FAQ

The key reasons and drivers that highlight the need for the City of Cockburn to prepare a Community, Sport and Recreation Strategic Facilities Plan are summarised below.

Growing population and new communities

The number of people living in the City of Cockburn has continued to grow at a rapid rate and in the past 5 years alone, 16,000 new residents have come to live here and this growth will continue for the next twenty years. With an estimated 2016 population of 110,314, the City of Cockburn’s population is expected to grow by a further 64,301 people, to 174,615 by 2036.

This increasing population has and will continued to place pressure on the City’s community, sport and recreation facilities and highlights the importance in taking a forward planning/strategic approach in the provision of facilities across the City.

Changing community needs and demands

The profile of the City of Cockburn’s population has and will continue to change and this will have a significant impact on the community facilities likely to be required. The increasing number of ‘Parents and homebuilders’ and ‘Babies and pre-schoolers’ is an example of this and highlights the importance of understanding and planning for changing community facilities needs and priorities.

Increasing demand for community facilities

The rapid growth in the City of Cockburn’s population has also resulted in an increasing demand for community facilities. Both for new facilities in the rapidly growing southern suburbs, coastal suburbs and areas of urban infill and revitalisation and the upgrading of existing community facilities in established communities.

However, it is rarely possible to fund all these requests within Council’s financial resources and if the City is to secure the future community and sporting needs, a strategic and planned approach is required.

Obtaining an overall picture of community facility needs

The City of Cockburn has completed a range of strategies and plans that have community facility implications, including the Sports and Recreation Strategic Plan, Youth Services Strategic Plan, Children Services Plan and an Age Friendly Strategic Plan.

The Community, Sport and Recreation Facilities Strategic Plan will pull these together with the Community Needs Assessment to obtain an overall or integrated picture of the need, level of demand and priorities across all community facilities.

This is essential in determining priorities and the community facilities required to meet current and future needs and how these should be provided in the most equitable, affordable and sustainable way possible.

The Community, Sport and Recreation Strategic Facilities Plan focuses on those community facilities provided or leased from the City of Cockburn:

• Recreation Centres

• Active Sporting Reserves and Clubrooms

• Tennis, Netball and Basketball Courts

• Lawn bowls

• Skate parks

• Community centres, halls, spaces, places

• Libraries 

• Specialises facilities

• Youth Centres

• Men’s Sheds

• Aboriginal Cultural Centre

• Surf Life Saving

• Horse and Pony

• BMX

The Community Needs Assessment will involve the following key tasks.

Reviewing previous studied and plans

Existing studies and plans that have community facilities implications will be reviewed to identify and document the community facility needs and priorities have already been established.

Identifying the trends in community facilities

In recent years, the way community facilities are designed, provided and used has changed significantly and identifying these trends and the implications is a key part of the Community Needs Assessment. 

Engaging the community

Community and stakeholder consultation is a big part of the Community Needs Assessment and this is reflected in the range of opportunities that exist for community, sporting and recreation groups and the broader community to have a say and participate.