Sports and Leisure Vision and Policy

OUR VISION:

Active and healthy communities

Our communities will be active with sports and leisure activities accessible to all. Council will support the development of facilities such as sports grounds, parks, campgrounds and bikeways that meet the needs and interests of the entire community.

CORE POLICY PLATFORMS

1. INCREASING ACTIVE PARTICIPATION:
   A Cairns 1st Council will encourage active participation of residents and visitors in a diverse range of sports and leisure activities to promote and create healthy and cohesive communities. We will promote the development of physical environments that encourage a physically active lifestyle for residents of all ages.
   
   
2. PLANNING, PROVIDING AND WORKING TOGETHER:
   A Cairns 1st Council will plan carefully and inclusively with other agencies and groups to maintain and upgrade existing facilities and provide new programs, resources, services and activities that are used effectively meet community needs.

INCREASING ACTIVE PARTICIPATION

Economic benefits
Sports tourism has the potential to make a greater contribution to the regional economy and we will:

• assist in the promotion, joint marketing and hosting of state, national and international sporting events.
  

Social benefits
Cairns 1st will seize opportunities to build social cohesion in our community through leisure and sports activities recognizing that people are less likely to engage in anti-social activities if they are active. We will:

• increase the availability of free and low cost exercise classes
• strengthen links with non-government agencies that are working with disadvantaged groups in the community.

Youth participation
Currently, youth recreational needs are not being adequately met. Cairns 1st will provide increased recreational outlets and facilities for Cairns youth (such as basketball hoops, outdoor gym equipment, skating places, beach volleyball) to encourage young people to keep fit, healthy and occupied. We will:

• partner with Cairns Basketball to build a new multi-purpose facility at Edmonton and support their on-going initiatives to engage with “at risk” young people
  
• explore further partnerships to develop multi-sports facilities in Gordonvale, at Smithfield and at Aumuller St in Cairns
  
• move quickly to prioritise and implement the new sports and recreation needs study for Edmonton and the existing master plans for Smithfield and Gordonvale and ensure that priorities from the former Douglas Shire are not overlooked
  
• immediately revisit the Endeavour Park plan to ensure that the needs of junior soccer are given a priority and that valuable shade trees are not lost
• accommodate the recreation needs of youth in the development of new facilities
  
• recognize the increased youth population in the southern corridor of Cairns and support a variety of activities and venues in places such as Fretwell Park
  
• consider any gaps in program delivery in the former Cairns City and Douglas Shire
  
• seek partnerships with businesses to provide youth programs.

Special needs and accessibility
We will be proactive in increasing the participation of groups that need speassistance, such as older people, people with disabilities and people withoemployment. We will:

• enhance access to activities on the Cairns Esplanade.

Encouraging emerging sports and adventure sports
The climate and unique physical attributes of the region provide opportunities for new and innovative activities and extreme sports such as downhill mountain bike riding, kite surfing and eco-challenges. We will:

• support the promotion of the Cairns region as a venue for extreme sports competitions.

Public education
We value public awareness and education and we will:

• provide submission writing workshops to assist sporting and leisure organisations to apply for funds
• implement education programs for community groups such as risk management, club administration and valuing volunteers.

PLANNING, PROVIDING AND WORKING TOGETHER

Only 54% of people surveyed for the 2007 Cairns Liveability Report were happy with the Cairns City Council’s sports facilities and there is a critical need for better planning, particularly in the high growth areas.
We will immediately move to implement over the next 4 years the recommendations of: the Smithfield Sporting Precinct Master Plan, the Edmonton Sport and Recreation Facility Needs Study, the Alley Park Master Plan for Gordonvale and the Endeavour Park Sporting Precinct Master Plan.

Planning

A Cairns 1st Council will adopt a proactive approach recognizing:

• the need for long-term planning and a vision for sports and leisure in the Cairns region, the needs of junior sports as well as the elite sports
  
• the need to decentralize as the region grows and provide extra resources, land and facilities in areas of high density development.
  
• the different needs of an ageing population
  
• the need to implement a Cairns and Douglas Bicycle Strategy and create safer on-road bike lanes and off-road bike paths throughout regional towns
  
• the need for a play space strategy that ensures that public play spaces for all ages and families are available and accessible.

We will:

• meet with sports and recreation stakeholders to immediately address delays in implementing priority needs
• support the Port Douglas Waterfront planning process and recognise that there will be recommendations around recreational opportunities to which the Council will need to commit
• identify any gaps in planning and the needs of the former Douglas Shire
• re-establish the Sports, Arts, Cultural and Community Services sub-committee as a communication pathway between the community and Council.

Working together: whole of Government approach

We will:

• forge strong links and collaborate with state government agencies such as the Department of Education and the Arts, Queensland Health and Sport and Recreation Queensland to ensure the best use of school facilities, ovals, swimming pools and community halls
• lobby the state and federal government around partnering and implementing priorities from existing plans, particularly in relation to capital expenditure requirements
• work with the Mossman Gorge Community on the appropriate use of the gorge for recreational activities.

Working together: collaboration with and between community groups

Some sports and leisure groups need support in managing and developing their clubs and activities. We will offer assistance to promote self-sufficiency and:

• ensure a dedicated council officer is available to provide support and professional advice to groups to obtain external funding for new activities, facilities and equipment
• facilitate greater cooperation between groups to share strategies, resources and knowledge
• provide assistance for groups that need to become more viable
• develop a pricing policy that will provide clear guidelines for the use of public and community facilities
• encourage multiple uses of facilities and discourage duplication.

Providing land and resources

The recreation needs of a number of community sectors have previously been neglected particularly in the southern corridor area of Cairns. We will:

• assist community sporting and recreation clubs and groups to acquire land for future development
• ensure developers meet their obligations and contribute usable land to open spaces
• work with organizations to acquire land for the motor sports proposal at Edmonton
• work with private landholders to provide access to facilities such as the Pyramid walking track
• undertake a planning study to identify the need for new boat ramps and maintain and expand some of the existing ramps
• ensure that community waterfront facilities such as those provided by the current Cairns Yacht Club are maintained and enhanced; including facilities for visiting yachties.

Facilities

We will:

• review the Feasibility Study of the Revised Barlow Park Master Plan 2003, and plan to provide - over the next decade - a first class rectangular stadium capable of attracting Union, NRL and soccer pre-season games
• identify a “greenfields” location to meet the needs of cricket.

Equity in resource and grant allocation and support

We know that many smaller groups and organisations feel that they miss out and that some larger organisations are advantaged in resource allocation and Council support. We will:

• implement open and transparent grant distribution based on sound planning and open communication processes
• respect the recommendations of community advisory groups regarding sports grants
• allocate community grants to ensure that smaller suburban clubs and groups are supported as well as major groups in the city.

Providing for “unstructured” recreational activities

Cairns 1st acknowledges that our lifestyle is shaped by our beautiful tropical environment and we will work to:

maintain and improve existing walking tracks and develop new ones in the former Douglas Shire, northern beaches and southern areas

• enhance esplanade and foreshore development with shade, seats, picnic tables, playgrounds, toilets, accessible taps etc
• promote community activities in parks
• increase dog exercise areas and provide more pooper-scooper dispenser facilities.

Reviewing and improving

A Cairns 1st Council will promote continuous improvement by reviewing and improving:

• the internal resources of the Community Development section of the new amalgamated Council
• Council-owned swimming pools and indoor facilitiesthe availability of more shaded seating areas in public areas such as Cairns City Place and Muddies Playground.