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Tennis Facility Review

December 2012

OCM 26 FEBRUARY 2013 APPENDIX 13.4.1A

Index Purpose of Report....................................................................................................................3 Problem Analysis.....................................................................................................................3 Literature Review .....................................................................................................................4 Profile of a Tennis Player ........................................................................................................5 Demographic Analysis ............................................................................................................6 Current Provision.....................................................................................................................7 Facility Audit – City Tennis Facilities...................................................................................10 Tennis Facility Use ................................................................................................................12 Tennis West Perspective.......................................................................................................16 Funding Opportunities ..........................................................................................................17 The Options ............................................................................................................................19

Option 1: Decommission Castle Glen Tennis Courts ........................................................ 20

Option 2: Redevelop the Thornlie Tennis Facility as a District Tennis Centre and co-

locate all of the tennis clubs at this site ............................................................ 20

Option 3: Convert the grass courts Gosnells Tennis Centre to an acrylic surface and

co-locate Brixton Street Tennis Centre at the site ............................................ 24

Option 4: Develop a new tennis facility at Harmony Fields and co-locate multiple clubs

at the site............................................................................................................... 28

Recommended Solution........................................................................................................31 Solution Rating ......................................................................................................................31 Findings ..................................................................................................................................32


Purpose of Report To review the tennis infrastructure within the City of Gosnells in order to determine an optimum level of provision that meets community and sports needs and is an affordable and sustainable level of infrastructure provision by the City. Issue Analysis Business Problem The City of Gosnells had five tennis facilities when this review began. Of the five, three required remedial works, two of which were significant renewal investments by the City. One facility is under review as part of the larger Mills Park Master Plan and will not be supported in its current location. The report reviewed the level of provision that would be considered for Mills Park as part of the overall City provision. The Castle Glen facility was under utilised and in poor condition. As a result, in April 2012 five of the six courts were decommissioned and converted to parklands. The Gosnells Tennis Centre (Memorial Park) has grass courts that are expensive to maintain for the use of a few members of the community for a short period of the year. The sport of tennis is in decline from a competitive sport perspective (Australian Sports Commission). However, social tennis is still in demand. This is not only restricted to the sport of tennis with many participants preferring the ‘fast food sport’ approach of playing socially without a commitment to the overarching competitive structures. Business Opportunity The City of Gosnells has an opportunity to refine the provision of tennis facilities to ensure that there is an even distribution of courts that will meet the social and competitive needs of the community. A complete review of the existing facilities, management, levels of use and condition has been undertaken to ensure the full picture has been considered. Opinions have been sought from Tennis West, Play Maker Sports and a literature review pertaining to tennis provision was completed. A tennis infrastructure plan will be developed that will produce savings in cases of over supply that can be used towards upgrading or building new facilities where appropriate. As part of any future development the report reviewed the funding available for the development of tennis infrastructure.


Literature Review City of Gosnells Leisure Strategy (City of Gosnells 2009) The Leisure Strategy researched leisure trends within the City of Gosnells. The community consultation survey was mailed to 10% of all households per suburb. The average response rate was 15.8%, of which the majority were female aged between 25 to 45 or 45 to 65 and had lived in the City for an average of 16 years. When asked to name facilities that they normally used, tennis facilities were ranked 8th out of 9 facilities listed. Most participants found the tennis courts easy or fairly easy to access. Exercise, Sport and Recreation Survey (SCORS 2001-2009) The Exercise, Recreation and Sport Survey is commissioned by the Standing Committee on Sport and Recreation (SCORS). The survey has been undertaken annually since 2001 and lists activities by State. The analysis includes organised (club) and non organised (casual) participation in sport. Tennis in Western Australia has declined since 2001. Overall the decline is 11,800 participants or 11% since 2001. It is recognised that the Survey is state wide and not specific to the City of Gosnells.

7.2% 7.0%7.3%

5.5%

6.3%6.0%

4.5%

5.5% 5.4%

0.0%

1.0%

2.0%

3.0%

4.0%

5.0%

6.0%

7.0%

8.0%

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Year

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Tennis 2020: Facility development and management framework for Australian tennis (Tennis Australia, 2008) This document was prepared by Tennis Australia as a guiding document for the ‘two key foundations of tennis success’, the development and management of tennis facilities by its member associations, clubs, government and stakeholders. The objective is to have a


planned approach to future tennis facility infrastructure in Australia to guide decision makers in infrastructure provision, become operationally more sustainable and establish a linked pathway for tennis and community development. The report documents recommended infrastructure for varying levels of provision from Regional to Local including courts, facilities and supporting infrastructure, lifecycle costings and funding opportunities provided by Tennis Australia. Tennis West Perth Metropolitan Region Facilities Strategic Plan 2006-2015 (Tennis West, 2006) This document predates the Tennis 2020 (Tennis Australia) document and is to be reviewed in the near future. The new document is expected to align with the national document but will be specific to the Western Australian situation and may not reflect the same catchment areas, court surface expectations and court number requirements. There are 20 recommendations in the report of which three pertain to local government. Two are very similar and aim to ensure that any lease or licence for a tennis facility includes public access (Recommendations 4 and 10) and that local government seeks advice from Tennis West before decommissioning a venue (Recommendation 11). The report analysed Tennis West affiliated clubs only (Thornlie, Memorial Park and Brixton Street). Castle Glen and The Avenues were not included as no club operates from these venues. None of the local clubs rated well in the Tennis Club facility assessment. However, works have been undertaken on several tennis centres within the City since this 2005 report. South East Regional Recreation Advisory Group: Regional Sport and Recreation Facility Strategy (A Balanced View Leisure Consultancy Services, 2004) The South East Regional Recreation Advisory Group (SERRAG) consists of seven local governments from the south east metropolitan area, the Department of Sport and Recreation and Curtin University who commissioned the Regional Sport and Recreation Facility Study in 2004 with a review commencing in late 2010. Tennis West considered all clubs to be servicing the local suburban needs for the sport and listed its main issue as being the preference for grass courts by ‘ageing club members’ when hard courts would be easier and cheaper to maintain. Recommendation 10 states ‘That future development of a regional tennis facility in the SERRAG region not be supported in the short to medium term’. Profile of a Tennis Player The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) found that the most appealing forms of physical activity are those that are the most flexible, including: walking; aerobics/fitness; swimming; cycling, and running. This is supported in the Canning Vale Southern River Facility Plan, where 500 homes were researched for their leisure pursuits, where it was found the most popular activities were walking/dog walking, cycling, golf and swimming. In relation to tennis the report found that casual tennis was more appealing (63.2%) to participants than the more structured Club activities (48.5%). The data indicated that parents with young children are less likely to participate in tennis than young singles couples, parents with high-school children, or couples with no children. It needs to be noted that children under the age of 15 are a significant factor in any sport, particularly at the Club level, and have not been taken into account in the above data.


The Australian Sports Commission concluded that the average tennis player is female, Australian, 35 years and over, employed full-time as a ‘professional’ and possesses a tertiary qualification. Tennis West research found the motivations to play tennis included easy access to a tennis facility; physical activity; weather considerations; time involved; level of skill required and the cost. Tennis West has moved towards Tennis Centres that cater for all levels of tennis with a focus on pay to play rather than Club membership to capture a broader cross section of the marketplace. Demographic Analysis As discussed in the ‘Profile of a tennis player’ above, the people most likely to participate in tennis are young singles/couples, parents with high-school children, or couples with no children. Moreover, people that are born in Australia, work full-time as a ‘professional’ and possess a Bachelor Degree or Diploma are also more likely to participate. Therefore, the suburbs currently experiencing the lifecycles of young singles/couples, and mature families, are most likely to participate in tennis. If we consider the average tennis player as that described above, the City’s concentration of that demographic in 2011 can be shown as

Couples without children

Tertiary Qualifications Median Age

Area Number Number Years

City Of Gosnells 9,550 34,871 33

Thornlie 2,287 8,122 36

Gosnells 1,838 5,466 35

Canning Vale 1,559 7,342 31

Maddington 918 2,709 34

Huntingdale 749 2,838 31

Beckenham 667 2,117 34

Southern River 479 2,266 32

Langford 423 1,811 32

Kenwick 416 1,566 32

Martin - Orange Grove 204 638 45

It is recognised that the above data is not a complete match to the criteria established by Tennis Australia. However, it is the closest that the current systems can provide. The top three suburbs are Thornlie, Gosnells and Canning Vale and then there is a significant drop to the suburbs of Maddington, Huntingdale and Beckenham and then again to Southern River, Langford and Kenwick and finally to Martin and Orange Grove.


7

It is interesting to note that the City's busiest tennis facilities are based in Thornlie and Canning Vale. Current Provision The City of Gosnells has five tennis facilities. Three of these are operated by tennis clubs that are obligated to share use with the general public as per their tenancy agreements. The other two are managed by Remote Booking Agents on commission from the City. In total there are 30 tennis courts provided by the City of Gosnells. Of the 30 courts, 25 are hard courts and five are grass courts. Floodlighting is provided for 21 of the courts. Additionally there are another 50 tennis courts established at local schools as per the table on the next page. The schools who hire their courts to the public are noted and their hire fees listed. The public access is noted to gain a perspective of court availability across the City. It is recognised that the schools tennis facility management is beyond the scope of this report in particular relation to court condition, maintenance and fee setting.


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75


Facility Audit – City Tennis Facilities Hard Courts In 2009, the City commissioned an audit of 30 hard court surfaces by Playmaker Sports. The findings showed six were in excellent condition, five in good condition, 9 were in fair condition and 10 were in poor condition.

The six in excellent condition are all at the Thornlie Tennis Centre. The facility is on Thornlie Avenue, between the Thornlie Bowling Club and Thornlie Reserve. The facility has two sets of courts – six to the rear of the facility and three at the front. The front three are used for competitions and pennant tennis by the Club. The six rear courts were resurfaced in 2009 under a funding partnership between the Thornlie Tennis Club, Tennis Australia and the City. The front three courts were resurfaced in December 2010 and are now also considered to be in excellent condition. The fencing is in excellent condition as is the furniture. The report recommends upgrading the floodlighting on the three front courts for match play.

The Avenues tennis facility is in Lexington Avenue, Canning Vale. The facility is surrounded by parklands and has a car park to one side. It has two floodlit courts, both of which are considered to be in good condition although there is some wear and tear and remedial works will be required in the near future. Whilst worn, the courts were considered to be the second best condition behind the resurfaced courts at Thornlie. The fencing is adequate but would improve with the installation of a base rail.

Gosnells Tennis Centre is situated at Mills Road West, Gosnells near the RSL Hall. The site has five grass courts (top dressed in yellow) and four hard courts. The hard courts were in poor condition with minor structural damage and the surface needed to be replaced on all courts. These works were undertaken in September 2010 including replacement of the fencing. The grass courts will be addressed later in the report as they have specific concerns to be analysed in relation to watering and high cost of maintenance.


The nine courts at Mills Park Tennis Centre, Brixton Street, Beckenham are all considered to be in poor condition with major structural damage and resurfacing required. The courts appear to have been patched with various products over a number of years. Some of these products have been more successful than others and there are varying degrees of deterioration. The condition is exacerbated by the high water table in the area where the courts are located. The fencing is adequate and will require minor remedial works. The floodlighting is substandard for match play and should only be used for casual matches. The report suggests reducing the number of courts to three or six.

The Castle Glen Tennis Centre is situated in Discovery Drive, Thornlie. There were six courts in total and all were in need of significant works. Structural work was required predominately due to tree roots, drainage issues and a lack of use. The remedial works would have required the removal of the damaged area, removing tree roots and placing root barriers, installation of a new sub structure, repairs to surface cracks and resurfacing all six courts. The fencing was in adequate condition. There was no floodlighting. A draft of this Report recommended closing the courts due to their condition. In April 2012 five of the six courts were decommissioned and converted to parklands. A single court was retained for use by the public and users of the Castle Glen Pavilion (currently exclusively used by City of Gosnells Youth Services).

Capital Works Recommended in Draft Report The draft Report included estimates for all of the tennis facilities in order to bring them up to expected standards for the court surfaces. Note these estimates do not include fencing, floodlighting or furniture. The 2010/2011 capital works budget covered these upgrades as shown. Facility Quote Budget 2010/2011

Thornlie Tennis Facility $ 15,000 $16,500

The Avenues $ 10,000 Nil

Memorial Park $ 11,410 $12,000

Mills Park Tennis Facility $170,000 Nil

Castle Glen $120,000 $106,000

Please note:

• Gosnells Tennis Centre hard courts have since been resurfaced.

• Thornlie Tennis Centre was resurfaced in December 2010.


• The decommissioning of Castle Glen was completed using funds available in the 2011/2012 budget.

• Mills Park is subject to the findings of this report and does not have any capital works budgeted.

Grass Courts There are five grass courts within the City, all situated at Gosnells Tennis Centre. The condition of the courts is hampered by water constraints. The centre is watered by scheme water and this is a very costly exercise with the courts requiring water four times per week in summer to maintain them to the expected standards. Water restrictions do not apply to lawn tennis facilities. The estimated 2012/2013 water costs are $7,500. Overall the maintenance costs for this centre is $25,000 per annum higher than any other tennis facility. The predominant costs are associated with the grass courts which have limited annual use (summer competition only). It is believed that this may be the only tennis club in the metropolitan area that does not maintain its grass courts to some level. The Club has stated it does not have the resources (equipment or financial) to place the grass courts under lease with full responsibility for maintenance transferred to them. Ongoing discussions with the club about the establishment of a lease were carried out. It was agreed the club would be given an opportunity to increase its membership and make it more viable to retain the courts with greater demonstrated usage. The timeline to achieve this was negotiated for 30 June 2013. Subsequent to this the club expressed their disappointment with the condition of the grass courts and requested their booking of the grass courts be cancelled. The City engaged an external sports turf specialist to carry out an independent assessment of the playing surface. The report recommended that should a high quality surface be required, a complete replacement of the entire turf surface would need to occur. This would require the closure of the courts for a period of three months and cost approximately $70,000. Considering the cost of replacement, lack of available external funding and low usage of the grass courts by the club this option will not be recommended. The club responded by confirming the cancellation of their booking of the grass courts as they no longer required them. Tennis Facility Use Brixton Street Tennis Centre Site Mills Park, Brixton Street, Beckenham. Management Brixton Street Tennis Centre Inc, Lease expiry 2012 Membership 40 juniors (club members), 50 social, 15 Intework (special needs group)

plus casual coaching.

Programs Junior Coaching, Junior Pennants, Social Tennis and public use Total Hours per week 39.5 hours – average of 4.4 hours per court per week Fees Juniors $120 per annum plus coaching and court hire

Social Groups $250 per club per annum Golden Oldies Club


$500 per annum Gen Y Club Public hire $6 per hour

Club Comments The Club is very concerned about its future and the possibility of short notice should they be required to relocate. The Club does not deny it is an elite development centre but does not turn away any person who wishes to have a go at tennis. The Club representative stated that 70% of the membership is from the local area (undefined catchment as centre borders Canning and Gosnells). Concerns were raised about the condition of the courts and lack of maintenance pending the development of the Master Plan. City Comments The site is subject to the Mills Park Master Plan. The current concept plan for Mills Park has four public courts that are not located near the new central facility. It is highly unlikely that the courts would be under a tenancy agreement to an external agency. Brixton Street Tennis Centre is operated as a commercial venture, rather than as a community tennis club. The question has been raised whether the City would wish to continue supporting a commercial venture on a public reserve. Gosnells Memorial Park Tennis Club Site Gosnells Tennis Facility, Mills Road West, Gosnells. Management In negotiation Membership 40 Programs Adult Social Tennis, Ladies / Mixed / Junior Pennants, Juniors Total Hours per week 18 hours per week – average 2 hours per week per court Fees Seniors $160 per annum

Juniors $45 per annum Social $117 per annum

Club Comments The club feels its growth is hampered by its facility and a lack of amenity at the site. They are trying to encourage more social tennis but feel the lack of supporting items such as a playground makes this difficult. The condition of the grass courts has been raised as an issue that impacts on the club's ability to increase its membership base. City Comments The Club is in negotiation for a lease over the site. The most contentious area has been determining a contribution to the cost of maintaining the grass courts. The club has also raised issues about fencing, lack of gardens and playground. The negotiation has been ongoing for quite some time with the City’s Club Development Officer offering assistance to develop business plans. The Club has enjoyed many years of free use of the pavilion and has contributed to court hire with an annual fee. The hard courts are hired to the public by the Club with all income retained by the Club. It appears they do not charge their members or coaches to use the hard courts.


Thornlie Tennis Club Site Thornlie Tennis Facility, Thornlie Avenue, Thornlie. Management Thornlie Tennis Club Inc, Tenancy Agreement expires 2015 Membership 120 Programs Adult Social Tennis, Ladies Pennants, Junior Club, Junior Pennants,

Coaching and public use.

Total Hours per week 42 hours per week - average 4.6 hours per court per week Fees Seniors $125 per annum

Juniors $65 per annum Social $250 per annum

Club Comments The club feels its growth is hampered by its facility’s capacity of 50 persons. The Club has successfully lobbied for repairs to the front three courts which are their competition courts. The floodlighting has not been discussed to date. City Comments The Club is strong, well managed and has instigated many of the upgrades to the site seeking external funding to achieve their aims. The resurfacing upgrades to the front three courts make the centre the best for court coverage within the City. Public Courts Site Gosnells Memorial Park, Mills Road West, Gosnells Management Remote Booking Agent – Gosnells Memorial Park Tennis Club

(100% commission / donation)

Annual Use 2011/12 231.75 hours Average weekly use 4.5 hours per week - average 0.5 hours per court per week City Comments Club and professional coach use the courts. The court use by

members is free and unrecorded, as is the coaching in return for developing players for the Club. The average is therefore distorted by the lack of information.

Site The Avenues, Lexington Avenue, Canning Vale Management Remote Booking Agent – P & V Baldwin (33.33% commission) Annual Use 2011/12 962.75 hours Average weekly use 18.5 hours per week – average 9.25 hours per court per week City Comments Well utilised with a combination of coaching and private use


Overall the average use of a tennis court in the City of Gosnells is 4.15 hours per week per court. As The Avenues is by far at an exceptional level, when removed from the equation the average reduces to 2.8 hours per week per court. There is a large investment required for such a low level of use. Financial Considerations – Budget 2012/2013

Brixton Gosnells Thornlie Avenues Income Sundry - electricity etc $1,150 Court Hire $3,000 $14,000 Lease Income $1,847 $1,847 Total $2,997 $3,000 $1,847 $14,000 Expenditure Grounds maintenance $7,399 $30,399 $5,478 $1,000 Facility Maintenance $5,890 $5,000 $3,500 Water $7,500 Management Fees $3,000 $4,666 $13,289 $42,899 $8,978 $5,666 Net cost $10,292 $39,899 $7,131 -$8,334

Summary The following table shows a summary of the above data. The percentage of available hours utilised has been based on each court being available for a set number of hours per day. The floodlit courts being available from 8am to 10pm and unlit courts from 8am to 5pm was used to determine the maximum number of hours available and this figure was compared to the actual hours of use including public hire. The percentage subsidy by Council is the total costs less the total income as a percentage. The City has an expectation of a 90% subsidy for its sports reserves. Three of the tennis centres are compliant with this level and one is not. The capital investment is as per the Play Maker report recommendations for the facilities.

Venue % Available Hours Utilised

% Subsidy by Council

Capital Investment Required

Gosnells Tennis Facility 3.2% 93.0% $12,000 Mills Park Tennis Facility 4.5% 77.4% $170,000 The Avenues Tennis Courts 9.4% Nil $10,000 Thornlie Tennis Facility 6.0% 79.4% $15,000 The Avenues stands out as sound investment with minimal investment required to continue its provision. The Thornlie facility also requires a minimal investment to sustain its use. Mills Park Tennis Centre requires a significant investment to continue with the current level of provision. Mills Park has sound levels of use but is by its own admission an elite development


centre that also caters for social tennis. The coach is keen to see a new tennis centre established at Mills Park but is also happy to consider relocating should adequate facilities be provided. The Mills Park Master Plan does not consider the retention of the existing tennis courts due to condition and location. The current concept plan for Mills Park has four public courts that are not located near the new central facility. While it is highly unlikely any tennis courts developed on the site will be leased to an external agency, if this were to occur it would be managed under a public use rule. Gosnells Memorial Park has high ongoing costs associated with its grass courts. The City had been in negotiations with the club to establish a tenancy agreement for the continued provision of the grass courts. The club has since decided to cancel their booking of grass courts and continue to book the hard courts and pavilion. The City’s staff met with Tennis West to discuss their perception of tennis provision for the City of Gosnells now and into the future. Tennis West Perspective The City met with Vanessa Brown, Facilities Officer and Wayne Firns, Board Member for Tennis West in October 2010 and had a follow up meeting with Vanessa Brown and Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Stanbury in November 2010. Tennis West were pleased to be asked to comment on the delivery of their sport within the City and commended the City of Gosnells for their inclusiveness. Tennis West has a very strong connection to their clubs and will support them to improve the service provision of the sport. The Tennis West Perth Metropolitan Region Facilities Strategic Plan cites a sustainable tennis club as:

‘A sustainable club has the human resources, financial resources and appropriate number of courts and amenities to operate a service viewed as valuable in the community’

Tennis West is moving towards having ‘Tennis Centres’ that have a business structure and a pay to play approach that encourages casual memberships as well as formal ones. In relation to Gosnells and the South East corridor, Tennis West believes that there is a very high provision of grass courts and recognise the inherent problems with retaining grass courts in the current climate. Tennis West is moving towards recommending hard courts over grass in new installations. Ideally they would like to see a sub regional Tennis Centre established in the City that would complement the Centre at Lesmurdie. A sub regional centre would have 12 courts, a tennis pavilion with kiosk and meeting facilities, floodlighting and be managed by a local club appointed facility manager. It was believed that a Centre of this size could possibly accommodate all of the local clubs although it is recognised that this is dependant on their coaching needs and would require support during the establishment of a management body and process. Tennis West believed the expansion of Thornlie Tennis Centre to a 12 court facility was one possible option. Tennis West acknowledged that for many of their clubs grass courts have a traditional attraction and in the current environment are not necessarily the most viable option. They felt that the conversion of the grass courts at Memorial Park to hard courts was a second


possibility. With the increased access to hard courts that are available all year round, there would be an opportunity for co-location of two clubs to this site. Tennis West recognise that either solution would have political ramifications for both Tennis West and the City of Gosnells if any of the clubs were to be co-located and asked that the City involve Tennis West to assist with any amalgamations of the existing clubs. The City was clear about its capacity to deliver facility ideals that have been developed by external agencies with funding obligations transferred to the local government. There is funding available through the national body for the establishment or refurbishment of courts and this has been addressed in the next section of the report. Funding Opportunities Before considering design options it is important to acknowledge any funding constraints or expectations. Following is a summary of the two funding agencies with the most accessible grants for any redevelopments and what will be considered by those agencies. Tennis Australia Tennis Australia has several funding streams for facility upgrades at tennis facilities Australia wide. The facilities must be used by an affiliated Club. Funding includes low interest facility development loans (affiliated club only) and a court rebate scheme for court surface upgrades (local governments and affiliated clubs). Facility Funding In order to be funding compliant Tennis Australia has produced a hierarchy of facilities. For the purposes of this report the Sub Regional, Medium and Local Centres are reviewed as this is the level the City may consider.

Sub Regional Tennis Centres Population catchment of 100,000 within 15kms • Minimum 12 courts capable of hosting intra/inter club tournaments • 75% of courts to be to International Tennis Federation surface standards for acrylic, grass

or clay and ideally a mix of all court surfaces and floodlit to competition standards • Main court to provide spectator seating • High performance training feeder focus • Resource for smaller centres, clubs and associations • Club house with change rooms, café, preferably licensed venue, administration office,

access to on line resources and outdoor shaded areas • Floodlit car park • Semi professional management • Endorsed strategic and or business plan for three years • Compliance with Tennis Australia’s endorsed national operational plan • Website • Willingness to assist other tennis facilities within an agreed area

Medium Tennis Centres Population catchment greater than 50,000 within 15kms • Minimum 8 courts capable of hosting intra/inter club tournaments – Note Tennis West

recommend 10 courts at this level of provision • 75% of courts to be to International Tennis Federation surface standards for acrylic, grass

or clay and ideally a mix of all court surfaces and floodlit to competition standards • Club house with change rooms, café, preferably licensed venue, administration office, and

outdoor shaded areas • Semi professional or volunteer management structure • Endorsed strategic and or business plan for three years


• Compliance with Tennis Australia’s endorsed national operational plan • Website

Local Tennis Centres Population catchment greater than 50,000 within 15kms • Minimum 2 to 4 courts capable of hosting intra club tournaments • 75% of courts to be to International Tennis Federation surface standards for acrylic, grass

or clay and ideally a mix of all court surfaces • 50% to be floodlit to competition standards • Club house with change rooms, café, preferably licensed venue, administration office, on

site car parking close to entrance and outdoor shaded areas • Endorsed strategic and or business plan for three years • Compliance with Tennis Australia’s endorsed national operational plan • Website Court Funding Tennis Australia provides a set amount against each court resurfaced. The hierarchy of surfaces uses the ITF classification system as a framework; the following rebates are available according to surface type:

Type Description Proposed Rebate

Acrylic Textured, pigmented, resin bound coating

Up to $18,000 on Australian Open surface per court. Up to $8,000 on other brands per court

Artificial Clay Synthetic surface with the appearance of clay No rebate

Artificial Grass

Synthetic surface with the appearance of natural grass No rebate

Asphalt Bitumen-bound aggregate No rebate

Carpet Textile or polymeric surface applied in rolls or sheets of finished product No rebate

Clay Unbound mineral aggregate Up to $12,000 per court on evidence of sustainable water supply

Concrete Cement-bound aggregate No rebate

Grass Natural grass grown from seed Up to $6,000 per court on evidence of facility

contained water usage or site with sustainable water supply

Other e.g. modular systems (tiles) etc. No rebate The amount of court rebate provided is based on the size of facility, surface type and number of courts being constructed or resurfaced. The following table provides details of all funding amounts and types available. This report has only considered the acrylic surfaces as it is unlikely the City would invest in grass, asphalt or clay courts.

Base preparation and development

Surface or Resurfacing

Fencing, lighting or court ancillaries

Acrylic - Australian Open Court Surface Plexicushion Prestige (10 coat system )

Regional and Sub Regional Centres Full Rebate value $18,000 per court

Up to $6,400 Up to $9,600 Up to $2,000 court

Medium & Small Centres Full rebate value $16,000 per court

Up to $5,600 Up to $8,400 Up to $2,000

Acrylic - (Pace Categories 3 & 4) ITF surface Code A

Acrylic Plexipave Brand ONLY Up to $2,400 Up to $3,600 Up to $2,000


Regional & Sub-Regional Centre Full rebate value $8,000 per court

Acrylic - all brands including Plexipave Sub Regional, Medium & Small Centre Full rebate value $6,000 per court

Up to $1,600 Up to $2,400 Up to $2,000

This information shows that funding opportunities available for court construction or resurfacing will only cover a portion of the total costs. Community Sport and Recreation Facility Fund (CSRFF) The CSRFF is administered by the Department of Sport and Recreation (DSR) with the aim of providing State government financial assistance for the development of sporting and recreational infrastructure. To be eligible for CSRFF support an applicant must be a local government or an association incorporated in accordance with the Associations Incorporation Act 1987. There are three categories of CSRFF funding: • Small grants - $1.5 million (allocated over two rounds of $750,000) to be spent within

one year of allocation for projects with a total value between $5,000 and $150,000. These grants have shorter time frames for delivery of the projects. The applications must be submitted by the end of August and March each year with announcements made in October and May.

• Annual grants - $3 million to be spent in the following financial year for projects with a total value between $150,001 and $500,000. Applications for projects are submitted at the end of October with announcements in February and funding available the following financial year.

• Forward Planning Grants - $4 million for first year of triennium, $7 million for second year of triennium and $4.5 million for third year of triennium for projects with a total value over $500,001. The maximum grant allocation is $4 million.

The types of projects which will be considered for funding include upgrading existing facilities, modifications of facilities, and the construction of new facilities. The aim of the project should be to increase participation in sport and/or recreation in Western Australia.

The DSR will make a maximum contribution of one-third of the project cost. Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they can fund the balance of the total cost of the project. A total of one-third of the project must be made in cash (from sources other than Department of Sport and Recreation. The Options The following options have been subjected to a Business Case that considered the:

Benefits: Listing the financial and non-financial business benefits to be gained from implementing each alternative solution.

Costs: Detailing the tangible and intangible costs involved in implementing the solution. In addition to the actual cost of the project, the ongoing cost to the City resulting from the delivery of the option.

Feasibility: Rating the overall feasibility of each option by determining whether it is likely to resolve the problem or realise the opportunity.

Risks: A project risk is defined as any event that may adversely affect the ability of the

option to produce the required deliverables. For each option, the most apparent


risks associated with the implementation of the solution are listed. For each risk the mitigating actions required to reduce the likelihood of that risk occurring and the impact on the project should it eventuate.

Issues: An Issue is defined as any event that currently adversely affects the ability of the

solution to produce the required deliverables. Identifying any key issues related to each option and prioritises the issues based on its effect on the option.

Option 1: Decommission Castle Glen Tennis Courts Please note this option was considered beneficial and feasible. It was implemented in April 2012 with funds available in the 2011/12 Capital Works budget. Description The Castle Glen Tennis Facility is situated in a reserve on Discovery Drive, Thornlie. There is a small pavilion and there were six unlit tennis courts. Castle Glen tennis courts had deteriorated to a point where they were dangerous for the community to use. There was a high cost associated with the repair of the surface when the centre only attracted nine hours of hire per week and the Thornlie Tennis Centre is a short distance away. The existing Castle Glen facility was hired by a combination of commercial and community organisations as a meeting space and was not used by the tennis hirers other than for toilet access. The facility is now exclusively used by the City of Gosnells Youth Services for programs and services. The removal of the tennis courts has provided a pleasant outlook to the rear of the pavilion. As this Option has already been implemented it must be noted that one court remains at Castle Glen, unfenced, for the community to access. Maintenance of the remaining court will be factored into the implementation plan to action the recommendations of this Review. Option 2: Redevelop the Thornlie Tennis Facility as a District Tennis Centre and co-locate all of the tennis clubs at this site Description Tennis West suggested the establishment of a sub regional tennis facility within the City of Gosnells. Tennis Australia defines a sub regional facility as ideally having twelve floodlit courts, high performance training feeder focus, club house, change rooms, café, preferably a licensed venue, administration office, access to on line resources and outdoor shaded areas, floodlit car park, semi professional management, endorsed strategic / business plan for three years, compliance with Tennis Australia’s endorsed national operational plan, a website and acts as a resource for smaller centres. Tennis Australia provides a low interest loan opportunity to member clubs to develop the centre. Tennis West have suggested that the ideal facility can be staged or negotiated and with their support, a modified facility may be acceptable if it can be shown to be meeting a regional focus. The development of a new facility with the potential to house multiple clubs with a shared management agreement will be a challenge with the option of co-locating two (Brixton Street and Thornlie) or three clubs (Brixton Street, Memorial Park and Thornlie).


Thornlie has been based on the site for some 50 years and has invested its own funds towards the improvements over the years and it is expected that the Club will have a territorial focus. For Brixton Street, this is an opportunity to achieve the Club's vision of a large centre capable of hosting tournaments but there is an unexpected catch of sharing with one or two other clubs and their coaches. Memorial will have the same number of courts (without a grass court option) and will be expected to share with others after many years of operating in isolation. There is over 1500m2 of land between the two sets of courts at the site that could be utilised to replace the pavilion. Currently there is a small pavilion and a hit up wall in this area. The City of Gosnells Facility Review (2010) identifies the building as being in poor condition with serious shortfalls in its ability to provide suitable facilities for the club. The end of the building's expected lifespan is noted as 2021 at which point:

'It is recommended that the current building be demolished when it reaches the end of its useful life and be replaced with a modern facility capable of accommodating a Tennis Club catering for most of the City's residents.'

There is ample room to expand the car parking along Thornlie Avenue. The remainder of the Reserve houses a small playground and basketball half court that may need to be relocated as part of any redevelopment of the site. The new facility will be designed to cater for the expanded amount of use and will be larger than any tennis facility in existence within the City at this time. It is not expected that the facility will be designed to provide separate accommodation for each of the clubs, although it is recognised that there will need to be adequate space for all of organisations to operate, especially on weekends. Ideally, the centre will follow the Tennis Australia and Tennis West models with a dedicated facility manager appointed by the management group. The Thornlie Tennis Centre has nine courts in excellent condition and the space to expand that provision to twelve courts. Currently six of the courts are floodlit. However, compliance to the current Australian Standards needs to be confirmed. All of the Clubs have their own coaches. Twelve courts will provide adequate space for all to operate. However, this will create a competitive market and may cause some coaches to look to other tennis sites taking their clients with them. Tennis West consider that the coaches could co-locate with careful planning. The benefit of co-locating all three clubs is that the City will have a dedicated tennis facility that is recognised by both the state and national peak bodies of the sport. This alleviates the City’s responsibility for two tennis pavilions (Brixton Street and Memorial Park), nine substandard courts at Mills Park, five grass courts at Memorial Park and all the associated operational costs including maintenance, insurance, floodlighting and fencing. This meets the competitive needs of the sport and can meet the social needs in times when courts are not being utilised by the sporting groups. Additional social tennis opportunities will be encouraged by retaining the hard courts at Memorial Park as they are in sound condition booked through the City’s Facilities Team. The other public use courts would be at The Avenues (two courts) and Mills Park (provision of courts is subject to the Mills Park Master Plan project findings) as well as those available through the schools. The only area of the City not well serviced would be Orange Grove and Martin. The Orange Grove Primary School does allow the families of students to access the tennis courts on a casual basis but does not promote the opportunity beyond its students. This option will reduce the number of courts provided by the City by twelve courts. When partnered with Option One (decommissioning Castle Glen Tennis Centre) the reduction


increases to 17 tennis courts. A sound public consultation plan for this option will be required in order to deliver a successful outcome. Benefits Category Description Value

Customer Service The site is situated in a linear recreational activity area with bowls and athletics

Creates a recreational hub for the area.

Operational

The site has nine courts in good condition with only three potentially requiring floodlighting upgrades

Savings for the City by redeveloping an existing site with major court infrastructure already in place over building a new facility of this size elsewhere

Financial Reduced costs for substandard courts and facilities at Mills Park

Savings for the City by not restoring and maintaining the Mills Park courts

Financial Reduced costs to maintain grass courts and pavilion at Memorial Park

Savings for the City by not providing a facility and very expensive grass courts

Operational Demands on staff resources reduced

Savings for the City as the use is condensed to one centre under a tenancy arrangement

Financial Opportunity to use Tennis Australia funding and CSRFF

Savings for the City with expanded funding opportunities

Customer Service Provides acceptable infrastructure for competitive tennis at a regional level

Meets the needs of the tennis playing members of the community

Customer Service

Social tennis opportunities are increased with the reduction of club access at the alternative sites

Meets the needs of the social tennis players within the City

Operational Removal of unsafe surfaces at Mills and Castle Glen Removes risk of litigation

Financial Cost share options for clubs

Improve Club's capacity through opportunities to cost share and generate additional funding based on numbers

Operational

Opportunity for clubs to hire a facility manager to oversee the facility as per the Tennis Australia model

Improved facility management by a professional manager

Customer Service One stop competitive tennis centre – choice of coaches and levels of play

Community can choose the nature of the coaching they wish

Costs

Category Description Value Type


Contractor Tennis courts (3) installation $210,000 Capital Works

Contractor Floodlighting (6 courts) $90,000 Capital Works

Contractor Pavilion $1,200,000 Capital Works

Contractor Pavilion demolition at Mills and Memorial Parks $35,000 Operational

In house Car park $350,000 Capital Works Feasibility

Solution Rating

(out of 10) Assessment Method

Increased number of courts and floodlighting 8 Based on external funding opportunities (Tennis

Australia, CSRFF) reducing City’s contribution

New pavilion 6

Design to align to Tennis Australia’s requirements with funding to be sought from CSRFF. Clubs may reach an agreement to seek a joint low interest loan from Tennis Australia

New car park 5 No external funding available

Decommissioning of the grass courts 8 Saving the City $25,000 pa in maintenance, water

savings initiatives

Decommissioning of Mills Park 7 Required as part of the Mills Park Master Plan and

funded by that project

City to manage Memorial Park hard courts 6 Increased control over court hire but added

responsibilities for staff

Shared tenancy agreement 5

Will be difficult to negotiate but could have sound outcomes for all clubs and City with a professional manager appointed.

Co-location of the tennis clubs 6 See above

Install hard courts at Mills Park for public use 7 Will meet the needs of the community without high

costs Risks Description Likelihood Impact Mitigating Actions

Funding applications unsuccessful Med High

Prepare well researched submissions

Lobby funding agencies

Establish a back up plan with longer time frame to allow for resubmission or municipal funding

Clubs not prepared to co-locate Med High

Achieve buy in from the clubs by highlighting the improved infrastructure that will be provided

May be a two club structure with the alternative operating form a lesser Memorial Park facility

Enforce the relocation


No support from Council Med High

Prepare a presentation that shows the viability of the option and saving that will be achieved in both the short and long term

Highlight litigation reduction

Highlight impact on the Mills Park Master Plan

Highlight funding opportunities

Tennis continues to decline Low Med

Decline is slow and appears cyclic

Continue to monitor through SCORS

Management body cannot cooperate Low Med

Staff will work with the committee in initial stages as a non voting member

Mediation from Tennis West and Club Development Officer if required

Issues

Description Priority Action Required to Resolve Issue

No tennis club access in Gosnells and Beckenham

Low Improved club facility for competitive players, and increased access by social players due to clubs not using courts

Courts inadequate to cope with numbers Med Tennis West believe the number of courts were suitable for

the number of players and coaches

Investment by Council over other projects

Med

This will lead to assisting Mills Park Master Plan to reduce the number of courts required

Option provides high quality tennis facilities across the City reducing litigation and safety issues

Opportunity to attract sound levels of external funding

Assumptions • That the clubs will co-locate if the infrastructure supports the shared use • That Tennis Australia and CSRFF will provide financial support • That Tennis West will assist with the amalgamation negotiations • That one tennis centre dedicated to both competitive and social tennis can be managed by

a management body of the existing clubs using a facility manager Option 3: Convert the grass courts Gosnells Tennis Centre to an acrylic surface and co-locate Brixton Street Tennis Centre at the site Description The Gosnells Tennis Centre has several operational issues that were identified during the Review. The Memorial Park Tennis Club (MPTC) does not have a formal tenure for the site. Under a tenancy agreement the Club would be responsible for the ongoing maintenance of any areas


under exclusive use such as the pavilion and grass courts. It could be argued that the hard courts are also exclusive use as the Club acts as a remote booking agent and receives a rebate of 100% of the monies collected. The five grass courts at Memorial Park are a costly investment in that the costs of providing a quality surface for the 40 players who access the site. The turf maintenance and scheme watering costs are extremely high. MPTC has stated it does not have the financial or physical resources to undertake the responsibility. Negotiations to develop a tenancy agreement have been protracted due to the cost share arrangements. The five grass courts could be converted to an acrylic surface. The existing fence would remain but may need minor modifications. The grass courts are not floodlit and this would be recommended for the new hard court surface. The split design may not suit the coaches if they need more than five courts at a time. However, this could be overcome with programming and floodlighting. The pavilion is small and there is limited space to extend the building. With the removal of the public toilets near the RSL, any extension could include public toilets. Alternatively the RSL Hall at the site is available to hire by the clubs as an alternate facility for events. The car parking on site is inadequate. There is an opportunity to expand the number of bays following the removal of the public toilets. The Centre is a ‘local club’ and unlikely to attract large tournaments therefore it is not expected that parking beyond this level will be required. There are plans for the site to be resumed for road widening by Main Roads Western Australia. Current timeframes suggest this is at least 20 years away. The City is in the process of completing the signalisation of Albany Highway and Gosnells Road West with the realignment of Mills Road West. This will prevent further off road parking opportunities. Tennis West believe that nine hard courts could accommodate the two clubs and will assist the City with the co-location and management for the new arrangement. Funding opportunities for the conversion of the courts are available from Tennis Australia. Benefits Category Description Value

Operational Removal of grass courts Reduces City’s workload and resources can be redirected

Operational Co-locating two clubs Provides an opportunity for two small clubs to share resources

Operational Establishment of a formal tenancy agreement Equity for all tennis clubs is achieved

Operational Frees up space at Mills Park Reduced number of courts required at Mills Park

Operational Conversion to hard courts and increased car parking

Reduces reliance on scheme water at the site

Financial Conversion of courts Cost savings for the City

Financial Establishment of formal tenancy Cost savings for the City with transfer of costs and generation of an income


Operational Mills Park Tennis Centre closure Removes unsafe courts Costs Category Description Value Type

Contractor Five new courts $350,000 Capital Works

Contractor Floodlighting $75,000 Capital Works

Contractor Pavilion extension $400,000 Capital Works

In House Car park $75,000 Capital Works Feasibility Solution Rating


Conversion of the grass courts to hard courts 9 Based on reduced reliance on scheme water, cost

savings and the ability to attract funding

Increased number of floodlit courts 8 Based on ability to attract funding

Pavilion refurbishment / extension 6 Smaller pavilion required for two small clubs

New car park 6 Decreases the amount of irrigated space reducing the reliance on water. No external funding available

Decommissioning of Mills Park Tennis Centre and replacing with public courts

7 Required as part of the Mills Park Master Plan and funded by that project

Co-location of the clubs under a shared tenancy agreement

5 Will be difficult to negotiate but could have sound outcomes for both clubs

Install hard courts at Mills Park for public use 7 Will meet the needs of the community without high

costs Risks Description Likelihood Impact Mitigating Actions




Establish a back up plan with longer time frame to allow for resubmission or municipal funding


Achieve buy in from the clubs by highlighting the improved infrastructure that will be provided


No support from Council Med High Prepare a presentation that shows the viability

of the option: savings that will be achieved in


both the short and long term; litigation reduction; impact on the Mills Park Master Plan and the funding opportunities




Conflicting tennis methodologies from Club coaches

High High

Seek assistance from Tennis West and Club Development Officer to determine compromise

Two coaching approaches can be complementary with both elite and social tennis covered




Issues Description Priority Action Required to Resolve Issue

Reduced tennis club access in Beckenham Low

Many members travel now for elite coaching and in some cases Memorial Park may be closer

Courts inadequate to cope with numbers Med Tennis West believe the number of courts are

suitable for the number of players and coaches

Investment by Council over other projects Med

This will lead to assisting Mills Park Master Plan to reduce the number of courts required


Opportunity to attract sound levels of external funding

Assumptions • That Memorial Park Tennis Centre will forego its grass courts in favor of floodlit hard

courts • That Brixton Street Tennis Centre will re-locate and the two clubs can cohabitate • That the existing hard courts are under utilised and not misrepresented in the booking

forms • That the realignment of Mills Road West and Gosnells Road West can be achieved

without impact to the courts • That the Main Roads Western Australia plans for the Albany Highway bypass road will not

occur for twenty years


Option 4: Develop a new tennis facility at Harmony Fields and co-locate multiple clubs at the site Description Harmony Fields is a combination active and passive reserve at the corner of Gosnells Road and Alcock Street. The site was opened in 2007 with two ovals (one senior and one junior), floodlighting, pavilion, car parking and parklands with fitness track and playground. As the site is at its watering capacity, any development will include hard court surfaces. There is adequate space to develop a tennis centre. This option proposes the construction of an eight court complex with a pavilion. The standard of provision would be to build a Tennis Australia rated Medium Centre as opposed to the Sub Regional Centre proposed at Thornlie as the nearest sub regional centre is in Lesmurdie. Harmony Fields has a closer proximity and could act as a feeder club for the Lesmurdie Centre. Given the short distance to the hard courts at Memorial Park that were resurfaced in 2010, there is no need for a twelve court facility at Harmony Fields. There may be savings through the use of the existing car park but an extension to the car park may be required for access to the tennis facility. All courts would be floodlit and fenced. Harmony Fields would not require the same standard of infrastructure as Option Two where Thornlie Tennis Centre is expanded to 12 courts to accommodate a sub regional centre. The major differences between the two options are the court costs (eight courts as opposed to 12) and it is expected that two clubs would be relocated (Brixton Street and Memorial) at the site. The Tennis Australia preferred pavilions are the same for both options. The tennis clubs cannot be accommodated within the existing Harmony Fields Pavilion. The Pavilion has a high level of use by its current groups. It would be difficult to accommodate all of the sports at the same time if tennis was added to the user group. This is because:

• The other clubs have higher membership and spectator numbers • The current facility has been designed to view the sports ovals • The sports are reliant on the kiosk income and may not be prepared to share • The change rooms are usually locked during the games and will not be accessible by

multi groups • All of the store rooms are allocated • The ovals are fully booked by groups who have a long history with the City and • It is not anticipated there will be a decrease in demand in the near future.

Given the excellent condition of the courts at Thornlie Tennis Centre and the hard courts at Memorial Park, it is highly unlikely that these courts would be decommissioned. Thornlie would continue to operate in its current format with the nine courts. The hard courts at Gosnells Tennis Centre would become public tennis courts and it would be recommended that the grass courts at Gosnells Tennis Centre and the Mills Park Tennis Facility be decommissioned. Benefits Category Description Value

Operational The site has the capacity to accommodate the recommended improvements within an active reserve

Site is already maintained and can be extended

Expands the recreational opportunities


between the two current locations being decommissioned (Mills and Memorial)

at Harmony Fields

Centralised location

Operational Two clubs would co-locate to the site Easier to negotiate between two small clubs to a new site without a history

Financial Reduces the need for tennis courts at Mills Park under the new Master Plan

Savings for the City and expanded active space for other sports

Financial Reduced costs for substandard courts and facilities at Mills Park Savings for the City

Financial Reduce maintenance cost of grass courts and pavilion at Memorial Park Savings for the City

Financial Opportunity to use Tennis Australia funding and CSRFF Savings for the City

Customer Service

Provides acceptable infrastructure for competitive tennis at a local level

Meets the needs of the tennis playing members of the community

Customer Service

Social tennis opportunities are increased with the reduction of club access at the alternative sites

Meets the needs of the social tennis players within the City

Operational Decommissioning of Mills Park addresses court safety issues Removes risk of litigation

Financial Cost share options for clubs Improve Clubs capacity through opportunities to cost share and additional funding based on numbers

Operational Opportunity for clubs to hire a facility manager to oversee the facility

Improved facility management from a professional manager

Customer Service

One stop competitive tennis centre – choice of coaches and levels of play

Community can choose the nature of the coaching they wish

Costs

Category Description Value Type

Contractor Tennis courts (8) installation $560,000 Capital Works

Contractor Floodlighting (8 courts) $120,000 Capital Works

Contractor Pavilion $1,200,000 Capital Works

Contractor Pavilion demolition at Mills and Memorial Parks $35,000 Operational

In House Car park $400,000 Capital Works Feasibility

Solution Rating


New tennis centre with eight floodlit courts 8 Based on meeting Tennis Australia’s facility

standards for funding from external sources

New pavilion 6 Design needs to reflect Tennis Australia’s vision with funding from CSRFF unless the Clubs can reach an


agreement to seek low interest loan

Could be leased with reduced responsibility by the City for maintenance

Decommissioning of the grass courts 8

Saving to the City of $25,000 per annum, plus water savings initiatives

Reduces pressure on resources to maintain an under utilised facility

Decommissioning of Mills Park 7

Mills Park Master Plan requirement Allows greater flexibility n the Mills Park Master Plan Removes risk for sub standard courts

City to manage Memorial Park hard courts 6

Decreased costs associated with the management of the courts

Increased income from court hire

Ensures accurate records as Club has not been charging members or coaches for use

Shared tenancy agreement and co-location of the tennis clubs

5 Will be difficult to negotiate but could have sound outcomes for both the clubs in relation to their resources both financial, physical and volunteer

Risks Description Likelihood Impact Mitigating Actions




Establish a back up plan with possibly a longer time frame to allow for resubmission or municipal funding


Need to achieve a buy in from the clubs by highlighting the improved infrastructure that will be provided


No support from Council Med High

Prepare a presentation that shows the viability of the option and saving that will be achieved in both the short and long term; litigation reduction; impact on the Mills Park Master Plan and funding opportunities






Repercussions of failure need to be reinforced



Issues Description Priority Action Required to Resolve Issue

Reduced tennis facility access in Beckenham Med Promote new courts as safer, floodlit and transfer

current regular social bookings as priority bookings.

Courts inadequate to cope with numbers Med Tennis West believes the number of courts are

suitable for the number of players and coaches

Proximity to other tennis centres Med Memorial Park is the closest for social hire and may

free up time for coaching at Harmony Fields.

Investment by Council over other projects Med

This will assist Mills Park Master Plan to increase space available for active sports


Opportunity to attract sound levels of external funding Assumptions

• That the clubs will co-locate if the infrastructure supports the shared use • That Tennis Australia and CSRFF will provide financial support • That Tennis West will assist with the amalgamation negotiations • That one tennis centre dedicated to both competitive and social tennis can be managed by

a management body of the existing clubs using a facility manager Recommended Solution

Solution Rating The Assessment Criteria has been aligned to the City of Gosnells Community Plan. Each option was rated with a score out of ten for its contribution to achieving the criteria. Assessment Criteria Option 1:

Castle Glen

Option 2: Thornlie

Option 3: Memorial

Option 4: Harmony

3.1 Provide support for specific community groups

Work with Governments, the private sector and the not-for-profit sector to obtain funding and support for groups within the community.

2 9 5 7

3.2 Provide the Community with opportunities to participate in diverse activities

Provide and maintain high quality, active recreational reserves that facilitate competitive sports.

4 9 7 7

4.3 Optimise the use of City assets

Ensure the City's assets do not deteriorate to an extent that they are not fit for purpose.

8 8 7 8

Encourage people to use the City's 8 9 8 8


assets.

Identify assets which have either limited use of limited life left in them and allow such assets to be upgraded or disposed of.

9 9 9 7

5 Adopt technological advances and techniques to improve efficiencies and environmental outcomes

Minimise water usage in open space development and connect reticulation systems to environmental sensors

8 8 9 8

Seek innovative solutions to improve efficiencies, conduct cost benefit analysis to demonstrate benefit and implement solutions where appropriate

8 8 8 7

Score (Out of 70) 49 60 53 52 Findings Option 1: Decommission Castle Glen Tennis Courts The decommissioning of the Castle Glen Courts has provided savings and reduced risk to the City with minimal impact on users. This resulted in considerable cost savings as the site required major works to restore the court surface for an average use of 1.5 hours use per court per week. Whilst it could be argued that an improved court surface would improve the level of use, the Thornlie Tennis Centre is less than 2.5km away with nine high quality courts that are floodlit. This is a safer option for tennis participation and addressed access issues immediately. The decommissioning of the tennis courts at Castle Glen Tennis Centre was implemented as per 13 March 2012 OCM, Resolution 104 which reads:

"That Council approve the decommissioning of six acrylic tennis courts at Castle Glen Tennis Centre and the funds allocated to the remedial works be redirected to the decommissioning project."

Option 2: Redevelop the Thornlie Tennis Facility as a District Tennis Centre and co-locate all of the tennis clubs at this site Gosnells Memorial Park Tennis Club has been resistant to moving and lobbied to stay at Gosnells Tennis Centre. Considering the Club's small membership base it will be able to stay at Gosnells Tennis Centre if it enters into a tenancy agreement over the pavilion and hard courts in a similar arrangement to the Thornlie Tennis Club. An external audit of the clubs based at Mills Park in 2011 raised concerns about the Brixton Street Tennis Centre's club structure. Future tennis provision at Mills Park will be subject to the final Mills Park Master Plan. The capacity of the Club will be assessed at such time. If the Club requires another site within the City during the construction phase of the Mills Park Master Plan, the 9 courts at Thornlie Tennis Centre could potentially be a suitable option. Consultation with the clubs indicates that nine courts at Thornlie Tennis Centre are acceptable. Should the clubs amalgamate or expand in the future, the land is available for three additional courts at that site. Upgrades need to be considered in the near future to the


pavilion, floodlighting and car park to bring them up to an acceptable standard for current and future provision. The upgrades to Thornlie Tennis Centre will create a Tennis Australia rated Medium Centre tennis capable of hosting tournaments and events. The replacement pavilion at Thornlie Tennis Centre will be on the same site as the current pavilion. The design development will be undertaken in consultation with Tennis West and the Club. The tenancy will continue as a lease agreement. There is a possibility of the club applying for funding assistance from Tennis Australia towards the pavilion costs. The car park upgrades will address safety issues with access and egress that have been identified. As the car park can be used for the park as well as the tennis centre these upgrades will benefit the users of both facilities. There is no external funding available for car parks. The potential cost estimates for the upgrades to Thornlie Tennis Centre, subject to detailed design, are as follows: Floodlighting $90,000 CSRFF funding $30,000 City contribution $60,000 Tennis Pavilion $1,200,000 CSRFF funding $400,000 City contribution $800,000 Car park City contribution $200,000 The pavilion has yet to be designed and the amount has been based on the Tennis Australia recommendations. The construction costs of the City’s most recently built sporting facilities were reviewed for costing estimates. Those facilities included four change rooms which would not be required in this instance. However, with cost escalations and a time delay this figure is considered a reasonable expectation, but it still subject to detailed design. Option 3: Convert the grass courts at Gosnells Tennis Centre to an acrylic surface and co-locate Brixton Street Tennis Centre at the site. Gosnells Memorial Park Tennis Club has been resistant to any move and has lobbied to stay at Gosnells Tennis Centre and retain the grass courts. The City was in negotiations with the club to establish a lease of the facility including a contribution to the cost of maintaining the grass courts. The club has since decided to cancel their booking of the grass courts citing the condition of the lawn as the reason. As the grass courts are no longer being used they will be decommissioned. With only a small membership base the club will be able to stay at Gosnells Tennis Centre if they enter into a tenancy agreement of the pavilion and hard courts. Having recently been resurfaced these courts are in excellent condition and it was the City's intention to retain these courts. The decommissioning of the grass courts at Memorial Park will provide significant maintenance savings for the City. With water resources becoming more restricted, future supply of water cannot be guaranteed. Staff resources and equipment will be redirected to other facilities. The retention of the hard courts will meet the needs of the club and social tennis for the local community.


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Due to low membership numbers the conversion of the grass courts to an acrylic surface is now considered cost prohibitive and unwarranted based on current levels of use. The four hard courts on site currently meet the needs of the Club. Option 4: Develop a new tennis facility at Harmony Fields and co-locate multiple clubs at the site Considering the findings for Memorial Park Tennis Club to remain at Gosnells Tennis Centre, the option of developing a new tennis facility at Harmony Fields is not considered financially viable given it would be a duplication of facilities the City already provides. This option is therefore considered redundant. General Findings Southern River has limited tennis court access compared to the other areas of the City. The City has plans for joint development of a high school site in the area that will include two senior sized sports ground and pavilion. It is recommended that public tennis courts should be investigated as part of project. The resultant reduction in tennis courts – six at Castle Glen, nine at Mills Park and five at Memorial Park and decommissioning of the tennis pavilions – Mills Park and potentially Memorial Park will save the City of Gosnells $45,887 per annum based on the 2012/2013 Budget. Tennis provision within the City will be reviewed once recommendations are actioned and need is established. This will determine if an expansion to court provision at Thornlie Tennis Centre is required and inform the level of provision appropriate for future planning in Southern River Recommendations After assessing the options presented with their findings and factoring the continued communication with the clubs, the following outcomes are recommended:

• That the Castle Glen Tennis Courts be decommissioned (this recommendation has already been actioned)

• That the Thornlie Tennis Centre remains a nine court facility with upgrades occurring in the near future to the pavilion, floodlighting and the car park to meet the future needs of competitive tennis in the City of Gosnells

• That future tennis provision at Mills Park be determined by the Mills Park Master Plan project findings.

• That the Memorial Park Tennis Club remain at Gosnells Tennis Centre using only the hard courts and pavilion under a tenancy agreement.

• That the grass courts at Gosnells Tennis Centre be decommissioned and the space returned to public use.

• That future plans for Southern River include planning for two or four public tennis courts to ensure access across the City.


tennis facility review - gosnells.wa.gov.au · tennis australia. however, it is the closest that...

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