NSW/ACT Awards Submissions

Clarence Valley Council

The Corcoran Park dog park project included the remediation of a former landfill site and the transformation into a premier community space. The park overlooks the Clarence River and includes an active and quiet dog areas which have an agility course, podium, a huge digging pit, connection pathways throughout, a dry riverbed with logs, rocks and native grass species and a huge area to run. Inside the fence, this premier park is so much more - it's a meeting place. People and pooches of all ages, stages, abilities and sizes are meeting at the park, forming friendships and connections.

Port Macquarie Hastings Council

Landrigan Park and Andrews Park, vital recreational hubs in Wauchope, require a master plan for sustainable development, considering community needs and environmental concerns. The plan, informed by a co-design workshop, prioritises enhancements like netball/multi-use hard courts, a footbridge connecting the parks, play space, and improved signage and amenities to enhance accessibility and community engagement.

Port Macquarie Hastings Council

Following a request from the North Side Progress Association for a new play area in 2021, PMHC (Port Macquarie Hastings Council) developed a draft concept design for a play space in March 2022 at Riverside Park on the North Shore. The play elements included in the design have been delivered in full, with a core focus on providing play for all ages and abilities. The upgrades, which include nature play elements, picnic shelter, connecting paths, landscaping and informal parking were all made possible courtesy of $140,000 Stronger Country Communities Fund in support from the NSW Government.

Port Macquarie Hastings Council

The Westport Park Water Play proposes an expansion to the existing Livvi’s Place playground at Westport Park. Livvi’s Place is an inclusive, fully fenced play space located on the foreshore along Park Street, Port Macquarie. The expansion includes a water play area, new play experiences, shade, picnic shelter, connecting paths, and landscaping. The design was developed with consideration of previous community feedback on our playgrounds with water play being greatly desired by our community.

Northern Beaches Council

Exemplifies Councils vision integrating the built environment with nature, design our community around nature, retaining and enhancing our tree canopy, promoting greener communities and healthy lifestyles, connect our community through green and blue networks to promote active travel and healthy lifestyles. Ensure that development integrates and supports the surrounding natural environment. fostering innovation, embracing change, staying ahead of the curve in the everchanging government landscape and changing dynamics, providing a culture of continuous improvement, and strategic thinking.

SPORTENG

Barton Park stands as a groundbreaking project redefining community recreation. With state-of-the-art turf fields, multi-use courts, and inclusive amenities, it's more than just a sports facility—it's a hub for social interaction and well-being. From hosting elite competitions to fostering family fun, Barton Park enriches lives and revitalises communities, setting a new standard for sustainable, inclusive recreation.

MidCoast Council

The development of the MidCoast Parks and Recreation Planning Portfolio sets an industry benchmark for the management of public open space in Australia. We sought to identify the key planning components for our 826 parks and reserves, and having done that set about developing strategies for those key components. Managing open space, sport, recreation, play, skate, and the lighting of our sports facilities was acknowledged as being key to delivering outcomes for our community. The MidCoast Parks and Recreation Planning Portfolio presents to the parks industry a different way of doing planning.

Bayside Council

Jeavons Landscape Architects

Sir Joseph Banks Park playspace aligns with Council’s vision for community focused and dynamic places. A design guided by the community, it is inclusive for all to enjoy. Play stimulates adventure in both active and quiet settings. The unique landform promotes discovery, offering climbing, agility, and sliding play and an exploration trail to a vantage point feature. Sculptures illustrate local nature whilst the play tower design is based on the local Hercules Club Whelk, celebrating the park’s rich history. Picnic and rest options, shade and shelter support day long enjoyment.

Outdoors NSW & ACT and Members

The AOK program clearly had a significant impact on young people. Participants displayed increased motivation for active recreation following participation. Once engaged in active recreation, they are more likely to be motivated to continue participating. Overall, the AOK program experience fostered personal growth in participants. In addition provided a boost for businesses in NSW to showcase their offerings to their local community, with the aim of continuing participation. We identified barriers to ongoing participation but resilience was was a key attribute developed by participants.

Fiona Robbé Landscape Architects

From the escarpment of the Merrigong mountains (the Illawarra Escarpment) to the sea, Yirran muru (many pathways) Playspace is a collaboration of Dharawal knowledge celebrating 65,000 years of Dharawal connection to Country, Dreaming stories, travel routes, and language. The playspace builds on extensive consultation and provides a complex and layered map of the area, comprising inclusive physical, social, and sensory play challenges along with discovery based learning opportunities. The immersive journey of discovery at Yirran muru Aboriginal Interpretive Playspace is the first of its kind.

Otium Planning Group

Allambi Care is planning for an innovate adaptation of existing industrial buildings in Lake Macquarie into an iconic, accessible and activated sport and recreation destination. The Rushfields Lifestyle Sport Precinct will provide a 3 hectare, year-round activated facility, that provides Olympic discipline skateboarding, a dedicated scooter park, rollers sports, indoor rock climbing, a surfing wave pool, a multipurpose court, obstacle course, mountain biking, BMX, skatecross, accommodation, food and beverage, administration and green space.

Inner West Council

In 2018 Inner West Council commenced development of a master plan for a brand-new parkland in located in Holden Street Ashfield. Consisting of approximately 3,600m² the parkland is bordered to the south by the Ashfield Baptist Homes. Through careful site specific master planning the vision for a dementia friendly parkland was developed and nurtured with the community. Dementia friendly parks are about “gentle inclusion” and the provision of facilities which are designed with the whole community in mind, they are in the real sense intergenerational.

Tweed Shire Council

The Uki Mountain Bike Park is a must do experience in the Northern NSW region, created by Tweed Shire Council and the Tweed Valley Mountain Bike Riders. The Bike Park is FREE to use and accessible by all ages and abilities. The Park includes 8 mountain bike trails with beginner, medium and difficult levels as well as a pump track specifically designed for kids. With the breathtaking backdrop of Mount Warning (Wollumbin) National Park and rural setting, it is a significant contributor to regional recreation and leisure facilities in the area.

Ku ring gai Council

Robert Pymble Park’s playspace blends sensitively with the site’s character, referencing its cultural history with a fruit farm theme. The new playspace design services the growing neighbourhood population of children and their families, by facilitating access, encouraging interaction and adding to the overall experience and recreational value of the Park.

Ku ring gai Council

St Ives Village Green is one of Council’s largest and most popular district parks. To protect inherent park values and address increasing demand on recreation facilities, a landscape masterplan was developed in close consultation with the community. The plan identified a need for major park improvements to address issues with access, inclusion, equity, diversity and behaviour. It recommended development of a new multi-generational recreation precinct with inclusive and accessible play, skate and picnic facilities, along with significant amenities, youth centre and community hall upgrades. The

CO.OP Studio

The Heffron Centre completes the revitalisation of Heffron Park, redeveloping a former 1940s gymnastics & indoor sports centres and under-utilized surroundings into a multi-purpose sporting hub & community precinct. It was motivated by a vision to establish a significant elite and community sporting anchor, centred on community inclusiveness and pride. The indoor community sporting facilities capitalize on the elite sports integration with one of the NRL's oldest and most cherished clubs, allowing fans to enjoy visiting & competing in a state-of-the-art facility side by side with their heroes.

Sydney Olympic Park Authority in association with Western Sydney University

Using an innovative approach to urban cooling based on smart technology, SIMPaCT leverages IoT technology, sensors, and data analytics to enhance the efficiency of irrigation systems and optimise water usage. This enables irrigation management based on Machine Learning, digital twinning and scenario modelling. This improves human thermal comfort and a thriving green infrastructure protected from draught impacts. SIMPaCT supercharges maintenance of parks and public spaces. It represents a unique approach that transforms public parks and other green spaces into effective urban cooling assets.

Ku ring gai Council

Orange Green is a local park located next door to Turramurra North Public School. A playground upgrade was earmarked for Orange Green due to it being located adjacent to a primary school and in an area with a high proportion of young children. Council collaborated with design consultants Group GSA, to develop a concept plan that delivered a more accessible and inclusive play space to better serve the local community. Council’s goal was to create a safe, engaging and more inclusive recreational space that a broader range of users could enjoy. The result is an inviting place for meeting, playing

Moir Landscape Architecture

Central to the revitalisation of Crackneck Lookout, is the spectacular panoramic view of the ocean, positioning the site's natural beauty as the focal point. The quiet design of the built form takes a backseat to the site's natural context, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in the intrinsic beauty of the location. The project demonstrated a commitment to inclusivity, ensuring that people of all physical abilities can enjoy the entirety of the precinct.

Moir Landscape Architecture

Moir LA conducted research using thermal imaging to address the impact of heat in school environments. Data-driven design interventions, including shade enhancements and material selection, transformed the playgrounds into cooler, engaging spaces, benefiting student well-being and learning. The approach utilised accessible technology that offers a scalable solution for mitigating heat impacts industry wide.

Peak Water Consulting

Addressing the myriad of challenges facing natural turf sporting fields and green open spaces requires decisions based on sound science and evidence. The Lower Hunter Best Practice Guidelines offer a unique, principles-based reference resource to address these challenges. The guidelines are based on applied research and data from over 250 sporting fields as well as fundamental scientific principles in soils, irrigation and turf management. As such, they pave the way for enhanced decision making and positive outcomes for sport, recreation, urban amenity, sustainability and resilience.

Football NSW

The Daughters and Dads Football Program engages fathers and their primary school-aged daughters in football to enhance social-emotional well-being. Supported by the NSW Football Legacy Program, it challenges gender norms, strengthens familial bonds, and promotes physical activity. Structured over 9 weeks to align with school terms, it fosters values like persistence and resilience. With over 630 participating families since July 2022, it attracts newcomers to football, promoting community engagement. NOTE Information in this submission is not to be distributed outside the purposes of the award

Convic

Jarjumirr Park provides an activated community hub for all members of the community within a natural landscape setting. It is the first skatepark in Australia to incorporate local indigenous dialect within the precinct through consultation with local elders. Arakwal country is a place of meeting for all Bundjalung people, and we hope this space will be a meeting place for all members of the community now and into the future.

Tweed Shire Council

Recreation Ground is the partnership and collaboration of the surrounding community on its doorstep. Through extensive community consultation and future area growth and needs, understanding of the site was formed, allowing a harmonious integration of built play forms. Intergenerational play is found in the hustle of court play, an adult-baby swing and a more natural presence along with the large play equipment camouflaged in the backdrop of shade trees. A pleasant and welcome active environment where everyone belongs.

Blacktown City Council

Nurragingy Reserve is Blacktown City Council’s most iconic park and is beloved by the community. Developing and transforming over time, it has continued to retain its high status through offering diverse recreational opportunities and experiences that caters to all demographics. By showcasing the environment at the forefront in all our work, Council has fostered a strong connection between the community and Nurragingy Reserve.