Recreation and Aquatic Facility (RAF)

The City is investigating the feasibility and funding opportunities for a recreation and aquatic facility (RAF) for the City of South Perth and surrounding area.

The RAF would include an aquatic centre with a mix of other sporting and leisure services which are still to be determined.

Why a recreation and aquatic facility?

One of the key strategies within the City’s Strategic Community Plan 2017-2027 is to: plan for and promote the development of recreation and aquatic facilities to service community needs.

The current lack of indoor sporting facilities in the City, along with the need to determine the ongoing viability and long term use of George Burnett Leisure Centre (GBLC), Collier Park Golf Course and Richardson Reserve, and the strong community desire for an aquatic centre has led the City to initiate the RAF feasibility project.

The prospect of an aquatic facility within the City has been under consideration for some years, with a number of studies, reports and submissions prepared and received.

Conventional swimming pools require substantial ongoing financial subsidy to meet operational costs. The integration of a number of sporting and recreation facilities into a single integrated venue would provide economies of scale in services provision, capital cost and ongoing operational costs.

Feasibility

The feasibility project will involve engagement with external organisations within and adjacent to the City, including Curtin University, to explore partnership opportunities.

For the project to progress, funding partners need to be identified.

A financial commitment of $20 million from the Coalition Government was secured on 17 April 2019 in the lead up to the 2019 federal elections and additional partnership opportunities will be investigated. A range of key stakeholders will be engaged to determine the level of support to ensure that the RAF will be a financially sustainable consideration both now and into the future.

The potential for this project to proceed will be based on a number of factors including (but not limited to):

The attraction of appropriate levels of funding from Government and the commercial sector
Being able to achieve economies of scale and reduce the requirement to develop duplicate facilities.

The City recognises that to rigorously examine the feasibility of such a facility, a detailed feasibility/business plan needs to be developed. The business plan will be submitted to Council by August 2019.

Site selection

Due to the strong additional funding opportunities it offers, the City has identified Collier Park Golf Course in Como as the preferred site for the RAF. The central and highly accessible location has links to a large population base which is essential for the viability of such a facility. Additionally, using an existing City asset will reduce both the economic and environmental costs.

In reviewing potential locations, existing City assets which could accommodate or integrate with the RAF were considered. Six sites were shortlisted; Collier Reserve, the City of South Perth Recycling Centre, the City of South Perth Recycling Centre and Operations Centre, Collier Park Golf Course (north of the existing club house), George Burnett Leisure Centre and Collier Park Golf Course South East Corner.

Each site was evaluated and assessed based on factors including, but not limited to; available space, funding partnership opportunities, traffic management, accessibility to main roads, public transport and bike lanes/paths. The selected sites were further reduced to Collier Park Golf Course (north of the clubhouse) or George Burnett Leisure Centre, with the Golf Course site preferred due to the funding opportunities available at that site.

How do I find out more?

This page will be updated as more information becomes available.

To be kept up to date on the project and to find out about future opportunities for participation, please register for email updates on Your Say South Perth.

A premier regional recreation and aquatic facility that serves the City of South Perth and Curtin University extending to areas within the Town of Victoria Park and the City of Canning, providing economies of scale in services provision, capital cost and ongoing operational costs.

The RAF will go beyond sport, recreation and aquatics. It will be:

A unique and vibrant social hub where physical activity and lifestyle experiences meet
A place for community, sport and education partnerships
A dynamic destination and meeting place that connects communities
A leading centre for sport education and research
An economically efficient and financially viable multi-purpose facility
A social space for every member of the community, accessible to all abilities and age groups.

Council resolution

At the Ordinary Council Meeting on 30 October, Council resolved to:

Reaffirm its commitment for the planning and promotion of the development of recreation and aquatic facilities to service community needs
Commence formal engagement with Federal and State Governments, adjoining local authorities, tertiary institutions, peak sporting bodies and commercial operators to gauge their interest, support and involvement in a regional scale multi-use leisure and aquatic facility to be located within the City
Advance work on the design concepts and preferred sites to enable preparation of a detailed Business Plan to be submitted to Council by July 2019
Commit to consultation with stakeholder groups and the public on the refinement of the concepts and preferred sites;
Form a Project Reference Group reporting through to the Property Committee to oversee the development of the project.

As part of a holistic review of facilities and services within the City, an assessment of local and surrounding area community needs was undertaken. This work included a reanalysis of the demand for an aquatic centre, in response to community feedback provided over the last several years.

A review undertaken in 2015 indicated that a conventional swimming pool, whilst publicly supported, would require substantial ongoing financial subsidy to meet operational costs.

George Burnett Leisure Centre (GBLC), the City's only public sports centre, is considered a District Community Centre under the peak industry body Parks and Leisure Australia (PLA) guidelines. These guidelines indicate that based on the City’s population, consideration should be given to:

A multi-functional, sport recreation and community meeting place
A minimum 3 court facility with changing room space, café, offices, reception, gymnasium/fitness component etc.

PLA WA, Sport and Recreation WA and other industry bodies do not support the development of single sport hall facilities due to their lack of viability and poor return on investment.

As outlined in the City’s Strategic Community Plan 2017-2027, the City has committed to the planning for and promoting of recreation and aquatic facilities to service City of South Perth needs.

The City has therefore initiated a feasibility study for a multi-purpose recreation and aquatic facility (RAF) with a view to seeking funding and partnership opportunities.

The City is at the very early stages of exploring the feasibility of the RAF project. Depending on funding and partnership outcomes, the facility could incorporate aquatic facilities, public gymnasium, golf and group exercise space.

Consideration will also be given to other components including multi-purpose courts, education facilities and commercial areas.

This question will be better answered following the development of a full feasibility study and business case.

A central and highly accessible location that has links to a large population base is essential for the viability of such a facility and using existing City assets would reduce both the economic and environmental costs.

A number of potential site locations have been identified, within a 5km radius of Curtin University to take advantage of partnership opportunities and potential links with students and education programs. This location provides potential to service a regional catchment across the neighbouring Town of Victoria Park and the City of Canning as well as the University student and staff population.

Twenty-three possible sites were identified and six were shortlisted. The shortlisted sites were identified based on the following criteria:

available building footprint
integration opportunities with existing City owned facilities
funding partner opportunities
good road access
space for parking

Opportunities and constraints of each site are being investigated based on functional requirements, delivery viability, funding, market and value for money.

The website will be updated when more information is available.

Options for the management of the facility would need to be investigated and tested as part of the feasibility study and business case preparation.

There are a number of models in use across the country and include:

Direct Management where the City retains total control and accountability for operations
Indirect Management where the City retains control through a body corporate however, are placed at ‘arms length’.

The City is committed to working in partnership with key stakeholders in the development of this project to ensure that it is a financially sustainable facility.

Yes.

Whilst this project is currently in its infancy and financial sustainability and partnership funding opportunities are the key focus of the feasibility study at this stage, the City is committed to engaging and consulting with the community throughout the process.

Sporting groups and clubs as well as members of the general community will all have their own expectations and considerations that will need to be planned for to ensure the success of this project.

News Listings

June 2019

Recreation and Aquatic Facility update

News Update 14 June 2019

Whilst the RAF project remains in the early stages of planning the City is continuing to work with government and private sector partners to establish the required level of support for the development of the RAF project.

RAF

April 2019

City welcomes Coalition commitment for Recreation and Aquatic Facility

Media Release 17 April 2019

The City has welcomed an election commitment of $20 million from the Coalition Government for a Recreation and Aquatic Facility to be located within the City.

RAF

Community provide feedback on proposed Recreation and Aquatic Facility

News Update 4 April 2019

We recently invited community feedback on the proposed recreation and aquatic facility and asked for your ideas about what features and amenities could be included in the proposed facility.

RAF

February 2019

Share your ideas for our proposed Recreation and Aquatic Facility

Media Release 27 February 2019

Imagine a modern and innovative regional recreation, aquatic and leisure complex right here in the City of South Perth, servicing our community and beyond. The City is inviting you to share your ideas for the proposed Recreation and Aquatic Facility (RAF).

RAF

Recreation and Aquatic Facility site selection

News Update 15 February 2019

As part of the City's investigations into the feasibility and funding opportunities for a Recreation and Aquatic Facility (RAF) for the City of South Perth and surrounding area, a number of potential site locations have been identified.

RAF