West Australian Football Commission Facilities Strategic Plan – 2006:

Places to Play the Game/Grow the Game Stage 1 – Scoping Report

Related topics: facility,plan,strategic

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The provision of the necessary supporting infrastructure to all Australian Rules Football clubs within Western Australia across all levels of competition is a priority for the Western Australian Football Commission (WAFC). Similarly, the Department of Sport and Recreation (DSR) and local governments, who receive a large number of funding requests each year from football clubs to improve current infrastructure, have a major role in determining funding priorities.

Currently, there are no facility classification guidelines from which to assess the merits of individual club requests for infrastructure funding. Consequently, both DSR and local governments have no objective criteria when they have to decide whether or not, and to what level, they support a club application for DSR Community Sporting & Recreation Facilities Funds (CSRFF).

One of the aims of this study, undertaken by Syme Marmion & Co for the WAFC and DSR, is to develop a classification system within a football hierarchy based on the sustainability of individual clubs that will serve as a basis to plan for future infrastructure provision and upgrades. This will ensure those clubs that currently have facilities below the agreed classification system will be given priority for upgrade expenditure over clubs that already meet the standards.

The development of a football club hierarchical classification will be linked to current demographic profiles from which an ideal demographic profile will be determined and hence allowing the development of a strategic plan for the provision of future club facilities for five years and 10 years.

There are some 474 Australian Rules football clubs in Western Australia with over 63,000 players throughout the state. Western Australia has a high population growth rate with some areas growing faster than any other areas in Australia. Hence there are some districts in Western Australia that will have naturally occurring demand for more football facilities even if participation rates remain constant. In order to address this planned increase, the WAFC needs to ascertain the standard and capacity of existing club, regional and district infrastructure, determine where the planned increase will occur and then ensure changes to existing infrastructure are made to accommodate the planned increase. This study, which will effectively be a Football Facilities Strategic Plan for the WAFC, will address these future infrastructure needs.