Draft Sport and Recreation Strategy

Gannawarra Shire has a diverse range of sport and recreation facilities including informal reserves, sports grounds, aquatic facilities and parks. These recreational reserves and facilities represent the social heart of each town across the Shire, with recognised health and economic benefits flowing to communities. Council has invested significantly into the development of a suite of plans over a number of years. These plans articulate Council’s vision for recreation reserves and facilities that contribute to the lifestyle choices of residents and attract visitors to the region. These existing plans, when viewed collectively, have provided a ‘road map’ for targeted investment and effort. Through the development of this Sport and Recreation Strategy, it has become evident that nature-based and passive recreational opportunities like walking, using a playground or visiting a park are just as important to our communities as structured sports like football and netball. While Council recognises the importance of structured sport to the social fabric of communities, there is a significant focus within this Strategy on passive and nature-based recreation. This focus on passive and nature-based recreation moves recreation outside of the traditional township boundaries and into our magnificent natural environment. Focused investment on improving accessibility to our vast natural environment, along waterways, lakes and bushland is therefore a focus of this Strategy. The Strategy also recognises that all members of our community should have access to the social and health benefits of participating in sport and recreation and improving opportunities for participation is a priority. The purpose of this Sport and Recreation Strategy is to consolidate the strategic direction to better facilitate long-term planning and development of sport and recreation opportunities across the Shire.