VIC/TAS Resources

We’re proud to have published several resources and continue to develop industry projects and advocacy for our members. We’re always looking for new ways to provide value back to the sector. If you have an idea or any feedback get in contact via our Contact form.

ADVOCACY

Submissions + working groups

The PLA Vic/Tas Region continues to advocate for the industry and we are increasingly being invited to participate, partner and provide feedback to government and academic partners including:

Open Letter: 2022 State Election – advocating for enhanced and continued support of our sector
Access for All Abilities (AAA) program review for Sport and Recreation Victoria
Submission to Parks Victoria Disability Action Plan
Submission to Parks Victoria Land Management Strategy
SRV funding program evaluation meeting
We provide a number of Letters of Support for research grants/projects including recently to Deakin University and La Trobe University
Our Executive Officer acts as a judge for the Disability Sport and Recreation Awards and was a member of Sector Reference Groups for:
- Sport and Recreation Victoria’s Community Sport Workforce Strategy,
- the Australian Sports Commission’s National Sports Participation Plan, and
- DEECA’s National Open Space Function and Hierarchy Classification Framework

Rec+ Research

Recognising a need to deliver a dedicated program that identifies and presents the latest industry research findings directly to the practitioners who are responsible for the planning and delivery of programs, services and infrastructure in our communities the goal of Rec+ Research is to keep industry professionals up to date with the latest evidence-based research findings from sport, recreation, leisure, play, parks and open space sectors to industry.

Useful evidence-based research findings and real-time data are regularly being developed by universities, research companies, equipment manufacturers, councils, state/federal governments, and partner agencies. Rec+ Research aims to collect and collate research data and facilitate the means by which you receive it, to assist you to make more responsive policy and planning decisions and more compelling arguments for necessary resource allocation. Rec+ Research will help you turn ANALYSIS of data into ACTION in an easy to access forum.

Check out our upcoming events for the next session. Examples of previous Rec+ Research sessions include:

Social Impacts of Leisure and Aquatic Facilities – Swinburne University of Technology
Active Healthy Kids Australia: 2022 Report Card – Asia-Pacific Society for Physical Activity, Deakin University, UniSA and UTAS
1,000 Play Streets Community Impact Summary – La Trobe University and Play Australia
Sport Participation Research Project – Victoria University and Federation University
Australian Park Life Project – Australian Urban Design Research Centre and The University of Western Australia
Leisure Planning Process – Victoria University
Informal Sport as a Health and Social Resource – Monash University

RESOURCES

Guidelines for planning, installing and activating outdoor fitness equipment

The Guidelines for Planning, Installing and Activating Outdoor Fitness Equipment are designed to inform the decision-making processes to plan, design, install, maintain and activate outdoor fitness equipment in our communities.

They have been developed to provide information and recommendations to the broader industry, focussing on five key areas:

planning and determining need
design considerations
activation and programming
maintenance
evaluation.

They also provide case studies and examples, and two checklists.

Download

The PLA Vic/Tas Region was successful in securing funding from Sport and Recreation Victoria’s former Sport and Recreation Development Program (2014/15) for the preparation of the Guidelines.

The development of the Guidelines was managed by the PLA Vic/Tas Region Board with the assistance of a project steering committee made up of PLA members. The steering committee was supported by sport and recreation consultants insideEDGE Sport and Leisure Planning.

Open Space Planning and Design Guide

Set within the existing legislative framework, this guide was launched on 26 June 2013 and was developed as a collaboration between PLA Vic/Tas Region, the Open Space Planners Network, the Cities of Melbourne, Hume, Bayside, Banyule, Casey and Ballarat and the Shire of Wellington. Funding was also provided by the Department of Planning and Community Development to support the Guide’s development.

This Open Space Planning and Design Guide advocates on behalf of the industry that:

Open space is vitally important in the development and sustainability of communities;
Sufficient quantity and quality of open space is critical in the planning of communities; and
A no ‘net loss’ policy for the provision of open space is a sound policy position.