Hume Reserve Master Plan

1.Executive Summary......

2.Introduction......

2.1Study Area......

2.2Project Purpose......

2.3Planning Process......

2.4Project Management Framework......

2.5Acknowledgements......

3.Site Context......

3.1Demographic Profile and Projections......

3.1.1Population......

3.1.1.1Bell Park Profile......

3.1.2Implications for the Master Plan......

3.2Existing Facilities and Description......

3.3Local Area Planning Context......

4.Consultation Summary......

5.Issues & Opportunities......

6.Core Objectives and Vision for Hume Reserve......

6.1Hume Reserve Master Plan Core Objectives......

6.2Hume Reserve Master Plan Vision......

7.Draft Report Feedback......

8.Master Plan......

9.Additional Recommendations......

9.1Recycled Water......

9.2Land Ownership and Control......

9.3Signage and Communication......

9.4North Geelong Secondary College......

9.5Responding to New Requests......

10.Implementation......

10.1Summary of Indicative Costs and Priorities......

10.2Implementation......

10.3Indicative Cost Details......

10.4Exclusions and Assumptions......

10.5Operational Costs......

11.Conclusions......

Appendix 1: Community Survey......

Appendix 2: Initial Consultation Results......

Staff and Stakeholders......

11.1Community Survey Results......

Appendix 3: Issues and Opportunities Presentation......

Appendix 4: Initial Issues and Opportunities Plan......

1.Executive Summary

/ Insight Leisure Planning has led a team of specialist planning consultants to develop a Master Plan for Hume Reserve.

The aim of the Master Plan was to develop a plan that can be used to guide the future development of the reserve having regard to user and community aspirations whilst enhancing the appearance, appeal and functionality of the park.

Key objectives of the study included ensuring an appropriate balance between sporting and informal infrastructure needs, improving opportunities for broad community use and to address known traffic management issues (i.e. car parking).

The planning process involved a review of background material and the establishment of formal reference groups to guide the planning process. These included:

Hume Reserve consists of two primary parcels of land totalling approximately7.4 hectares. Each parcel consists of two soccer pitches, pitch 1 and 2 are located on the ‘main’ parcel of land off Hume Reserve Court (which is off Thompsons Road). The second parcel of land, further north, consists of pitch 3 and pitch 4. Pitch 3 has been disused for the past two-three years due to its poor condition as a result of the prolonged drought. Pitch 4 has never actually been used for competition soccer, rather its primary function has been as a retarding basin and informal kick-about space. Council’s Engineering Services have confirmed that ‘Pitch 4’ is required for flood management and intend to improve its capacity as a retarding basin.

The research and consultation undertaken (including community surveys) confirmed a number of consistent issues that needed to be addressed. These included:

a)Improve landscaping and vegetation throughout the park.

b)Install and upgrade robust park furniture.

c)Improve site access and circulation (particularly pedestrian).

d)Acknowledge requirements for Pitch 4 to be used as a retarding basin – plan infrastructure accordingly.

e)Consider opportunities to improve the appeal of the reserve for informal recreation.

f)Consider infrastructure that will promote increased community use of the reserve (using the area currently known as ‘Pitch 4’).

g)Define and upgrade entrances to the reserve.

h)Consider options to improve linear connections, including safety, vegetation and discourage motor bike access.

i)Consider opportunities to improve the relationship between the two distinct parcels of land.

j)Explore options for additional car parking (e.g. formalise the existing gravel car park).

k)Consider options for water harvesting and reuse.

l)Consider pavilion infrastructure development needs and opportunities, having regard to Council’s likely budget capacity.

m)Hume Reserve is considered a local level soccer venue by CoGG (not regional). Infrastructure should be appropriate to this classification; a synthetic soccer surface is not supported.

Having regard to the issues and opportunities, the following five core objectives for the Master Plan have been identified and confirmed via the consultation and research undertaken to date. The core objectives are:

a)Support the ongoing function of the reserve as an important local soccer venue.

b)Increase opportunities for informal community use.

c)Support community use of the Bocce facilities, recognising their importance in facilitating social capital.

d)Enhance the appearance and appeal of the reserve.

e)Develop a plan that guides priorities for the staged development and improvement of the reserve.

The core objectives have been considered in identifying the following vision for Hume Reserve.

Hume Reserve will play an important role in servicing local community needs, contributing to a strong sense of community connectedness, social capital and general well being.

Hume Reserve will be reinforced as an important local level soccer facility in the northern suburbs. Facilities and infrastructure will be developed and maintained in order to support active sporting use (i.e. soccer), informal recreation and general community use.

Section 8 outlines a number of ‘other’ recommendations for the reserve which are not represented on the Master Plan illustration, these relate to:

Recycled water,
Land ownership and control,
Signage and communication, and
Responding to new requests.

Section 9 outlines the recommended implementation schedule and indicative capital costs for the works identified in the Master Plan. The total cost of all works is estimated at $3,286,700, inclusive of significant Engineering Infrastructure works associated with the retarding basin and water reuse. ‘Mandatory’ items relate to requirements under legislation or regulation, ‘critical’ items relate to risk, safety or water sustainability. A breakdown of the overall priorities is as follows:

Mandatory=Nil
Critical =$24,000
High = $320,000
Medium =$2,186,620
Low = $756,080
Total = $3,286,700

Implementation of the Master Plan will improve the overall amenity and functionality of the reserve, including enhanced traffic management, safety and pedestrian circulation.

The current and future needs of the sporting clubs have been considered whilst allowing for improved facilities, amenities and infrastructure for informal community use. Progressive implementation of the Master Plan will help achieve the overall vision for the site, including reinforcing its role as an important local level soccer facility and valued community open space.

2.Introduction____

/ The City of Greater Geelong (CoGG) commissioned the development of a Master Plan for Hume Reserve which can be used to guide its future use and development. The following extract from the original project brief outlines the background and reasons for the project.

Hume Reserve is an active sports reserve located off Thompson Road, North Geelong. The reserve is utilized by two Soccer clubs and informally by a Bocce group. The reserve is the home ground for the Corio Cloverdale Soccer Club and the Corio Northern Suburbs Soccer Club Inc. In addition to sporting clubs, the reserve is used extensively for passive recreation and casual use by local schools. There are two clubroom facilities, one with adjoining public amenities. The reserve is a highly valued open space area and is well utilized by the broader community.

Council is always seeking opportunities to enhance formal sports reserves such as Hume Reserve. This will be a key objective of the Hume Reserve Master Plan.

Council has received several requests over the last few years from tenant clubs at the reserve to undertake a host of developments ranging from sports lighting, car park extensions and pavilion extensions. The development of this plan seeks to balance these requests with the need to maintain and enhance the reserve as an important public open space resource for the broader Northern Geelong community.

A large amount of work should be concentrated on the flow of the reserve and the access and egress issues.

Following a competitive tender process, the City appointed a consortium of specialist consultants led by Insight Leisure Planning (in partnership with Fitzgerald Frisby Landscape Architects and Mantric Architects) to develop a Master Plan for the site.

2.1Study Area

Hume Reserve is bordered by

Residential Housing,
Industrial Estate, and
North Geelong Secondary College.

The total area of the reserve is approximately 74,384m2 (7.4 hectares). An aerial photograph of Hume Reserve and its surrounds is shown on the following page.

Study Area: Hume Reserve, showing existing soccer pitches (#3) and surrounding areas (residential, industrial and North Geelong Secondary College – bottom of image).

2.2Project Purpose

The original Project Brief outlined the key aim and objectives for the Master Plan, these are summarised below:

Aim:

The aim of this project is to prepare a Master Plan for the future development/improvement of Hume Reserve. The plan will need to ensure the long-term development aspirations of the tenant clubs, schools and local residents are taken into consideration and the character of the reserve is enhanced.

Key Objectives include:

a)Ensure an appropriate balance between sporting and informal use infrastructure needs.

b)Increase opportunities for community use.

c)Enhance the amenity, appearance and functioning of the reserve.

d)Address known issues including, traffic management, circulation (including pedestrians), access, safety, relationship to surrounding areas and connections to the reserve.

e)To consult with those who have an interest in the park, so that the community needs and views can be determined and accommodated where possible.

f)To develop a plan that is user friendly, illustrative and incorporates specific plans, graphics and written guidelines for the development of the park that are realistic and within resource constraints.

2.3Planning Process

The planning process employed for this project has included the following key phases:

Phase 1 Situation Analysis – incorporating a review of background information, site familiarisation, demographic analysis and identification of key stakeholders.
Phase 2 Initial Consultation – including meetings or interviews with key stakeholders, sporting clubs, Council, and the community via an on-line survey, resident survey and public submissions.
Phase 3 Issues and Opportunities Summary – a Power Point presentation including initial findingsand preliminary directions was presented to the PCG, PWG and PRG (refer to 2.4 below).
Phase 4 Draft Report and Master Plan – feedback on the Issues and Opportunities Summary was considered prior to the development of the Draft Master Plan which has been presented to the PCG, PWG and PRG, and placed on public exhibition for a four-week period.
Phase 5 Final Report and Master Plan – the Draft Report and Master Plan have been updated following consideration of feedback as a result of the Public Exhibition period and a Final Report and Master Plan developed.

2.4Project Management Framework

The development of the Master Plan has been overseen by three key reference groups which met at various stages throughout the project, these were:

2.5Acknowledgements

Insight Leisure Planning would like to acknowledge the input and direction provided throughout this project by a number of key stakeholders and Council staff, including:

Kristyn Aquilina (Project Manager) and Stephen Parker (Coordinator Recreation and Open Space).
Vince Leone – Bocce.
Tony Lombardo – Bocce.
Nedim Saiihovic – Corio Cloverdale Soccer Club.
Zoltan Luczo – Corio Soccer Club.
Mario Gregorio – Corio Soccer Club.

We would also like to acknowledge the advice and expertise provided by the other members of our project team, specifically:

Fitzgerald Frisby Landscape Architects – Tim Fitzgerald and Kendall Monk.
Mantric Architecture – David Newstead.

3.Site Context____

/ The following section provides an overview of the site context including population characteristics of the area, existing site conditions/features and local area planning context.

3.1Demographic Profile and Projections

Hume Reserve is located within the suburb of Bell Park. It is acknowledged that the park may attract users from a broader area, however it is anticipated that the majority of users will originate from the immediately surrounding suburb (i.e. Bell Park). Hence, the following section provides an overview of key statistics for this area that may be relevant for consideration in developing the Master Plan.

Source: The following extracts have been taken from on 29.5.09.

3.1.1Population

The population of the City has grown from 173,000 in 1991 to nearly 194,000 in 2006, with much of this growth between 1996 and 2006. Recent growth has been centred in the fringe urban areas of Grovedale, Highton, St Albans Park, Wandana Heights and Waurn Ponds and the outlying areas of Lara, Leopold and Ocean Grove.

Bell Park has also experienced population growth from 2001 to 2006, increasing from 4,245 to 4,606 respectively, an increase of 361 people. It is anticipated that the population of the area will continue to grow associated with the emergence of new housing supply and increasing residential densities.

The population of the broader catchment, potentially as far north as Lara, is also expected to continue to experience strong population growth.

3.1.1.1Bell Park Profile

Bell Park is an established residential area, with some industrial areas in the east. Bell Park is bounded by Cowies Creek in the north, Thompson Road in the east, the disused Fyansford railway line and Ballarat Road in the south and Anakie Road in the west.

Settlement of the area dates from the mid 1800s. Growth was minimal until the post-war years. Significant development occurred from the 1950s. The population declined slightly during the 1990s, and then increased slightly between 2001 and 2006, a result of new dwellings being added to the area.

Age Profile:

The major differences between the age structure of Bell Park and the City of Greater Geelong were:

a)A larger percentage of 70 to 84 year olds (13.3% compared to 9.6%);

b)A larger percentage of 25 to 34 year olds (14.0% compared to 12.3%);

c)A smaller percentage of 35 to 49 year olds (18.9% compared to 21.1%), and;

d)A smaller percentage of 5 to 11 year olds (7.6% compared to 9.2%).

The largest changes in age structure in this area between 2001 and 2006 were in the age groups:

70 to 84 (+149 persons), and
25 to 34 (+74 persons).

Country of Birth:

The major differences between the countries of birth of the population in Bell Park and the City of Greater Geelong were:

a)A larger percentage of people born in Croatia (9.8% compared to 0.8%);

b)A larger percentage of people born in Former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (3.1% compared to 0.6%);

c)A larger percentage of people born in Italy (3.3% compared to 1.0%), and

d)A smaller percentage of people born in United Kingdom (1.9% compared to 5.1%).

Individual and Household Income:

Analysis of individual income levels in Bell Park in 2006 compared to the City of Greater Geelong shows that there was a smaller proportion of persons earning a high income (those earning $1,000 per week or more) but a larger proportion of low income persons (those earning less than $400 per week).

Overall, 8.5% of the population earned a high income, and 52.9% earned a low income, compared with 14.6% and 45.7% respectively for the City of Greater Geelong.

Analysis of household income levels in Bell Park in 2006 compared to the City of Greater Geelong shows that there was a smaller proportion of high income households (those earning $1,700 per week or more) but a larger proportion of low income households (those earning less than $500 per week).

Overall, 9.9% of the households earned a high income, and 30.1% were low income households, compared with 16.7% and 23.0% respectively for the City of Greater Geelong.

3.1.2Implications for the Master Plan

a)Modest population growth is set to continue in Bell Park, along with growth in surrounding suburbs, particularly to the north. This is likely to increase pressure for access to the limited available public open space in the area, hence the role of Hume Reserve in catering for formal sport (i.e. soccer) and informal recreation will become increasingly important. The Master Plan will need to consider opportunities to improve facilities, infrastructure and the appeal of the reserve to cater for the anticipated increasing levels of demand.

b)Bell Park is characterised by an older, established population, however there is also a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 years compared to the City as a whole. The emerging younger age profile possibly reflects recent new housing establishments which may be attractive to young couples. Although the current proportion of people aged 5-11 years is lower than the City average, this may change over time associated with the introduction of young couples/families. Hence it will be important for the Master Plan to cater for a range of activities that are attractive to older and younger populations, including childrens play and informal recreation. (The older population profile often play an important role in caring for grand-children and therefore require access to appropriate facilities).

c)The population of Bell Park is characterised by a high proportion of residents born overseas, particularly Croatia, Yugoslavia and Italy. The reserve is already extremely popular for Bocce and soccer and it is anticipated that this will continue. The Master Plan will therefore need to enhance facilities and infrastructure that cater for these activities where possible.

d)There is high proportion of low income earners/households in Bell Park. The Master Plan will therefore need to provide opportunities for no-cost informal recreation opportunities.