to source, however an improving the current situation, noting that any
appropriate field is becoming harder and harder individual facility may have numerous stakeholders
to find . . . outside of the Association itself.
Northern Suburbs Football Association (NSFA) The Plan proposes several priorities for the short,
recognises that the availability and quality of football medium and longer terms, which are aimed at
fields is of paramount importance to its Members. balancing the need for improvement now with
The 2013 ‘My Club’ Satisfaction Survey indicated the need for a longer term approach to facility
that the condition of fields and associated facilities improvement. Material changes to facilities do not
was the top issue for individual respondents in terms happen overnight but are rather the result of
of their enjoyment of the game. Similarly, discussions significant investments of human capital as well
held with leaders of NSFA Member Clubs in the as funds. It is hoped that by illustrating the present
second half of 2013 revealed serious concerns about state of our facilities and proposing possibilities
availability of fields for Club training, the lack of for the future, the Plan will also encourage NSFA
sufficient grounds for each Club to have a ‘home stakeholders to seek out ways to improve the fields
ground’, the quality of existing pitches and the that our games are played on.
need for more synthetic pitches throughout the
Finally, this Plan is intended to be a dynamic
Association. This NSFA Strategic Facilities Plan has
document, to take into consideration the reality
been drafted in recognition of the importance
that circumstances and priorities can change over
of these issues.
time. Feedback to the Plan is welcomed and can
The Plan recognises that NSFA cannot determine be directed to ceo@nsfa.asn.au
a facilities management strategy on its own. In the
majority of cases, the grounds on which we train
and play are managed by local government and
collaboration with Hornsby, Ku-ring-gai, Lane Cove,
North Sydney and Willoughby Councils (collectively
Councils) is of paramount importance. Given that
the Association exists across five different local
government areas, the Plan highlights differences
in policy between the various individual Councils,
the Northern Sydney Regional Organisation of
Councils (NSROC), Football New South Wales/
Football Federation Australia as well as the New
South Wales State Government. It is only through
partnership with the Councils in particular that
improvement in this area can be attained.
4
A Snapshot of Facilities 5
A Snapshot of Council Facilities
Fields currently available within the NSFA Operations as they relate to facilities
Association Historically, the Association has placed a high priority on
Within the geographic area of the Association there exists, facilities in terms of staffing. Up until the end of 2013
at the time of writing, 174 playing fields available for the Association employed a fulltime Special Projects
Association matches. 161 of these grounds are Manager who was largely responsible for this area.
administered by Councils, while 13 lie on school grounds. Following a restructure of the Association’s staff in late
These fields vary in both size and quality. As well as the 2013, responsibility for facilities will now be shared
playing surface itself, a sporting facility must be judged as follows:
on its associated infrastructure. Among these other • Strategic facilities projects will fall under the remit
considerations are parking, toilets/change rooms and of the Chief Executive Officer. This includes working
available storage areas1. with Councils, Member Clubs and other stakeholders
to develop major plans for the redevelopment of sites.
A complete listing of the grounds utilised for Association
An example of this type of involvement is the meeting
football matches is provided at Appendix A. This ground
undertaken in late 2013 with the NSW Minister for
audit includes information on:
Sport, Ms Gabrielle Upton, the Member for Hornsby
• Which Council administers the ground as well as any
Mr Matt Kean, and officials from Hornsby Heights FC
conditions of use;
regarding a potential upgrade to Montview Oval;
• The size of each ground;
• Operational responsibilities around facilities will come
• Whether the grounds is floodlit and, if so, the quality under the Competitions Department of the Association.
of floodlighting2 (G=suitable for games, T=suitable A part time Facilities Officer will report to the
for training, S=substandard, N/A=no lighting); Competitions Manager. This work includes in-season
• What amenities are available at that field (Male and monitoring of field conditions and liaising with
Female toilets, Home and Away change rooms, Councils’ operations staff as well as Member Clubs.
storage); and NSFA has received advice received from Football NSW
• The rating each ground has been given by the that it is one of the only associations to invest in a
Association’s Special Projects Manager, including specialised facilities resource, underlining the emphasis
commentary on the state of each field. being placed on this area. More generally, all NSFA
staff have a role to play in ensuring that grounds are
As with the playing surfaces themselves, NSFA supports
looked after.
any efforts from Clubs to improve the amenity of sports
grounds, including infrastructure such as change rooms3
and lighting. It is notable that of all of the grounds
within the Association, only the new synthetic pitch
recently completed at Eton Road, Lindfield is a ‘football
specific’ ground designed for football use only.
1. Within the current draft Football New South Wales Facilities Review 2. With respect to lighting, and according to FNSW documentation,
(draft) 2013, at page 33, it is noted that the state wide statistics on the requirement for Premier League matches has recently risen from
some of these issues are as follows: 150 Lux to 200 Lux. NSFA is aware of only two grounds within the
• 35% of pitches have no lights; Association which house 200 Lux lights, however for practical
• 34% of existing football grounds do not have change rooms; purposes Association games may be played on grounds with
• Of the grounds that do have change rooms, 17% are considered lighting at around the 100 Lux level.
inadequate; and 3. The Association is aware in particular that the state (or lack) of change
• 43% of existing football grounds do not have unisex or women’s rooms has a particular impact on the participation and enjoyment
change room facilities. of female players. If changeroom and/or bathroom facilities are
It is hoped that within the next 12 months it will be possible to calculate unacceptable, many girls and women will simply not play.
this data on a local level.
6A Snapshot of Council Facilities
At the Board level, the Directors of NSFA will also be These results are markedly below the average CX rating
involved in strategic projects on a case by case basis. for the entire survey of 79%, indicating a far stronger level
Several of the Directors maintain strong relationships of dissatisfaction with the condition of grounds than with
with some of the five Councils linked with the Association the respondents’ Customer Experience generally. Indeed,
and lobbying of the Councils and Councillors will be the responses listed above rank amongst the lowest
undertaken at this level. rating responses received for any individual question
within the survey. The relevant results pages can be
NSFA also allocates Association funds to key facilities
found at Appendix B.
projects. Most recently, NSFA has contributed $100,000
to the new Eton Road project at UTS and $150,000 to These results, along with feedback received during
the redevelopment of Northbridge Oval. The Directors meetings held with individual Club Presidents, have
believe that this is an appropriate use of Association funds reinforced NSFA’s impression that grounds and associated
and NSFA will be looking to continue this practice. At facilities are the area in which the Clubs and their players
the Member Clubs’ strategy session held in November would most like to see NSFA assistance and attention.
2013, there was universal agreement among Club
representatives that facilities were a particularly ACTION: Ensure that the Club Satisfaction Survey
important area for attention going forward. is repeated at the conclusion of the 2014 Winter
Competitions.
A prioritised list of projects can be found at page 35.
Survey Saturday Afternoons
In August 2013 NSFA undertook a ‘My Club’ Satisfaction While at first glance the number of fields available for
Survey to better understand how winter football is use by the Association appears large, in reality the
perceived by participants4. 1,687 individuals participated Association faces a severe shortage of grounds at peak
in this exercise5, being more than 10% of the NSFA usage times, in particular during the ‘traditional’ football
playing base. Three statements in relation to grounds time slot of Saturday afternoon between 1pm and 5pm
were put, with respondents being asked to agree or (Peak Window). The Peak Windos is currently occupied
disagree. The Customer Experience (CX) rating6 for the by Men’s Football Competitions, with Reserves kicking
adult player respondents to those questions was as off at 1pm and First Grade at 3pm.
follows: For the 2013 Winter season, the Association required
Q25 – I am happy with ground availability for training fields for 117 games every weekend during the Peak
and games – 64.5%; Window. This included both squads (Reserves and First
Q26 – Grounds are kept in good playing condition Grade) and single teams. Throughout the Association,
– 34.1%; there were enough fields to play, at best7, only 108 games
per week during this window. As a result NSFA was
Q28 – Grounds and facilities (toilets/change rooms)
required to force each Men’s division to play periodic
are clean – 52.2%.
Sunday games, which meant that it was difficult for
parents and families to plan their weekends in advance.
4
This survey was based around a similar exercise pioneered by Kissing 6
Participants were asked to respond to questions with either:
Point FC aimed at determining what a Club’s individual members Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree, Strongly Agree, N/A. The CX rating
thought of the way it was run. Many of the Kissing Point questions is calculated by adding together the Agree and Strongly Agree responses
were also asked in this exercise, while additional questions were added as a percentage of the total responses, after the N/A responses have
to gain similar feedback in relation to the running of the Association. been deducted. Accordingly, a CX rating of 80% means that 80% of
5
Participants were able to identify themselves as being either players, respondents who did not answer N/A either Agreed or Strongly Agreed
parents or committee members of Clubs. with the statement. Correspondingly, 20% of eligible respondents
either Disagreed or Strongly Disagreed.
7A Snapshot of Council Facilities
For the 2014 Winter season, there are sufficient grounds
to play only 102 games during the Peak Window, which
is a shortage of some 15 games per week8. In 2014
therefore, rotation of divisions to Sunday afternoons
is again necessary.
Clearly this picture is unsustainable, especially given
community demand for more teams to play in these
Men’s competitions. While the creation of additional
fields is clearly the most desirable solution to this problem,
the Association is also committed to exploring alternatives
to playing matches during the Peak Window.
These include:
• playing matches Friday nights and Saturday nights
on fields on which Councils will permit usage. At the
time of writing the only fields with sufficient Lux to
accommodate night matches are: Alan Small Oval,
Northbridge Oval, Mills Park, Howson Oval, Auluba
Oval, Mimosa Oval, and the Primrose playing fields
(with the expectation that Eton Road will be capable
of hosting such matches in time for the 2014 Winter
season)
• Shifting entire divisions away from the Peak Window.
It is appreciated that there will be a reluctance to take
such a step, given that the player base is accustomed
to playing at this time of the week. However, such
a move may prove necessary given the mathmatics
of the current situation. Additionally, there is a hope
that shifting divisions to Sundays could assist KDFRA
in scheduling officials for matches by freeing up
resources, and create an opportunity to participate
for players who, for whatever reason, are unable to
play on Saturday afternoons.
7. This assumes that there is 100% ground availability – on occasions
some fields may be booked for other events – and that wet weather
does not result in ground closures.
8. This reduction is a result of Council upgrades to fields during the
2014 season. Grounds which can accommodate ten games per
week will be offline in 2014 while grounds which are coming back
online after 2013 maintenance can only accommodate four games
per week.
8Review of NSROC and Council Policies
9Review of NSROC and Council Policies
NSFA stretches from the Hawkesbury River south along Existing sport grounds and playing fields that are meeting
the Pacific Highway to Sydney Harbour at North Sydney the recreational and public open space needs of residents
and across the five Councils. Accordingly, the management in the sub-region will be protected and additional facilities
of facilities within the Association will differ depending to meet the future populations needs will be planned for
on the policy of the council in which the facility is situated. and provided.
Additionally, these five Councils are five of the seven While NSROC is an excellent source of regional policy,
councils which make up the Northern Sydney Regional each individual council is ultimately responsible for
Organisation of Councils (NSROC)9. NSROC describes determining its own direction on various issues12.
itself as10: A compilation of website addresses for the various
“Seven councils in the northern part of Sydney which have Council policies on the provision of playing fields has
voluntarily come together to address regional issues, work been provided at Appendix C.
co-operatively for the benefit of the region, and advocate The most important document published by NSROC
on agreed regional positions and priorities.” in this space is its Regional Sportsground Management
NSROC cannot force a council to choose a particular path, Strategy: Volume 1 – Strategy (NSROC Strategy)13.
however in matters such as facilities management there This document facilitates an understanding of the
is open communication between the Councils seeking consolidated view of Councils with respect to
to ensure that the plans and policies of each individual sportsground management14.
council are coherent within the broader region of the
Northern Suburbs. This includes the in principle
commitment contained within Principle 1611:
9. The other two are Hunters Hill and Ryde. B. Create football training areas around the perimeter of the main
10. One of the stated objectives for NSROC is “to facilitate the integration playing pitch for as many grounds as possible to reduce wear on
of transport, human and environmental infrastructure that support the main pitch. Suitable areas are flat grassed sites with a goal
opportunities that meet community and business needs”. mouth or kicking wall.
11. http://nsroc.com.au/wp-content/uploads/policy-planningstrategy. C. Create football training areas on disused bowling greens;
pdf The umbrella document guiding NSROC’s policy approach investigate the after-hours use of golf fairways where parking
is the Northern Sydney Sub-Regional Planning Strategy 2006-31. an access to public transport is close by. The installation of lights
– either permanent or temporary – for mid-week night training
12. While NSFA currently exists within 5 Local Government Areas,
may be necessary.
it is conceivable that this situation may change in coming years.
Amalgamation of Councils has long been discussed in this area D. Develop a regional plan to convert several existing floodlit
and the Final Report of the NSW Independent Local Government sportsgrounds to a synthetic grass all-weather surface. Liaise
Review Panel (October 2013) concludes thus: “Taking all these with the local football associations to determine which grounds
factors into account ... the Panel has concluded that the number across the NSROC area would provide the most benefit to being
of local councils in the Sydney basin should be significantly converted. Suitable grounds will have good on-site parking or
reduced. This applies mainly to the inner and eastern suburbs, access to public transport.
the lower North Shore and around Parramatta and Liverpool” E. Given the restrictions on new sportsgrounds/land opportunities,
(page 98). Specifically, the Report suggests an amalgamation develop a regional plan for futsal/five a side football. Incorporate
of Hornsby and Kuringgai Councils, as well as an amalgamation new futsal courts with a synthetic grass surface at district parks
of Hunters Hill, Lane Cove, Mosman, North Sydney, Ryde (part) and where current lit sportsgrounds are located. Alternatively use
Willoughby Councils (p. 104). the opportunity to redevelop former bowling greens or tennis
13. http://nsroc.com.au/wp-content/uploads/NSROC-Regional- courts as futsal centres.
Sportsground-Management-Strategy-FINAL-Vol-11.pdf F. Both Councils and clubs to explore funding partnerships for the
14. As a part of discussions around the provision of football facilities, installation of floodlights, upgrading of site amenities, synthetic
the NSROC Sports Officers Group did produce a draft Soccer Action grass field conversions and other related football ground
Plan in 2010. This document did not progress past draft form and improvements with the State and Federal Governments grant
it is in line for review. Nonetheless it is evidence that football as programs, including sponsorships by corporate organisations.”
a specific code has been on the agenda in this forum. This draft
proposes six main strategies, as follows:
“A. Install training lights of 50 Lux (Australian Standard 2560.2.3-
2007) at current unlit sportsgrounds where car parking is
available – either on or off-site, or where access to public
transport is close by. Liaise with the local football association
to discern which grounds would provide the most benefit
by being lit.
10Review of NSROC and Council Policies
The strategy lists five key issues to be managed in this
space:
1. Councils’ role in sport;
2. Managing fluctuations in demand;
3. Planning and managing infrastructure and the
carrying capacity of grounds;
4. Pricing and occupancy of facilities; and
5. Funding capital works as well as planning and
management.
In the sections which follow, this Plan will give
consideration to these five key areas.
11Councils’ Role in Facilities Funding
12Councils’ Role in Facilities Funding
While Council staff draft annual budgets in February/
March of each year, it is ultimately the elected Councillors NSW PLAYER STATS COMPARED19
who have to determine how expenditure for the
upcoming financial year should be allocated. The division
of available funds is a complicated task with numerous
competing interests15.
From the perspective of football, there are two questions
to be asked in relation to Council funding: Footbal NSW 200,868
1. What is the percentage of total available funds
being directed to sport and recreation; and
2. What is the percentage of sport and recreation • AFL NSW/ACT 28,468
funding being allocated to football or football • Rugby League 96,041
related activities and facilities. • Rugby Union 40,685
With respect to the proportion of Council funds being • Cricket NSW 108,000
directed to sport and recreation, it is worth remembering • Netball NSW 112,401
that sport is in competition with all other Council
• Tennis NSW 41,405
programs. Should funds be spent on fields or a new
library? Or on repairing potholes? While individual’s
positions will vary, NSFA’s position is that additional
funding for sport and recreation is vital for our community.
The health benefits of sport are widely acknowledged16, FNSW has 22% more
yet more than half of Australian adults are overweight,
players than other NSW
17% of children are overweight and nearly 8% of
Australian children are clinically obese17. As the 2010
football codes combined
Australian Government paper Australian Sport: The
Pathway to Success states: “We need to place a strategic
focus on collaboration, reform and investment across is commensurate with its importance to the community.
the entire sporting pathway – from the grassroots up . . . The relative importance of football as a sport is neatly
focussed on boosting the participation of Australians for illustrated in the following:
the benefit of our community”18. It is incumbent upon Funding at the community level should be allocated
football and other community sport and recreation in accordance with participation levels. As the NSW
groups to seek to influence these funding decisions, for Division of Local Government website states20:
reasons over and above simple enjoyment of the game. “Councils have significant responsibility and autonomy
With respect to the second question, simply put, football in providing services for their communities. It is important
does not receive its fair share. Football requires and that these services meet the needs of the local community
deserves to be allocated Council funds at a level which and are provided effectively, efficiently and equitably.”
15. The Final Report of the NSW Independent Local Government 17. 68% of adult men and 55% of adult women are overweight
Review Panel (October 2013) states that there was a $7.2billion or obese. ABS National Health Survey: Summary of Results,
backlog of infrastructure funding across NSW Councils in 2012, May 2009, Cat. No. 4364
with approximately two thirds of local councils operating at 18. http://www.ausport.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/368597/
a deficit (at 27). Australian_Sport_the_pathway_to_success.pdf
16. See for example the World Health Organisation, “Available experience 19. Football New South Wales Facilities Strategic Plan 2014-2024
and scientific evidence show that the regular practice of appropriate
physical activity and sports provides people, male and female, 20. http://www.dlg.nsw.gov.au/dlg/dlghome/dlg_InformationIndex.
of all ages and conditions, including persons with disability, with asp?areaindex=COMP&index=601&mi=3&ml=2
wide range of physical, social and mental health benefits.” Health
and developmen through physical activity and sport, 2003.
http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2003/WHO_NMH_NPH_PAH_03.2.pdf
13Councils’ Role in Facilities Funding
These needs are not being met21. The website continues; Relationship with Non-Council Facility Providers
“It is important to remember that local circumstances can While the Councils are currently the major source
influence how well a council provides its services. In some of grounds for training and matches, there also exist
cases, councils may have made conscious decisions alternative providers who may provide grounds to the
to provide lower or higher levels of services depending Association on either a long term or ad hoc basis. Principal
on local needs”. among these are the schools, both private and public,
which share the same area. The Association already has
As the above makes clear, resource allocation involves
strong links with some of these schools, however it is
decisions of both a political and subjective nature.
recognised that there is room for improvement in this
Historically these decisions have not been made in
area.
support of the interests of football. In terms of quantity,
there is an acknowledged ‘over demand’ for playing More generally, the Association supports any opportunity
fields22. In terms of quality there are similar concerns. to build a meaningful relationship with a facility provider,
whether a school or other third party, which may
Throughout the Councils there are numerous facilities
alleviate the current burden on facilities.
maintained at a level appropriate for professional or
semi-professional sport. Throughout the same Councils ACTION: Establish working relationships with the
there is not one football facility that reaches this level. major local school Associations (including GPS, CAS,
Indeed, there is not currently one facility which complies ISA, CHS and PSSA) as well as key individual schools.
with the requirements of the Football New South Wales
Stadium Technical Requirements23.
Self-evidently, securing local government funding
is part of a broader political process. If any stakeholder
believes that it is deserving of a bigger slice of the pie,
it will need to utilise the political process to obtain it.
While NSFA is grateful for the assistance provided by
each of the five Councils in its geographic area, to a large
extent the improvement of football facilities will depend
on demanding more from these organisations. Such
demands are not unreasonable given the mass
participation numbers involved in NSFA football and the
positive social benefits surrounding our game.
ACTION: Establish working groups which have
regular contact with both elected and executive
leaders of each Council.
ACTION: Ensure that Football NSW and Football
Federation Australia are involved in discussions
of importance to the Association.
21. 1 in every 29 residents of New South Wales play football (Football 23. Football NSW has already confirmed that this lack of a suitable
New South Wales Facilities Review (draft) 2013, unpublished). home ground is the primary reason why Northern Tigers, despite
22. “Some sports such as hockey and soccer will decline if additional winning the Premier League Division 2 Club Championship as
synthetic grounds cannot be provided”.http://nsroc.com.au/wp- well as First Grade Grand Final, were not promoted after the 2012
content/uploads/NSROC-Regional-Sportsground-Management- season.
Strategy-FINAL-Vol-11.pdf 24. Indeed some local schools compete as Member Clubs of the
Association.
14Managing Increases in Demand
15Managing Increases in Demand
The NSROC Strategy not only discusses current demand The challenge of population growth is felt more acutely
for facilities but also projects growing demand in line in an area such as the northern suburbs of Sydney.
with future population growth. The conclusion: Player growth trends in the next 40 years are estimated
to be far higher in metropolitan Sydney than in the
“Put simply, if Councils continue to operate ‘business
remainder of NSW26. Further, as discussed elsewhere,
as usual’ in sportsground management, we cannot
population density, scarcity of available land and land
address the current and future needs of our
prices all combine to make the provision of a new pitch
community25”.
far more difficult in the NSFA area than in other parts
This is particularly the case for sports with growing of the state.
participation rates, such as football.
ACTION: Lobby major infrastructure.
110
120
Change in total participation rate (%)
100 Football - a Summer Sport?
80 Historically, football has been categorised as a winter
71
endeavour. Councils have felt comfortable in denying
53
60
access to facilities to summer football, as evidenced by
45
44
40
this passage from the NSROC report27:
20
“As there is an increasing demand for facilities by
–24
6
6
–5
–6
0 a wide range of sports, and insufficient facilities for
-20 all sports, Council’s priority in allocating grounds
should be based on the following:
Aerobics/Fitness
Running
Outdoor Soccer
Cycling
Walking
Bushwalking
Netball
Golf
Swimming
Tennis
-40
• Allocating resources in season to in-season sports
(eg touch football in summer is a priority over
summer soccer)”
Physical activity or sport NSFA’s position is that allocation of grounds should,
in the interests of fairness, be based largely on demand.
Figure 3 Change in total participation rates
It would be perverse to prioritise one sport over another
(at least once per year) for physical activities
in Australia, 2001-2010. in spite of community demand simply because one has
Source: Standing Committee on Recreation and Sport (2010) a history of being played at a particular time of the year.
The Association’s summer 6-a-side competition at St Ives
Football NSW lends further support to the proposition Showground currently involves around 1500 players.
that new facilities will be required to cope with increasing The competition at Mills Park, Asquith has had over
population: 200 participants in only its first year of operation and
“Across all our Branches and Associations there the Ku-ring-gai Hockey Centre competition has around
is a state average of one pitch per 3,696 head 150 players. Total numbers would be far higher if there
of population and 125 players per pitch. were available facilities throughout the Association.
To maintain this ratio of pitches per head of population Denying access to Council playing fields simply forces
in NSW, and based on the ABS estimated population some players to have to participate in commercially
growth, this would require an additional 246 new run competitions, rather than not-for-profit community
pitches across the State by 2026 (19 new each year) programs through the Association. While diversity in
or 607 pitches across the State by 2056 (14 new sport is an admirable goal, artificially manipulating
each year)”. demand by denying access to grounds for football goes
beyond what is reasonable and, indeed, what is in the
best interests of the community.
25. http://nsroc.com.au/wp-content/uploads/NSROC-Regional- 26. Football New South Wales Facilities Review (draft) 2013
Sportsground-Management-Strategy-FINAL-Vol-11.pdf 27. http://nsroc.com.au/wp-content/uploads/NSROC-Regional-
Sportsground-Management-Strategy-FINAL-Vol-11.pdf
16Managing Increases in Demand
Secondly, if there was ever such a thing as distinct ‘winter Again, it is not being proposed here that other sports
sports’ and ‘summer sports’, then such lines are now well be barred from accessing facilities at any time of the
and truly blurred28. To use the example cited by NSROC29, year. Rather, it is suggested that any policy of denying
why should touch football be considered a summer sport? football access to fields over summer is flawed if it has
Of the three NSW Touch competition administrators as its basis a premise that there are clear demarcations
operating in the Northern Suburbs: between winter and summer sports. Furthermore, the
• Hornsby plays competitions in summer and winter30; most efficient use of council facilities over summer
• Cammeray plays competitions in summer and winter31; would include a higher allocation for football, given
the relatively large percentage of the community
and
requesting summer football competitions.
• Northern Suburbs plays competitions in spring and
autumn32. ACTION: An important part of the Association’s
It is also pertinent to consider ‘season creep’, which facility strategy lies in educating Councils as to the
increases the demand for facilities. A generation ago, for popularity of summer football.
six months of the year playing fields had cricket on them
over the summer months while for the remaining six
months the football codes held sway. Currently, however,
children as young as 12 can be playing club football
almost all year round33. This is not a phenomenon
unique to football, rather is prevalent across the codes;
as the professionalism of sport increases then the
incidence of season creep will also.
28. From a football perspective, the A-League, W-League and National 33. Finalists in the NSW Premier Youth Leagues having only six weeks
Youth League all run over summer. With European leagues between one season’s grand final and the next season’s trials
broadcast into Australian homes over the summer months, the
focus of football fans on the game is truly 12 months a year.
29. Examples could just have easily been given of other sports such
as baseball that run winter competitions away from their ‘traditional’
summer home: http://www.sydneymetrobaseball.com/, http://
www.swbl.org/#!league-info, http://www.swbl.baseball.com.au
30. http://www.austouch.com.au/?id=1009#1342
31. http://www.austouch.com.au/?id=1017#1355
32. http://www.austouch.com.au/?id=998#1359
17Planning & Managing Infrastucture
and the Carrying Capacity of Grounds
18Planning & Managing Infrastucture and the Carrying Capacity of Grounds
While local Councils are charged with delivering playing Aside from being weather resistant, with the result that
fields, an onus ultimately rests on users (being Clubs and events are almost never rained off, synthetic surfaces
players) to ensure that these facilities are managed so as are also able to be used more hours per week without
to maximise their benefit to the community. The primary fear of the surface being degraded. While a synthetic
cause of playing field degradation is overuse, potentially pitch may cost more than a grass pitch, it still represents
exacerbated by seasonal conditions including drought, greater value on a usage basis35, as evidenced by the
unusually heavy rainfall or even drying winds. While the below data from Football NSW comparing grass and
various Councils have instituted different policies with synthetic fields on a per square metre basis.
respect to field usage, which limit the hours per week
a field may be used34, individual users are still responsible
for ground care.
NSFA supports measures taken by Council to protect
fields by limiting usage. We acknowledge that different
fields may be able to absorb different levels of use,
dependent on factors such as geographic location, soil
and grass types, and drainage and floodlighting
capabilities. It is also recognised that many fields
become overused in specific areas, including around
the goalmouths, and NSFA supports initiatives to reduce
wear on high traffic parts of pitches, including the
following:
• No/limited training in goalmouths;
• The use of portable goalposts set up in low traffic areas;
• Warm ups and individual skills based training to take
place on areas of grass adjacent to the marked playing
field; and
• Training being conducted where practical on ‘non-
traditional’ football surfaces.
Grass vs Synthetic – A Comparison
One way in which the carrying capacity of grounds can
be increased is by converting natural turf surfaces to
synthetic. It is not proposed that such a conversion
is the solution in all cases, however, it is important to
recognise the advantages that synthetic surfaces bring
in terms of usage.
34. Total Community hours of use of sportsgrounds managed by Local • Willoughby City Council has not advised NSFA of a maximum
Councils within NSFA Zone in the Winter Season: number of hours, however Sunday hiring is strongly controlled
• Hornsby Shire Council has not advised NSFA of a maximum so as to enable the Local Community to have “passive recreation
number of hours; time” on Sportsgrounds.
• Ku-ring-gai Council has advised NSFA of a maximum of 30 hours These limitations apply not only to NSFA but also to local schools, PSSA
per week, however sportsgrounds returning to use after regional school events, Rotary and other charity events, local Sports
significant renovations are limited to a maximum of 25 hours; Clubs and private sector activities, including “lunch time sport”. At the
• Lane Cove Council has not advised NSFA of a maximum number same time, the generally accepted hours of use as established by the
of hours – it is noted that the three (3) NSFA Local Member horticultural experts range from 22 to 25 hours of organised events
Clubs book training hours directly with this Council; in any one week.
• North Sydney Council has advised NSFA of a maximum of 32 35. All information for this section is sourced directly from Football
hours and this is strongly enforced. For the 2014 year the NSFA New South Wales Facilities Review (draft) 2013. p 35.
Member Clubs resident in this LGA will book training hours
directly with this Council;
19Planning & Managing Infrastucture and the Carrying Capacity of Grounds
It is estimated that over a 10 year life span artificial turf
ACTION: NSFA will support any action taken by a
may cost 33% more than natural turf, but is 56% more
Council in relation to the behaviour of a Member
cost efficient due to its utilisation capacity. This can be
of NSFA, whether a Club or an individual, which
improved over a longer life span of 25 years where it is
Council believes is harming or otherwise failing to
estimated to cost 18% more, but is 61% more cost
show requisite care for a playing field or associated
efficient.
infrastructure.
At the same time, increased usage capabilities are of
limited utility where the field has no lighting for evening Training Ground Allocations
use, or in a neighbourhood where local issues mean that For Councils to be able to manage their facilities properly,
the ground can’t be used at certain times. Accordingly, it is imperative that they understand exactly how each
all stakeholders need to be consulted as a part of the particular field is used37. The Association has worked
planning process. The assistance of Councils is invaluable with its Member Clubs to provide a snapshot of training
in determining where opportunities for synthetic pitches ground usage during the 2013 winter season. This
may or may not exist. information is reproduced at Appendix E.
Wet Weather Policies The Councils have verbally advised NSFA that in light
Wear on fields is affected by weather, typically in winter of the shortage of facilities, their aim is to be equitable
by any large volume of rain36. In principle NSFA supports to the community by supplying one (1) hour per week
the notion that ‘the more football played the better’, per team – whether adult or junior, male or female,
it recognises that this cannot be at the expense of the Division 1 or Division 7. This is inadequate given that
sustainable management of facilities. Accordingly, NSFA the majority of teams wish to train twice per week for
supports any decision made by a Council to close a field around 90 minutes per session38.
for its long term benefit.
ACTION: NSFA must ensure that accurate training
Each Council approaches decisions around wet weather records are kept by Clubs and provided to Councils.
slightly differently. Links to the wet weather policies of
each of the NSFA Councils are provided at Appendix D.
Home Ground Policy
ACTION: At the beginning of each season, NSFA will The Association has not historically adopted Home
agree a list of authorised representatives with the Grounds for each of its Member Clubs. NSFA recognises
Member Clubs and confirm the protocol regarding that there are benefits to a Club being linked with
the decision making process and subsequent a Home Ground including, but not limited to, the
notification. Where a decision regarding wet following:
weather ground closure is left to an individual Club, • The ability to host a revenue raising canteen;
NSFA requires that this decision is made only by • Opportunities for Club fundraising efforts to be
someone authorised to do so. directed towards facility improvement;
• Strengthening the Club community through a common
shared space;
36. Currently 38% of grounds in the Football NSW area have drainage 37. This is even more so given that two fields of the same quality will
issues (Football New South Wales Facilities Review (draft) 2013. wear differently over time if one field is being trained on by Under
p 32.), consequently the effects of of wet weather are often 6s three nights a week while the other has Mens’ All Age teams
magnified by the condition of pitches. training on it three nights a week. North Sydney Council, by way
of example, calculates hours of use of facilities by children up to
and including Under 12 as half the hours of use by those aged
over 12.
38. In contrast, U12 boys competing in Football NSW Premier Youth
League are recommended to train three sessions per week in
addition to weekend games
20Planning & Managing Infrastucture and the Carrying Capacity of Grounds
• The ability to build traditions and habits around a venue
and its facilities;
• Better relationships with the relevant local council,
as council officers will have confirmed contact points
for grounds
• Encouraging the Club and its members to take care
of the facilities, including their cleanliness and
presentation;
• Enabling closer relationships with neighbours and the
broader community;
• Minimisation of littering and other anti-social behaviour;
and
• Allowing the Club to lobby Councils and the State
Government in relation to specific facility upgrades
or improvement.
In many instances connections between Clubs and
grounds already exist, however for some Clubs there
is a need to establish these links. In these instances, the
Association will aim to support Clubs in establishing
a Home Ground to the extent that such Clubs are
committed to such an endeavour. It is hoped that this
Home Grounds policy will support Clubs in deciding to
act as stewards for these Council owned facilities and in
ensuring that these facilities are maintained and treated
appropriately.
ACTION: The Association will seek to facilitate each
Member Club taking responsibility for grounds
to which they feel a sense of connection. While
having Home Grounds will ultimately be required
for all NSFA matches, the first priority relates to
Men’s competitions during the Peak Window, as
discussed above. Accordingly, the first step of this
process will be to ensure that the Home Ground
policy marries with the Men’s competitions being
run by the Association. A proposed list of Home
Grounds for Men’s competition matches is included
at Appendix F.
21Pricing and Occupancy of Facilities
22Pricing and Occupancy of Facilities
Complete pricing data for the hire of fields in 2014 across
the five Councils are provided at Appendix G. The key
takeaway from this data is that each individual Council
has a different way of calculating cost. This means that
it is difficult to compare on a ‘like for like’ basis across
Councils, yet alone compare individual fields.
While these costings listed at the Appendix are current
at the time of writing, the Association is aware that a
significant review of pricing is being undertaken by
Hornsby Shire Council. This review will not impact
pricing for the 2014 winter season, however it is possible
that the prices will be superseded after this season.
23Funding Capital Works 24
Funding Capital Works
Funding around major infrastructure developments, While the current FNSW draft Facilities Review commits
including upgrades at existing facilities, is a complex to working with all levels of government on this facilities
issue. While Councils are charged with maintaining piece40. Assistance from FNSW has to date failed to be
facilities, improving and developing facilities invariably of material benefit in this area. In the Association’s view,
involves seeking and obtaining additional funding, assistance in this area represents one of the largest ‘value
typically from the State Government. adds’ that the state governing body is able to make. At
the time of writing FNSW was in the process of seeking
Funding at the State level around the facilities space is
to recruit a full time Facilities Manager to be more closely
currently available under:
involved with the various Associations in this space.
1. NSW Office of Communities: Sport and Recreation
– Participation and Facility Program. This funding For multi-million dollar projects to become reality, it is
is available for grants up to $25,000 for facility necessary that all interested parties be united in their
projects39. The grants are assessed on a state wide approach. NSFA aims to take a leadership role in the
basis through the department and have two windows procurement of funds for these projects, working with
for application; March and September. government and other stakeholders (including other
sports) to arrange funding packages in which
2. NSW Government Community Building Partnership.
contributions are obtained from all appropriate entities.
This funding is made available on a state electorate
basis, with each state Member being allocated
ACTION: NSFA shall bring together all potential
$200,000 per annum for distribution.
stakeholders for major projects, including those
Further details of these programs are provided at outside the football community. At the operational
Appendix H. level, the Association’s Facilities Officer will be
3. NSW Department of Liquor, Gaming and Racing, tasked with facilitating these discussions among
ClubGRANTS Category 3. The State Government stakeholders, while at a strategic level the Board
has recently announced that up to $12Million will be and CEO will be responsible for pursuing this
made available each year for major sporting agenda.
infrastructure projects, derived from large registered
clubs (ie poker machine revenue). Priority will be The Role of Individual Clubs in Improving
given to applications from “regional and remote Facilities: A Case Study
communities” so it is not expected that the Association While funding assistance is typically required from the
will benefit too greatly from this scheme. government sector, local Clubs must drive the initial
concept and planning for such upgrades, with the
ACTION: The Board and the CEO will establish and
Association being brought in to assist as required.
maintain effective communication channels with
Projects driven by grassroots community groups achieve
State politicians, in particular the local Members
the best results, as they demonstrate to potential
including, but not limited to, regular face to face
government funding partners an organic community
meetings.
commitment to local improvement.
There is also a key role for Football New South Wales Case Study: Northbridge Oval
to play in this area. While Associations are committed Northbridge FC was involved in long running discussions
to trying to improve their respective lots, FNSW has a to seek improved football facilities in its local area. Partly
bigger voice at the State Government level, where most as a result of these discussions, Willoughby City Council
major infrastructure projects are determined. determined that Northbridge Oval required upgrades
in order to better serve the local sporting community.
Specifically, it was found that the grass field then in place
was being used for 770 hours per annum more than its
sustainable capacity.
39. $10,000 for participation projects. 40. Football New South Wales Facilities Review (draft) 2013. p 39
25Funding Capital Works
Willoughby City Council Infrastructure Director, Steven In its first 12 months of operation as an artificial surface
Head met on multiple occasions with the Committee the recorded use was 3,570 hours and it is known
of Northbridge FC to discuss the upgrade of Northbridge additional hours of use by the local community were
Oval. The decision was reached to fund a conversion to not recorded. It is considered that 1,300 hours of use is
an artificial surface as well as to upgrade the floodlights sustainable on a grass field.
at the venue.
While each particular ground will have its own individual
The Association, led by the then President, Dougie Hendry, needs and circumstances, the above case study details
and Greg Hay, Special Projects Manager, met with both a model process for applying for and winning additional
Willoughby City Council staff and Northbridge FC funding. If this is able to be replicated by other Clubs it
President, Rory Grace to endorse the Project and support is likely that they may be successful in gaining a higher
the work already undertaken by Northbridge FC. priority for their projects than would otherwise have
been the case – Councils will expedite a project if it
Meetings were also facilitated by Willoughby City Council
receives external funding.
which incorporated other local stakeholders such as the
local cricket association, Cricket New South Wales through The position of NSFA is to seek to support each individual
Steve Mullaley, and the local Progress Association. Club in its efforts to improve local facilities, however
it should not be expected that NSFA will necessarily be
On 28 June 2010, Council adopted the Master Plan for
in a position to contribute funds to such efforts. While
this venue’s redevelopment. The Master Plan included
the Board is committed to providing financial assistance
provision for a 30m x 3m hydraulic section in the middle
for facilities, it may not be possible to contribute to
of the field, to accommodate a full sized cricket pitch
projects unless they are regionally significant. The
which could then be inserted during cricket season.
Association has determined its list of priorities, as at the
As the trustee of the land and as the Project Manager, time of writing, which are detailed below at page 35.
Willoughby City Council located funding of $1.31 million.
This included Australian Government funding of ACTION: The Association’s Facilities Officer will
$107,000, Sydney Water Funding of $100,000, State assist Clubs in understanding and navigating
Member for Willoughby Gladys Berejiklian’s grant of through any government funding process.
$300,000, a grant of $150,000 by NSFA, and prepaid rent
ACTION: In accordance with the project nominated
of $200,000 by Northbridge FC. The balance of nearly
at the November 2013 Member Clubs’ strategy
$500,000 was contributed by Willoughby City Council.
session, the Association will work to pair up
In December 2010 stripping of the surface began and individual Clubs with their respective Councils with
the final sub-base layer occurred in March, 2011. a view to Clubs providing resources to assist with
In April 2011 the first Football match was played on the the upkeep of particular grounds.
artificial surface – some twenty minutes after a shower
of rain.
26Funding Capital Works
Costs of Facilities Projects Artificial Surface
Discussions with staff of Hornsby Shire Council and Estimated at between $900,000 and $1,100,000 for one
Ku–ring–gai Municipal Council during October 2013 playing field, excluding lighting43. These costs are subject
have revealed that construction costs to upgrade an to variations for compaction and localised problems,
average local council oval of 6,000 square metres would which may add significantly to the final figures. Given
approximate: that many fields are built on ‘brown’ space, geotechnical
issues impacting any serious construction work are not
Floodlighting Upgrade/Replacement
uncommon.
$130,000 to $150,000 with four “bendy poles” (as opposed
to fixed wooden structures being used as lighting towers,
to minimise future maintenance), to bring lighting to
a 100 Lux level constant over the whole playing area41.
Variations for footings/rock/soil problems as well as the
underlying history of a field42 may well add an extra
thirty percent to these figures.
Drainage Upgrade
$70,000 to $90,000 – this price will depend on soil type/
topography and whether it is biologically active.
Irrigation Upgrade
An additional $70,000 to $90,000 likewise dependent
upon soil type/topography.
41. For a single field four lighting towers of 20m height would be the 43. Costs are typically higher than this as a total, as efficiencies mean
minimum required, with each tower housing three lumiere globes. that converting more than simply the area for one field is more
Each 2000kW lumiere costs approximately $2,000. For areas larger cost effective. For example, the proposed North Turramurra
than one playing field either additional towers must be provided Recreation Area could potentially house three full sized fields in
or the height of one or more towers along with the strength one location. Also a proposed redevelopment of Chatswood High
of lights on that tower must be increased. The cost of providing School’s field includes a larger area of synthetic surface, incorporating
a 30m rather than a 20m tower is approximately 50% more basketball/netball courts and cricket nets with the slab for the
expensive. In terms of maintenance of existing floodlights, obtaining artificial surface also potentially able to be incorporated into the
a Lux certificate and also changing bulbs are both relatively design for changerooms.
expensive exercises, as cherrypicker cranes are currently required.
42. Many sports fields, playgrounds and other community facilities
are ‘brown field’ sites, meaning that they were once used for other
industrial purposes and remediated. Several fields in the NSFA
area, for example, are built on old garbage tips, meaning that
beneath the grass is landfill which can bring with it drainage and
structural stability issues.
27Football New South Wales
28Footbal New South Wales
Within its Strategic Plan 2012-201544, Football New South The reality is that Football NSW, through funding from the
Wales identifies five Key Performance Indicators, the various Associations, should have capabilities, resources
second of which is listed as Game Development. and influence that NSFA will not be able to match.
Accordingly, leveraging the excellent relationship between
2. GAME DEVELOPMENT
FNSW and NSFA in the area of facilities is a key priority
In conjunction with our members and stakeholders
going forward.
implement sustainable and inclusive programs and
services that increase participation; particularly females
ACTION: Ensure that NSFA is an active participant
and facilitate the retention of existing players, coaches,
in the FNSW Facilities Strategy and is successful
referees and volunteers through the provision of
in involving the Federation in NSFA matters.
tangible assistance and support to all participation
providers.
Success in this area will be judged against ten Key
Measures, the sixth of which is:
Have undertaken a Facilities Strategy, which identifies
and prioritises the Sport’s facilities requirements
Goals & Objectives
The Football NSW Facilities Strategic Plan 2014-2024 has
recently been released and within it FNSW outlines the
following goals for facilities development:
To grow, develop and promote our facilities we have set out the
following four goals: 3. Grow, develop and promote our approach
to planning and developing facilities
1. Grow, develop and promote our knowledge
of facility needs and requirements
• Encouraging Associations and Clubs to develop their
long term facilities’ business plans.
• Collating and understanding MyFootballClub player, coach
• Providing facility licensing, upgrade and
and referee information to identify demand needs for all levels
development guidelines.
of football (i.e.: Premier Leagues, Grassroots, Women’s, State
Leaguers and Futsal, etc). • Developing Association and Club facilities planning
templates and upgrade/development cases studies.
• Understanding population and community impact trends.
• Enabling consistent facility audits and review. 4. Grow, develop and promote our partnerships
with thefootball community, Government,
• Defining facilities needs, requirements and benchmarks sponsors and suppliers
for all levels.
• Engaging with Associations and Clubs to maintain
• Defining alternative facility use opportunities. information, plan and deliver facility improvements.
• Identifying grant and funding options. • Engaging with the different levels of Federal Government,
State Government and Local Government (Councils) to
• Developing information and platforms to share and leverage
advocate access, funding, ownership, maintenance and
our knowledge (i.e.: audit surveys, satisfaction surveys,
development issues, needs and opportunities.
GIS mapping tools, facility design templates and manuals,
planning and development templates and manuals). • Engaging with schools, universities and other potential
facility providers to understand and promote alternative
2. Grow, develop and promote our capability
to meet our local facility challenges
facilities use opportunities.
• Engaging with other sports to understand alternative
• Building a knowledge network within the football community
facilities use opportunities.
where our members can mentor and support each other.
• Engaging a facilities manager that can be accessed by
• Facilitating design, planning and development information
the football community.
sessions and workshops for the football community,
administration staff and volunteers. Combined with all • Establishing supplier networks that can be accessed by
tiers of Government undertaking facility planning and the football community.
development activities.
• Building partnerships and sponsorship to support facility
44. http://www.scribd.com/doc/128320381/Football-NSW-Strategic-
Plan-2012-2015-pdf
29
Goals to meet local facility challengesYou can also read
