The re-established Upper Coastal sporting facilities working group held its first meeting on Wednesday, November 9 at the Lancelin Sporting Complex.

Back in June sporting clubs were disappointed with the Shire of Gingin council’s decision to not re-establish the working group to undertake a review of the Upper Coastal sporting facilities master plan, which had proposed “the creation of an active sports space in Lancelin, with more passive sports located in Ledge Point”.

But the sporting clubs continued to advocate for re-establishment of the working group and a review of the master plan, which the council agreed to at its September 20 meeting.

Councillors elected councillor Frank Peczka and councillor Andrea Vis to the working group with councillor Robert Kestel named as chairman.

This morning Gingin chief executive officer Aaron Cook said representatives from Lancelin Community and Sporting Club, Lancelin Bowling Club, Lancelin Golf Club, Lancelin Ledge Point Football Club, Lancelin Ledge Point Basketball Club, Lancelin Ledge Point Netball Club, Ledge Point Country Club, Ledge Point Bowling Club, Ledge Point Golf Club attended the November 9 meeting.

Mr Cook said apologies were received from the Lancelin Ledge Point Hockey Club and Pegasus Shooting Club.

The aim of the first meeting was to clarify the purpose and objectives of the Upper Coastal sporting facilities working group (UCSFWG) and set the program to complete the review.

He said the basis for which the group would undertake the review was clarified as follows:

• While not specifically identified by the Department of Sport and Recreation, duplication of the facilities does represent a risk to the sustainability of those facilities where resources are limited. Council, in re-establishing the UCSFWG, has however acknowledged the community’s concern at the removal of some facilities during the master plan process.
• While other infrastructure may require renewal, the focus of the UCSFWG will be on sporting facilities.
• The $5 million budget presented during the master plan process was to provide an indicative figure only, reflective of a more achievable funding resource available to and from the clubs, shire, and external grant funders. Previous master planning processes had indicated budgets of more than $50m, which were beyond the financial capacity of all parties and created unrealistic community expectations.

Outcomes of the meeting included agreement that:

• Club representatives would review the master plan implementation priorities as adopted by the council on October 19, 2021 detailed on page 13 of the Upper Coastal Sub-Region sporting facilities master plan; and
• Submit any priorities it would like to add, delete, or modify for inclusion with those priorities to be reviewed.

He said a scoring tool/matrix to assist the UCSFWG with prioritising process would also be included in the agenda for the next meeting to be held on Wednesday, December 14.

The draft Upper Coastal sporting facilities master plan proposing the location of football, basketball, hockey, netball, soccer, gym and shooting at Lancelin with golf, bowls and tennis located at Ledge Point was presented to the council on August 18, 2020.

At the time Lancelin golf and bowling club members thought they had secured their future when councillors agreed that all the sporting clubs could remain as part of the Upper Coastal sporting facilities plan as long as they were sustainable.

But the motion councillors passed then said the shire could not financially support the duplication of facilities within close proximity to each other.

This article appeared on Yanchep News Online on 18 November 2022.