The document discusses recreation planning standards and their shortcomings. While standards-based approaches to recreation provision are commonly used, they ignore important community-specific factors like demographics, needs, climate, and existing facilities. Instead, the document advocates for a social impact assessment approach which involves stakeholder engagement, community consultation, and an analysis of trends, needs, and existing provision to determine appropriate recreation facilities for a given population. It then provides a table benchmarking recreation facility provision across various Australian communities.

1. Neal Ames
Recreation Planner
Queensland Government
ACT Government
Campbelltown City Council

2. “The scale of development proposed at Mount Gilead does not elicit a
substantial demand for social and community infrastructure and open
space on its own. It is anticipated that the existing regional and local
provision of many services will accommodate the needs of this additional
population.”

4. 2.83

6. Some of the key failings of the standards approach to recreation planning are:
• they do not constitute planned provision at all: rather, they constitute the acquisition of a fixed amount of
land regardless of the nature and needs of the community
• they ignore the nature of the land resources, local and regional climates, the nature of the communities to
be served and any changes occurring in those communities
• they ignore indoor provision
• it is unclear as to whether the standards are a minimum provision need, a guide to the amount of land
needed, or the maximum amount needed. Most users apply them as both a minimum and maximum
simultaneously
• they ignore the opportunities provided by all commercial or private recreation provision
• they assume uniformity of need across political boundaries regardless of where it is applied. To illustrate,
Victorian councils have commonly used four hectares per 1 000 residents regardless of where in the state
they were; NSW has used 2.83 hectares, and SA has used as much as 10 hectares
• the standards generally run contrary to the findings of extensive research into the recreation needs and
interests of different communities and different types of communities.
Despite these weaknesses, many planners and agencies responsible for recreation planning still use a
standards approach. This is partially because they have been embodied into various state government planning
acts or provision guidelines and have been upheld by planning appeals tribunals. They have also been used by
some who claim there is a need for ‘a starting point‘ in terms of provision. The point is that they are such a bad
and misleading starting point, they should not be used. Past research has shown that a provision rate of four
hectares per 1 000 residents is probably in excessive of community needs - but this will vary depending on the
culture, location, recreational interests, climate, history of provision and many other factors. A wide variety of
anecdotal evidence also suggests that where other types of recreation opportunities are available - libraries,
theatres, restaurants, neighbourhood houses and indoor aquatic and leisure centres - less use is made of open
space and less open space is needed. Finally, there is also a wide range of anecdotal evidence to indicate that
people adjust their recreational activities to what is available within their area and if there is insufficient open
space, they go elsewhere or take up other types of activities.

7. Social Impact Assessment
Instead of the standards approach
Includes:
Desktop Review
Facility Audit
Demographic Analysis
Needs Analysis (not demand)
Benchmarking
Stakeholder Engagement
Community Consultation
Trends (see next slide)

10. Section 94 Works - Open Space Specifications

13. Number Location Location Details
Indoor
(Courts)
Other Standard Ancillary Building x SQM
Rectangular Round Tennis Netball Multi Purpose 50m 25m
Total 113 66 150 97 33 28 14 9 9,270 SQM
Mean 4.52 2.64 6 3.88 1.32 1.12 0.56 0.36 370 SQM
Benchmark Average Population - 5,000 3 1 4 2 1 0.4 0.2 0.4 350 SQM
Fields Outdoor Courts
Aquatics
(Municipal Facilities)
300 SQM
The Ponds
Sydney, NSW
Pop - 4,000
3 1 10 4
3 1 0 2 2Highfields
Toowoomba, QLD
Pop - 5,000
820 SQM
4 0 0 0 240 SQM
Cranbourne East (Casey)
Melbourne, Vic
Pop - 8,211
1 6 10
1 x Athletic
1 x Golf Course
Ruse
Campbelltown, NSW
Pop - 5,502
1 1 4 0 0
3 0 2 1 0
2 0 1
0 0 0 300 SQM
Raby
Campbelltown, NSW
Pop - 6,340
10 4 2 300 SQM
Springfield
Ipswich, QLD
Pop - 6,617
6 2 4 0 0 2 0
0 1 0 0 1
0 240 SQM
Narellan
Camden, NSW
Pop - 3,492
5 0 4 42 0 1 0 1
3 x Hockey
4 x Softball
1 x Golf Course
210 SQM
Oran Park
Camden, NSW
Pop - 4,753
7 4 0 250 SQM
Moruya
South Coast, NSW
Pop - 3,500
3 1 6 0 2 1 1
0 0 1 0 0
0 1 x Golf Course 200 SQM
Riverstone
Sydney, NSW
Pop - 6,191
2 2 6 4 0 2 1 0 310 SQM
Glenfield
Sydney, NSW
Pop - 7,558
4 2 2 820 SQM
Bradbury
Campbelltown, NSW
Pop - 8,738
1 2 0 0 0 0 1
0 2 0 0 0 1 x Softball
1 350 SQM
Appin
Southern Highlands, NSW
Pop - 1,803
3 1 5 0 0
0 1 x Bowls Green
0 0 0 750 SQM
Picton
Southern Highlands, NSW
Pop - 3,983
5 1 16
7 8 0 2 2 1
4 1 1 1
2 1 1
2 x Bowls Green
1 x Golf Course
300 SQM
1
2
3
4
5
1
2 x Bowls Green
1 x Golf Course
320 SQM
Seymore
Vic
Pop - 6,316
0 4 16 0 3
300 SQM
Bowral
Southern Highlands, NSW
Pop - 12,154
2
12
13
14
15
16
17
6
7
8
9
10
11
4 0 0 0 1 x Athletic 380 SQMEmu Heights
Penrith, NSW
Pop - 3,362
7 3 4 0
250 SQM
19 Woy Woy
Central Coast, NSW
Pop - 10,114
7 1 6 0 0 2
0 0 0 1 0
1 x Athletic
2 x Bowls Green
18 Glenbrook
Penrith, NSW
Pop - 4,945
3 2 11
1 0
3 x Bowls Green
1 x Golf Course
350 SQM
20 Gatton
Lockyer Valley, QLD
Pop - 6,869
4 3 4 200 SQM
21 Laidley
Lockyer Valley, QLD
Pop - 3,518
5 2 8 6 0 0
4 0 2 1 0
1 x Showgrounds
1 x Golf Course
2 x Bowls Green
0 1
1 x Showgrounds
1 x Softball
1 x Bowls Green
300 SQM
22 Byron Bay
North Coast, NSW
Pop - 4,959
10 1 7 350 SQM
23 Elizabeth Downs
Adelaide, SA
Pop - 5,143
7 7 0 22 0 2
0 4 2 1 0
2 x Bowls Green
1 x Golf Course
1 1 1 x Softball 800 SQM
24 Halls Head
Perth, WA
Pop - 6,408
9 4 4
1 0
2 x Bowls Green
1 x Golf Course
350 SQM
Sports Facility Provision Benchmark
500 SQM
25 Hastings
Vic
Pop - 7,000
5 5 14 4 2 2
2 6 2 1 1 1 x Golf Course

14. Thoret said:
The 21st century will not be measured by those that can read and write, but
rather by those that can learn, unlearn and relearn.

15. • Contact Details:
Neal Ames
– Sport and Recreation Coordinator (Recreation Planner)
Campbelltown City Council
– nealrubin@gmail.com
– 0400 584 687
– LinkedIn Profile:
» http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=114178673&tr
k=nav_responsive_tab_profile_pic