Shire seeks sports input

Feedback wanted on sport and recreation 10-year plan

GROUNDWORK for a sports and recreation plan covering Golden Plains Shire for the next ten years is underway, with the community invited to provide feedback.

The 2020-2030 Sport and Active Recreation Strategy is being put together by the Shire and the State government and follows on from expiring current five-year plan.

Input is being sought on sports and recreation facilities, opportunities and services.

“Council understands that quality sporting and recreation facilities are very important to our communities and we want to support our townships with places to gather, get active and enjoy a variety of organised sports and casual recreation,” said mayor Cr Owen Sharkey.

The effects of the expiring strategy are still being felt across the municipality with many key capital works projects having been put to bed or set for completion this year.

“We opened a range of great sport and community facilities in Golden Plains including the upgraded Smythesdale Skatepark, new netball courts at Victoria Park in Bannockburn, new oval lighting and new female-friendly change rooms at the Linton Recreation Reserve, and the impressive Bannockburn Heart,” Cr Sharkey said.

“We’ve got many more sport and recreation projects currently under construction in the Shire including the new floor at Haddon Recreation Reserve, new oval lighting at Victoria Park in Bannockburn and Rokewood Recreation Reserve, the second soccer pitch in Bannockburn and the new netball court at Inverleigh.”

One the many existing sports clubs in the Shire is Lethbridge Junior Football Club.

President Beck Love said that she would be keen to input into the new sports strategy feedback process.

“A strategy for our community if defiantly needed to encourage lifelong physical activity,” she said. “Not just for children, but also for the adults. We’re trying to encourage volunteers to come down and be active themselves.”

Ms Love said the two main things she’d like to see included in the new strategy are making sure existing facilities are usable going forward and that people can easily access those facilities.

“Things like future proofing the existing infrastructure that we’ve got,” she said. “With so many subdivisions at moment it’s about making sure that we’ve got facilities for all members of the community to be active.

“A big barrier that we have is isolation, so it’s about making sure that we’ve got connecting paths and bike trails to allow kids to get from school to the local rec reserve.

“The kids want to connect with each other. They need somewhere to connect and to be able to safely connect.”

Input into the strategy can be provided in a number of ways.

There’s an online survey running at goldenplains.vic.gov.au/consultations and hard copy versions are available from the Shire’s service centres in Linton, Smythesdale and Bannockburn.

Counsellors and Shire staff will also be at several community listening posts across the municipality over the coming weeks.

They include 9am to 1pm on Saturday 15 February at the Smythesdale Country Market, 9am to 1pm on Sunday 16 February at the Inverleigh Produce and Lifestyle Market, 9 to 11am on Saturday 22 February at the Rokewood General Store, 1 to 3pm on Saturday 22 February at the Back Creek Café at Meredith and 10am to 2pm on Sunday 23 February at the Ross Creek Car Boot Sale.

“As we plan the next decade of sport and active recreation projects and programs in our growing Shire, we want input from all residents to ensure the new strategy meets the needs and wants of our Golden Plains community,” Cr Sharkey said.