Program & Speakers (NSW/ACT)

Adelaide Statement – Pledges to Action, Lucilla Marshall

The Adelaide Statement about sustainable spaces, places, people and habitats was auspiced by PLA, World Urban Parks and Green Adelaide at the 2023 International Congress. The Statement was developed via a collaborative effort prior to the Congress and endorsed at a formal session of the Congress. The Pledges from the Statement are i) Foster Collaboration, ii) Promote Sustainability, iii) Advocate for Equity, iv) Embrace Innovation, v) Champion Health and Well-being, and vi) Community Engagement. More detail about the Statement is available from https://parksleisure.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/CongressStatement-final.pdf . A feature of the Statement is a commitment to draw on the Adelaide Statement to guide and reinforce strategic park and leisure initiatives. This presentation will provide details about the Adelaide Statement and explore how the Statement can be used at an individual, local, state, national and international level.

Building a better relationship between the parks & leisure and university sectors, Lucilla Marshall

Parks and Leisure Australia Advisory delivered a workshop at the 2023 International Congress to explore opportunities to improve the relationships between the parks & leisure and university sectors. The workshop provided a foundation for a project to guide the parks & leisure and university sectors to establish better collaboration. The main initiatives are likely to be learning experiences for students and collaborative research / evaluation projects. This presentation will provide background to the project and share the status of current strategies to improve collaboration.

Campbelltown Billabong Parklands, Ian Andrews and Abbey Davies

Campbelltown Billabong Parklands is situated in the suburb of Bradbury in the Campbelltown City Council LGA. The project site covers an area of approximately four hectares and is a site not seen anywhere else in Western Sydney, or New South Wales for that matter. The Billabong is an iconic gateway into the CBD creating a landmark swimming facility which incorporates a range of recreational water play activities inspired by the natural environment of the Georges river system, its tributaries and O’Hares Creek in the Dharawal National Park. This presentation will discuss the early origins of the project and the meticulous design thinking and planning that was involved to get this project off the ground, touching particularly on the lessons learnt from case studies located in Queensland. This ambitious project posed significant challenges due to its vast scale and complexity, demanding a range of professionals to collaborate across Campbelltown Council as well as the outsourcing of specialist contractors.
Key aspects of the presentation will include a detailed exploration of the masterplan outlining design considerations and the operational intricacies of integrating an aquatic centre into a parkland setting. The presentation delves into the multifaceted project management strategies, encompassing design management, collaboration with internal and external stakeholders and coordination with a diverse array of contractors.
The insights shared during this talk will provide a comprehensive overview of the projects lifecycle and handover. Emphasising on the collaborative efforts and strategic management required to overcome challenges and successfully deliver an incredible project for the community.

Lighting Public Open Spaces, Lisa Murray

Join us in delving into the intersection of functionality, sustainability, and community-centric design in public lighting. “Lighting Public Open Spaces: Meeting the Needs of Communities Sustainably” explores the considerations of space utilisation, emphasising day and night functionality, and prioritising community-centric lighting. Achieve a balance in biodiversity preservation by minimising light pollution and addressing wildlife needs through thoughtful temperature considerations. Utilise smart lighting systems with controls and motion sensors to strategically illuminate areas based on human activity. Advocate for heightened safety standards through quality, consistent, and layered lighting, challenging the misconception that brightness equals safety. Learn how to achieve these element with WE-EF Lighting luminaires and controls.

Place Score – Power to the People, Kylie Legge

Camden Sportsgrounds Future Proofing Strategy, Paul Clarke

As the fastest growing LGA in NSW and arguably Australia, Camden is faced with all the challenges that come from rapid growth including an influx of young families and a lag in infrastructure development.
So how does Camden Council propose to address the shortfall of sportsgrounds in the near future?
Using a decision making process and strategic framework, a Sportsground Future Proofing Strategy has been developed that includes diagnostic tools that use data and evidence to guide future sportsground planning decisions.
The Strategy was developed in consultation with key stakeholders to ensure transparency and to invest in the future so that benefits such as increased community wellbeing by ensuring facilities are inclusive, welcoming, accessible and strategically placed to increase participation.
The strategy provides a decision making process and tools to address a range of issues that must be considered in order to make objective and informed decisions.
Did we get it right? Will it deliver the intended outcomes? We will take you through the process and some key learnings along the way.

Constructing climate change resiliant sporting fields, Dr Mick Battam

Techniques for constructing sporting fields that are resilient to climate extremes will be presented. With this including information on minimised the impact of drought, floods and temperature extremes on sporting field closures. Techniques for minimising irrigation demand will also be presented along with the findings of recent turf research on flood and wear resiliance.

Daughters and Dads Football Legacy Program, Helen Armson

The Daughters and Dads Active and Empowered football program is a unique program for fathers or father figures (step-fathers, grand-fathers, uncles, older brothers or trusted family friend) and their primary school-aged daughters. Developed by the University of Newcastle and tailored to football the program educates and empowers girls alongside their fathers to improve physical activity, football skill proficiency and social and emotional wellbeing.
Presentation would include overview of program, length, format, costs, show a short video on participants feedback, how FNSW came to run the program via Legacy Funding from Office of Sport. Include detail on venues held so far, numbers and future plans on how it can work for football and other sports. (already programs in basketball and cricket). 

The future of the 50m pool: How aquatic centre redevelopment can further engage, connect and revitalise communities, Shane Vardy

There are more than 2,000 publicly accessible aquatic facilities across Australia, 60% of which are government owned and operated.
Changing community demographics, an ageing population and a renewed focus on personal health and wellness is shifting the way communities use, connect and interact with their local aquatic facilities.
Over the next 10 years, more than 40% of this infrastructure will reach the end of its usable life, with a projected replacement cost of $8 billion. Instead of a like for like replacement and the resulting OPEX drain for Councils, there are a number of alternative facility and infrastructure investments that not only satisfy community expectations for aquatic centres but create a publicly accessible and social focal point.
Analysing the latest industry trends from Australia and Europe, we will look at the options to replace the 50m pool; from the co-location of aligned facilities, to the inclusion of therapy and program pools, leisure and aquatic play experiences and fitness and gamified technological advancements. Aligned with each communities’ specific needs, an inclusive and innovative design process can create a multi-use facility that delivers health and wellness outcomes for people of all ages and abilities within a social community hub.
Including real-life case studies from three QLD projects delivered in the last 2 years, we’ll explore the outcomes of these applied trends, the design and delivery sensitivities and investigate the community impact and return on investment; socially, culturally and economically.

Illuminating Indoor Aquatic Centres, Lisa Murray

Embark on an exploration of the challenges and innovative solutions involved in illuminating indoor pools and aquatic centres. Central to this discussion is the issue of veiling reflection, a challenge exacerbated by lighting directly above the pool surface. This phenomenon poses difficulties for lifeguards attempting to see below the water’s depths, impeding their ability to identify potential swimmers in distress. The presentation will cover the most effective way of strategically placing luminaires to mitigate reflections, enhancing visibility and safety. Furthermore, the unique operational conditions of indoor pools—characterised by a consistent humidity level of 50-60% and temperatures soaring to approximately 40°C—introduce a formidable adversary: accelerated corrosion. In such an environment, metal components and electrical elements are susceptible to rapid deterioration. The imperative, therefore, lies in meticulously treating and coating luminaires to withstand the adverse effects of this warm and humid setting. Beyond functionality, the presentation delves into the transformative power of lighting in shaping the ambiance of indoor aquatic venues. It unravels the intricate interplay of factors such as colour temperature, uniformity, peak intensity, and strategic positioning, all contributing to an inviting and visually appealing atmosphere.

Lighting to Play By: Guide to Sports and Recreational Lighting, Trevor Duncan

Sports lighting refers to the illumination systems employed in sports venues such as stadiums, arenas, and recreational fields. The primary objective of sports lighting is to ensure adequate illumination for athletes and officials to carry out their activities, while also providing spectators with optimal visibility of the game or event. This presentation will delve into the crucial role of good lighting in sports, examining key considerations, including light levels, uniformity, maintenance, glare control, and energy efficiency. Furthermore, it will highlight why Signify sports lighting stands out as the ideal choice for illuminating sports fields, creating the perfect atmosphere for players, and enhancing the overall experience for supporters.

Optimising Aquatic and Leisure Centres in Regional and Remote Areas, Brooke Atkins & Michelle Nolland

It is a typical process for Local Government partners to explore different management models to operate their Aquatic and leisure facilities. But what if these management models could be designed in a way to drive better outcomes for our communities? Not just financially, but outcomes that improve the overall health and wellbeing of the LGA. Our panel of experts challenge the thinking around typical contracts of management, tender processes, and management models to see if there is a path forward for more innovative thinking that will drive future change leading to improved overall health and social outcomes of Australian communities.

Redeveloping an Olympic legacy site for the community, Neil Gibson

The redevelopment of the Blacktown Olympic legacy site represents a landmark project in how community facilities are imagined and delivered. The newly completed Blacktown Exercise Sports and Technology hub features a community health centre, sports medicine clinic, teaching, learning and research spaces Australian Catholic University satellite as well as commercial office tenancies. These community facing service providers are complemented by a cafe, strength and rehabilitation facility, aquatic recovery pool, auditorium and 37 room hotel.
Facilities are located in a striking building designed by ARM architecture and delivered by Buildcorp.
The re-development has also provisioned a large scale physical literacy space, outdoor exercise stations, accessible synthetic field, turf field and new shared use pathways connecting the precinct to Rooty Hill train station and the surrounding western Sydney Parklands. This is in addition to new signage, way fining and branding for the precinct.
The project represents a new way of thinking about how community centres are defined and the mix of facilities and services that can coexist and collaborate under one roof.

Strategies to Address Shortfalls in Sports Infrastructure Supply, Jason Leslie & David Sheils

The Northern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (NSROC) incorporates eight Member Councils, including Hornsby, Ku-ring-gai, Ryde, Willoughby, Lane Cove, Mosman, Hunters Hill and North Sydney. In 2021 the NSROC region had a population of 655,000 which is forecast to increase to 730,000 in 2036. This forecast population increase excludes any additional housing recently foreshadowed by the NSW Government.
For some time, NSROC Member Councils have been concerned about the capacity of sports facilities to meet the needs of the growing population. The 2017 Regional Sportsground Management Strategy Review investigated sportsgrounds (playing fields) only. It found a large and increasing deficit between the demand and supply of sportsgrounds in the NSROC region. Since then, the NSROC Member Councils have made improvements to facilities, explored partnership opportunities, enhanced maintenance regimes and adapted policy and guidelines in order to minimise the deficit. Despite these initiatives, the deficit continues to increase.
On this basis, NSROC, with the assistance of Otium, undertook a further review of the supply and demand for sports facilities in the NSROC Region. The expanded scope also included investigations into indoor and outdoor courts, and indoor and outdoor speciality facilities. The report gained significant media attention as it confirmed a worsening of the deficit between supply and demand and articulated the implications of not increasing the supply of the sports infrastructure network or enhancing the capacity of existing facilities.
This session will share the key findings from the study and facilitate an interactive discussion on potential future opportunities to address shortfalls in sports infrastructure supply in environments with growing populations and a shortfall of suitable sports land.

Workshop – Let’s talk about synthetic grass, Jarrod Hill

Before I begin, I am pro-natural turf!
Synthetic grass has been used for the construction of Fields of Play for almost 50 years. We have learnt a lot about the:
– use of the product
– the materials
– usage
– maintenance and
– the environmental concerns.
There have been many debates within the NSW market about the use of synthetic grass for Fields of Play and, at times, have been one sided. Lets have an open conversation about the advantages and disadvantages of the use of synthetic grass. Come loaded with questions and an open mind.

Addressing disadvantage through Recreation: Cringila Hills Recreation Park, James Flinn

Cringila Hills Recreation Park has become one of Wollongong’s premier parks, catering for a variety of age groups, abilities and interests. After extensive planning and engagement with local communities, the previously underutilised and overgrown site is now home to over 11km of mountain bike trails, 3km of walking trails, a district level playground, bike skills park and pump track.
Following extensive community engagement Council adopted a master plan Cringila Hills Recreation area with the intention of creating enhanced recreational opportunities including mountain biking along with expanded play opportunities, walking trails, and complimentary cycling infrastructure including pump track and bike skills park and more contemporary amenities.
The Cringila Hills Recreation Park has become an integral part of the local community, providing a quality, inclusive recreation space where residents can connect and share. The park is a culmination of community ideas, interests and artworks, which has resulted in a space highly reflective of the values shared by the local community. As the Park is located directly next to Cringila Hills Primary School, it has also become a popular and safe place for children to meet and play after school.
All elements of the Cringila Hills Recreation Park officially opened in September 2022. The project has since received strong positive feedback from the local community and demonstrates the value of conducting comprehensive community engagement, to deliver an asset reflective of community needs, interests and values.
Cringila Hills Recreation Park was recently awarded By Parks and Leisure Australia National Park of the Year in 2023 by Parks and Leisure Australia.

The Aotearoa NZ Mara Hupara playground phenomenon, Harko Brown

Harko Brown, in collaboration with several architect firms, has been to the forefront in Aotearoa NZ over the past decade, promoting the play, educational & health benefits of mara hupara (collectives of Traditional Maori playground installations). 

 In this presentation he will give an overview about how each tribe selects their most profound cultural narratives to guide the exciting hupara design process. Mara hupara reflect tribal histories and a tribes unique ‘hupara tuku iho’ (ancestral hupara gifts). 

Each hupara also has several symbiotic games which were developed in ancient times to upskill users physically & mentally to strategically increase the resilience of their communities. This will be a highly interactive cultural presentation with game play & humour throughout. Buckle in and get ready to raise your hands!

Big Kids: Designing a Playground for Adults with a Disability, James Flinn

In early 2019, Wollongong Council was contacted by a local resident about her adult son, Bodhi and his interest in playgrounds. Bodhi is severely intellectually disabled, non-verbal and lives in a group home with three other young men of similar age with autism. Bodhi loves going to playgrounds but his mother stopped going to parks a long time ago out of concern for other families and out of her own distress. In late 2023, Council opened Stuart Park All Ages All Abilities Playground which is Australia’s first playground specifically designed for adults with a disability. Designed in collaboration with The Disability Trust and UoW researchers, this ground breaking project has seen new inclusive play opportunities provided in an environment where all ages and levels of ability can play together safely. The playground has been carefully designed based on research, input from experts in disability, and stakeholder and community engagement. The principles of Everyone Can Play are embedded in the design and consideration has been given to providing a welcoming and comfortable environment. Generous in spirit, the playground offers multiple challenges whereby all users can learn new skills, make friends and build long-term resilience and confidence to tackle the world. The project received significant grant funding from Federal and State government as well as private donors. The ongoing social benefit is a bespoke play space for young adults with different abilities, their families, carers and supporters from all around the region and beyond to enjoy – creating a lasting legacy.

Connected Communities Through Play, Fiona Robbe & Elizabeth Dudley-Bestow

The Future of Nature Play, Lori Modde

Nature Play is changing and the committee that looks at this as its sole focus is willing to bring to the attendees of the PLA Conference their findings and what needs to happen for its to realise its potential.

How Safe is Your Playground? Grant Humphries

Europe has announced that it is introducing a ban on loose microplastic infill in long pile artificial grass and FIFA systems, to come into effect in six years’ time. This decision has rocked the sports surfacing industry and made the playground industry very nervous. There is now a race to replace loose crumb rubber with organic infills to avoid this ban. This raises a number of questions in the minds of playground installers, owners and end users:
• What does this mean for the playground surfacing industry here in Australia? Are the wet pour rubber surfaces we use under playground equipment in Australia safe? If not safe, what alternatives to rubber wet pour are available?
• Are the impact attenuating surfacing systems that we have for playgrounds performing and still cost effective?
• Is rubber wet pour environmentally friendly? If it starts to break down, will microplastics wash into rivers and the ocean? (NB: If we continue to install systems with loose microplastic material that breaks down and washes into the oceans we are destroying the environment and eco systems for future generations. We want to get the message across to decision makers that cheap, untested materials – often imported – and construction methods may be harming our environment for future generations.)
Grant will discuss the types of softfall available that comply with Australian Standards for playgrounds. He will outline the best practice construction methods, as well as test methods and frequency of compliance testing to ensure playgrounds in Australia remain safe for play.

Liverpool Seniors Well-being and Social Group, David Burns

Social isolation (few social contacts) and loneliness (distressing feeling of lack of connection to others) can have significant harms for physical and mental health. The ability to form and maintain social connections has been significantly impacted since 2020 due to lockdown measures that reduced in person socialisation. Seniors are twice as likely to suffer loneliness with up to 1 in 5 Australian seniors reporting they were isolated with increases since the pandemic. To address this, Collective Leisure were engaged by Liverpool City Council to run a seniors program three times a week at their new facility, Lurnea Community Hub. We formed partnerships with South Western Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD), Council of the Ageing, Healthstin, Wonderwood eatery and other delivery partners to deliver a wholistic well-being and physical activity program modelled around SWSLHD’s 5 Ways to Well-being. Sessions included guest speakers, gentle exercise, art, tai chi, yoga, cooking, dance and singing and were followed by free refreshments at the onsite café. Pre-program surveys revealed significant levels of loneliness and isolation including 39.07% of participants reporting that in the past week they felt lonely sometimes, often or always. Co-design, local outreach and continuous incorporation of community feedback into program delivery were key to the program’s success, as was the daily morning tea catch-up. The pilot program was successful with 1222 instances of attendance and 88 individuals registered. Reported loneliness was reduced to 30%. Informal feedback reveals stories beyond data such as friendships formed, improved confidence and happiness.

Mountain Bike Parks in open space, Danielle Pollock

Cringila Hills Recreation Park has become one of Wollongong’s premier parks, catering for a variety of age groups, abilities, and interests. The suburbs of Cringila and Warrawong is considered considered two of Wollongong’s most disadvantaged areas, ranked within the 2nd and 3rd percentiles for SEIFA Index of Disadvantage for Australian suburbs. Prior to the establishment of the Cringila Hills Recreation Park, the local community have had limited access to quality play or recreation spaces. The park now provides a regional level mountain bike park, and inclusive play facility. Due to several site constraints related to site contamination, topography, ecological communities and weed infestation the Cringila Hills was an extremely complex to execute, requiring careful planning. With extensive planning and engagement with the local community, the previously under utilised site is now home to over 11km of dedicated single-track mountain bike trails, over 3km of walking trails, a district level playground, bike skills playground and asphalt pump track. There were various learnings from the delivery of both projects. In particular, the Cringila Hills project was extremely complex to execute, required careful and considered planning of the delivery of each asset, as well as regular consultation with key stakeholders to ensure their needs were met where feasible. Initial investigations at the site commenced in 2013, which quickly led to the identification of land management concerns relating to public safety, illegal dumping, subsurface contamination, extensive weed proliferation, poor illegal vehicle access control and bushfire management. The site was able to be activated through the suitable management of human health risks (engineered capping systems constructed to prevent access to underlying contamination), perimeter controls installed to limit illegal vehicle access, substantial waste and weed removal during construction, including revegetation of the 40.5 hectare site, and ongoing management of asset protection zones to reduce bushfire risks.

Pasifika Moving – co-designed, culturally inclusive physical activity program for Pacific communities in Sydney’s Western Suburbs, David Burns

Western Sydney has nearly 80% of the Pasifika population of Sydney. There are disproportionately poorer physical and mental health outcomes for the Pasifika community. (e.g. Tongan, Samoan, Cook Islanders, Fijian, Maori, Tokelauan, Niuean). With persistent health care inequalities and lack of access to culturally responsive health initiatives. To address these concerns, Collective Leisure have partnered with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Australian Pacific Communities, Multicultural Health Service, Priority Populations, Integrated and Community Health, Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD). With support from Blacktown City Council and Pacific Island Mt Druitt Action Network (PIMDAN). Our goal is to address health inequities among Pasifika communities by co-designing and then delivering a physical activity program that is culturally responsive and meets the needs of the community. The project is funded through UTS Social Impact grants and has received ethics approval.
We co-designed in the form of a Talanoa’s or sharing of ideas, creating a weekly a pilot program for Pasifika mothers. The benefits of physical activity and movement are well known, but for many, being active is not that easy. The goal of Pasifika Moving is to facilitate a community-driven initiative built on cultural understanding, collaboration, and empowerment.