The Masterplan has been developed to consider expenditure and investment over the next 10 to 20 years. The netball courts are fit for purpose in their current location including access to change and toilet facilities. Enhancements that will benefit the entire community such as a play space, better footpath connections and safer pedestrian access across Pritchard Street leading to the netball courts, have been included in the plan.

Yes, the consultants considered this in extensive detail and also note there is strong community support for this suggestion. This was also clear through the survey, with one in three respondents commenting about this idea. The overall evidence however determined this was not a favourable outcome for the broader community and other recreation reserve stakeholders.

We have drawn up a chart of Advantages and Disadvantages to explain why;

• Advantages for relocating/constructing new netball courts
  • It removes the need for pedestrians to cross the road between the main sportsground and the netball arena for training nights, home and away games and finals
  • The safety concern for small children crossing the road between netball and football arenas is eliminated
  • It would decrease the distance between football and netball activities for the Football Netball Club members and spectators who are based on the Showgrounds side of Pritchard Street.

• Disadvantages for relocating/constructing new netball courts
  • Significantly reduces the amount of passive open space on the Showgrounds site
  • The community survey provided strong support for the Show indicating it should be preserved and adapted to ensure it remains an integral part of the Swan Hill events calendar - putting netball courts on the show site will interfere with Show Day activities
  • There would be space limitations with the configuration of netball courts on the Showgrounds site
  • Netball courts on the Showgrounds site will impact the zones used by other user group(s) if they are relocated
  • The multi-use of assets is a key principle of responsible facility management. The reserves form a collective sporting and recreational precinct. The precinct already has netball courts that are fit for purpose which supports the asset management principles, in turn resulting in responsible public investment.
  • The proposal satisfies the priorities of one precinct stakeholder, whereas there are multiple stakeholders who are reliant on the space(s) within the precinct to conduct their core activities.

Council will work with the CFA to identify a new, suitable location somewhere other than the Showgrounds site. Council understands the importance of actively supporting CFA Sports and will work with the CFA unit and volunteers to relocate this service to another venue in the future.

One of the Masterplan themes is 'Activated and Accessible' so that the reserve is more visibly open and welcoming for more people, more of the time. The reserve is an amazing green space for all to enjoy and we want to make sure it's inviting. Gates and fencing solutions will be installed so that ticketed events can continue to be effectively controlled.

The new concepts identified in the Masterplan have been intentionally developed in a flexible way to ensure the facilities have a purpose, even if the user group of the facility changes. It is also why a review process will be adopted for the Masterplan, that is triggered at least once every 5 Years. A review will occur sooner if there is a significant change to the circumstances of one or more of the user groups.

Funding still needs to be sourced for the Sports Hub building through State and Federal sources. It is unknown when the funding will become available, but advocacy for the building, and funding opportunities are being pursued and will continue to be actively sourced.

Community Use could include Council Services or Programs that are currently being delivered in rented, or leased premises. For example, the Children's and Youth Services program. The benefits bought about by use of the space for a broader community purpose like Maternal Child Health, that both promotes familiarity with the reserve and a connection to the sporting nature of the precinct from a very young age, is being explored.

A decision to relocate the outdoor pool has not been made or adopted by Council.