Last year Tweed Shire Council partnered with the Better Cities Group last year to develop a new Sport and Active Recreation Strategy.
The Sport and Active Recreation Strategy 2023 – 2033 will provide direction for the planning, development and management of the Tweed Shire’s sport and recreation facilities for the next 10 years. It will be an important planning tool in directing future resource priorities, major projects and initiatives that support participation in community sport and active recreation.
Council is asking the community to review the draft Strategy currently on exhibition and share their thoughts by making a submission before 4 pm on Friday 31 May 2024.
Identifying gaps and surpluses
The draft Strategy seeks to understand future sport and active recreation needs in the Shire generally and to identify gaps or surpluses in existing and anticipated new facilities. It looks to:
- understand and predict future sport and active recreation needs in the Shire
- identify broad community trends throughout Tweed, NSW (and consider QLD) and Australia
- examine participation and facility provision, including emerging sports and activities and changes in participation levels for existing sports
- guide and inform planning for future development and allocation of existing sports and active recreation facilities
- guide and inform Council’s future management and processes of sport and active recreation land and facilities
- guide and inform Council’s existing program and service provision in the sport and active recreation space and identify opportunities to expand and enhance current offerings.
Sport that is affordable
Manager Parks and Active Communities Murray Smith said Council needs to plan to ensure everyone in the community can easily access affordable places and programs to participate in.
‘Sport and active recreation are essential for our physical and mental health and central to bringing communities together, which is why this Strategy is so important,’ said Mr Smith.
‘We need to plan to accommodate an expected population growth of more than 7,600 people over the next 10 years, meaning the Tweed will need an estimated additional 13 hectares (at a minimum) of space for sport and active recreation as well as consider the types of facilities and programs we deliver.
‘Regionally, sport and recreation also contribute to economic development through job creation, tourism promotion, infrastructure development and increased consumer spending – and we can’t forget the fact the Olympics will be hosted on our doorstep in Southeast Queensland in 2032.
Trends that impact sport and active recreation
‘We have also identified trends that will impact sport and active recreation in the Tweed which need to be planned for. Some of these include tech-driven sports such as e-sports and augmented reality, continued growth in lifestyle sports such as yoga, swimming, hiking and paddling, and women’s sports which are growing substantially in profile.
‘There are also trends such as encouraging open spaces, sport and recreation facilities close to other public assets such as community centres and halls, retail precincts and cultural precincts, as well as effective public-private partnerships between developers, government and sports clubs to build sports facilities at schools which allow community use during evenings and on weekends.’
To determine the future needs of the Shire, Better Cities Group reviewed Local, State and Federal Government policies, current trends and existing facilities in the Tweed.
An audit of Council-owned facilities and sporting fields took place as well as comprehensive engagement activities with key stakeholders, including the Tweed’s more than 80 sports clubs.
The engagement process included structured interviews, online surveys, pop-ups and the inaugural Tweed Shire Council Sport and Active Recreation Summit with local residents, sports clubs and associations, elected representatives, State and Local government representatives, and State sporting organisations.
Feedback gathered through this engagement informed the development of the draft Strategy.
Have your say
The community is invited to review the draft Sport and Active Recreation Strategy and make a submission by 4 pm, Friday 31 May 2024 in one of the following ways:
- online: yoursaytweed.com.au/activerecreation
- hard copy: Request a hard copy submission form from one of our Council offices then email to [email protected], or mail to The General Manager, Tweed Shire Council, PO Box 816, Murwillumbah NSW 2484.
All submissions must include the contributor’s name, address, phone and email details (optionally marked ‘in confidence’).
