Status Assessment

being staged.

Lighting: The capacity to supply power for lighting and other purposes during major or multiple events limits use potential.

Current change amenities are poor: The change area for sports use is sub optimal and requires individual rather than group shower areas.

Drainage issues: Drainage issues exist across the site including:

o Sportsfields - The drainage for the sportsfields is incomplete and requires:

 Herringbone drains on the eastern field  Dish drain to the north of the western field  Fixing the drains under the walkway adjacent to the shed which becomes blocked.

o Drainage around Jackson Street - the drainage, aligned with clay based soil, does not drain, and needs to be cleaned out.

o The main arena - Pony club days cancelled because of wet grounds.

Fee collection is casual or non-existent: This is an important area of cash return requiring attention.

Site usage – There is an opportunity, with the installation of better amenities away from the sports fields:

o to grow the RV business; and o to attract other groups; and o build on recreation for the aging population.

Lack of Volunteers

Status Assessment

As part of the site investigation process it is apparent that the formation of the extension of Myall Street within the Reserve on the south-western boundary may create an issue of liability for Council as Crown Land Manager.

PART B – THE PLAN

8 A VISION FOR THE LAND

Council recognises the significance of the Bulahdelah Showground to the local and regional community and envisages that the role of the Reserve is:

 To provide recreation and sporting facilities in line with current and emerging community needs.

 To provide a diverse range of activity opportunities and landscape settings to encourage healthy lifestyles and maximise opportunities for engagement in physical activity.

 To provide a safe, attractive venue with equitable and convenient access to recreation, sport and open space infrastructure.

 To ensure the spaces and facilities at the Reserve support the ongoing viability of community user groups and have capacity to adapt to changing needs over time.

 To maximise options for sustainability by capitalising on the interests of new potential users and visitors, in particular those from further afield.

 To maintain and improve environmental values where present.

The above visionary statements are developed from a number of sources, including:

 Council’s broad strategic intent in the management of its community land by the year 2030, which is summarised in the following two key directions:

o Embracing and Protecting our Natural Environment: Protecting the Natural Environment while addressing the challenges of population growth.

o Planning the Balance: Providing appropriate services and infrastructure, community facilities and opportunity for residents to continue to enjoy their existing lifestyle balanced with the impact of increases in population, additional development and influx of tourists.

 Further, from a scoping discussion with community Reserve users (conducted as part of this Plan development), three guiding and intrinsic values of this Reserve emerged:

o The Reserve is a significant asset for this community representing its primary sporting facility.

o The Reserve has been developed by and is “owned” by the local community and there is a strong recognition of the benefits in diversity of site use and concentration of activity provides for essential bonding and connectivity often across diverse interest groups.

o The Reserve represents an important opportunity in the economic development of the town being adjacent to the Pacific Highway and within the “three-hour travel window” from Sydney.

This is consistent with Council’s Recreation and Open Space Strategy (ROSS) which acknowledges Bulahdelah Showground as a District Facility. This is principally around its use as a sporting facility. Development of amenities beyond a District Sporting Facility may be required where the Reserve is to be utilised to enhance economic development of the town. This is already the case with the placement of an RV dump site aimed at users well outside the District.