Indigo Shire Council

Masterplan Preparation for Chiltern and Wahgunyah Recreation Reserves Page 1

Project Brief

Indigo Shire Council October 2010

Provision of Services for:

Chiltern Recreation Reserve Master Plan (including Lake Anderson) and Wahgunyah Recreation Reserve Master Plan

Tenders Close:

4pm Friday 26 November 2010

WahgunyahRecreationReserveMasterPlanPreparedbySimonLeisureConsultingSeptember2011

Indigo Shire Council Wahgunyah Recreation Reserve Master Plan

Final Report (Sept11).doc Page i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................11.1. Purpose and Use of a Master Plan............................................................................................................. 11.2. Acknowledgement ...................................................................................................................................... 2

2. CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND ......................................................................................................32.1. Wahgunyah Township ................................................................................................................................ 32.2. Wahgunyah Recreation Reserve................................................................................................................ 3

2.2.1. Sports Oval and Associated Facilities ...................................................................................................................42.2.2. Netball Courts........................................................................................................................................................42.2.3. Tennis Courts ........................................................................................................................................................52.2.4. Sports Pavilion ......................................................................................................................................................52.2.5. Other Areas / Facilities ..........................................................................................................................................62.2.6. Traffic Management ..............................................................................................................................................72.2.7. Wahgunyah Speedway .........................................................................................................................................7

2.3. Planning Reports and Strategies................................................................................................................ 82.3.1. Indigo Shire Recreation Plan (2008) .....................................................................................................................82.3.2. Draft Wahgunyah Foreshore Master Plan (2010) .................................................................................................92.3.3. Other References ..................................................................................................................................................9

3. CONSULTATION .............................................................................................................................104. ANALYSIS OF ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES ............................................................................125. WAHGUNYAH RESERVE PRECINCT MASTER PLAN.................................................................16

5.1. Plan Development .................................................................................................................................... 165.2. Key Directions of the Master Plan ............................................................................................................ 165.3. Cost Plan .................................................................................................................................................. 17

6. CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................23

APPENDICES Appendix 1 Inspection Report of the Wahgunyah Recreation Reserve Sports Field Appendix 2 Sporting & Recreation Facilities Sustainability Assessment Report Appendix 3 List of People of Groups Consulted Appendix 4 RV Friendly Town Criterion and Dump Point Installation Information Appendix 5 Summary of Public Exhibition Period and Community Feedback Appendix 6 Wahgunyah Recreation Reserve Master Plan

Indigo Shire Council Wahgunyah Recreation Reserve Master Plan

Final Report (Sept11).doc Page 1

1. INTRODUCTION

Wahgunyah Recreation Reserve is the primary community open space area in Wahgunyah, an historic township of just over 800 people located in the north west of Indigo Shire, across the Murray River from the NSW town of Corowa. The reserve is located west of the main residential and commercial precincts of Wahgunyah, and is separated from these areas by Sunday Creek.

Wahgunyah Recreation Reserve1 is a Crown land reserve. A majority of the total land area of the reserve is open woodland, with an area of approximately 25% of the land area of the reserve set aside as a sporting and recreation precinct both in function and in use. The reserve comprises of one sports oval, four artificial surface tennis courts, two netball courts, a main sporting pavilion, a picnic / playground area, and a speedway track and associated buildings. The tenant sporting groups are the Wahgunyah Football Club, the Wahgunyah Netball Club, the Wahgunyah Tennis Club, and the Corowa Rutherglen Motorsports Inc. The Wahgunyah Cricket Club is also based at the reserve but is currently in recess.

The Indigo Shire Council has received a number of requests during the past few years from the tenant groups based at the Wahgunyah Recreation Reserve to undertake a range of improvement projects to existing facilities and supporting infrastructure. In addition, the Indigo Shire Recreation Plan (2008) recommends that a master plan be prepared for the reserve, and the recently completed Draft Wahgunyah Foreshore Master Plan (2010) also identifies a number of improvement projects to the reserve and the immediate surrounds. It is timely, therefore, that a master plan be prepared for the Wahgunyah Recreation Reserve that integrates the relevant directions outlined in these plans and which also incorporates additional projects identified by local residents and other stakeholder groups.

In December 2010, Indigo Shire Council engaged Simon Leisure Consulting, a sports and recreation planning firm, to prepare a master plan for Wahgunyah Recreation Reserve. The main aim of the master plan is to establish clear directions for the future use and development of the reserve, with a key element of the project being to assess the adequacy and capacity of the existing sporting and recreation facilities to continue to meet the needs of user groups and local residents both now and into the future. In addition, the master planning process considered options to make the reserve more accessible as a destination for non-sporting uses, such as recreational walking and cycling.

This report provides an overview of the study process, describes the key findings from the study, and outlines a new Vision for the Wahgunyah Recreation Reserve and its environs.

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 for the new Vision to be achieved.

Please note that further investigation and feasibility of some of the recommended projects and initiatives described in the Wahgunyah Recreation Reserve Master Plan may be required depending upon their scale, likely impact and estimated cost. Further, the proposed projects described within the master plan do not commit the Indigo Shire Council or any other organisation to a responsibility for funding projects.

1 The gazetted name for the reserve is the Wahgunyah Racecourse & Recreation Reserve, however, throughout this report the reserve is referred to the Wahgunyah Recreation Reserve, the name by which the reserve is now more commonly referred to by Council, tenant groups and local residents.

Indigo Shire Council Wahgunyah Recreation Reserve Master Plan

Final Report (Sept11).doc Page 2

1.2. Acknowledgement

The preparation of the master plan has been the culmination of several stakeholder and community meetings held during the period December 2010 and June 2011. The input, feedback and overall contribution of the representatives of the Wahgunyah Recreation Reserve Committee, the reserve sporting groups, and other community groups in Wahgunyah is acknowledged, as well as the involvement of other residents.

The consultant team also thanks those Council staff and Councillors who provided valuable background information and guidance during the project, particularly the project manager, Chris Westwood (Councils Team Leader Recreation & Community Strengthening).

The study was part funded by Sport and Recreation Victoria, and this contribution is acknowledged.

Indigo Shire Council Wahgunyah Recreation Reserve Master Plan

Final Report (Sept11).doc Page 3

2. CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND

The Wahgunyah Recreation Reserve Master Plan was informed by a number of research and planning considerations. This section provides a summary of th