Shire endorses G21 regional football strategy

NO EXTRA football facilities are yet recommended to be built in the Surf Coast Shire but new clubs could be set up at existing recreation reserves, according to the final G21 Regional Football (Soccer) Strategy.

Surf Coast Shire councillors endorsed the strategy at their February meeting.

Prepared by Football Victoria in collaboration with councils in the G21 region, the strategy aims to provide the pathway for the future needs of football and futsal and ensures a collaborative approach and collective voice moving forward.

The strategy, which updates the 2012 version, supports the priority for 50/50 gender equity in football by 2027, including key steps to support female participation across the G21 region.

In the Surf Coast Shire, the strategy notes the municipality had a population of 37,694 last year and this was forecast to grow to 49,774 within 10 years, including 3,413 people aged between five and 39 and

The shire has only one football site and three pitches, all located at Banyul-Warri Fields in Torquay North, giving the municipality a football pitch to population ratio of 1:11,610, which is more than twice the strategy’s standard pitch to population ratio of 1:5,000.

Football and futsal participation was recorded as 583 in 2022 and is expected to rise to 698 by 2033.

The strategy sets out three infrastructure priorities for the Surf Coast Shire:

Support opportunities for increased participation in football, and if demand exists, consider options to activate existing recreation reserves for new clubs within Surf Coast Shire

Provide and/or facilitate access to existing indoor facilities to support increased participation in futsal, and

Support regional advocacy for the Armstrong Creek West Active Open Space Sub-Regional Football Facility.

Speaking at the February meeting, Surf Coast Shire councillor Rose Hodge quipped she had a suspicion she moved the council motion to adopt the 2012 version of the strategy but she would not be around to move the next one in 12 years’ time.

“In the past 10 years we’ve seen a huge increase in players across the G21 region, with many millions of dollars spent on upgrading infrastructure so that the children, men and women that play can have more participation in safe and properly-done fields.

“In the Surf Coast Shire, we’ve seen a huge growth in the main club Surf Coast FC, and women’s soccer has been continually growing – just days ago they advertised for MiniRoos, so their junior output is also increasing.”

Wider achievements from the 2012 strategy noted in this strategy include the completion of 37 football infrastructure projects, a 114 per cent increase in female football participation, a 70 per cent increase in overall football participation, and 48 per cent growth in junior football (players aged under 18) participation.