The Game Plan - Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Melville

The Active Reserve Infrastructure Strategy 2020 (ARIS) is due for review every five years, and instead of updating it, the City will replace it with The Game Plan – Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Melville.

The key difference between the old and new plans is that The Game Plan will consider all sport and recreation in Melville*, not just “Active Reserves” meaning that infrastructure like recreation centres, wheeled sports facilities, and netball, bowling and tennis facilities will be included.

*on land under the care and control of the City or where an agreement exists for community use (for example, a shared use agreement on school land).

The ARIS was the first sport and recreation infrastructure plan the City implemented, and has been successfully integrated into City operations.

However, there have been some challenges and gaps The Game Plan will help improve, such as:

• Creating a holistic plan that considers all sport and recreation in one document.
• Prioritising a list of proposals.
• Articulating the requirements for each proposal to proceed, whilst acknowledging that proposals may not progress, be put on hold/deferred, or require a rethink based on changing needs and detailed engagement with stakeholders.
• Establish minimum facility guidelines for sport and recreation infrastructure (where there isn’t an industry standard).

The plan will help provide:

• An evidence-based identification of sport and recreation infrastructure needs across the community.
• Transparent prioritisation of future proposals that enables the City to effectively manage resources (funds, officer time).
• A framework to effectively deal with community enquiries and manage expectations.
• Support to obtain external funding.

Broader community consultation is planned for the first quarter of 2026, when you’ll have the opportunity to provide feedback on the draft plan. To stay updated and be notified when consultation opens, simply click ‘Follow Engagement’ at the top of this page.

If you are a sporting club member and use the City’s facilities, your club has been contacted for early engagement. Club feedback will play an important part in writing the draft of The Game Plan.

The City is contacting all clubs within the area - there are currently 77.

Some sports do not have adopted standards for certain facility types (while others like AFL and cricket are very well documented), which can create inconsistencies and inequitable access.

In lieu of provision standards, the City can lead the way and help provide consistency and funding opportunities to meet the needs of the sport.

Recent examples the City has undertaken include the standards documented in Rolling Forward – Our Wheeled Sports Plan, the Netball and Multi-Use Indoor and Outdoor Courts Needs Assessment and the Provision Standard for Bowling Green Shade Infrastructure. 

Other work the City is and has undertaken (such as with Morris Buzacott Reserve and Leeming Rec Centre) will help inform proposal development for The Game Plan, which will then be continually reviewed to meet the needs of our community.

The City focuses on actively involving the community throughout our projects to ensure ideas and concerns are properly considered and, where possible, incorporated.

This is why we are engaging early with our clubs, as well as opening up to the wider community once the draft plan has been created.

Whilst engagement with sporting groups and users will help inform the plan and identify potential opportunities, the final decision-maker is the City of Melville Council. The Council must balance the needs and requests of multiple sporting clubs and user groups with the broader community good, meaning not all ideas may come to fruition.

No, neither will be inlcuded.

Playground upgrades are part of our Playground Capital Works Program - future design and construction of renewed play infrastructure is a separate project, and always involves consultation with local residents.  

Sign up to our Melville Talks eNewsletter to receive monthly updates on all of our engagements, including playground upgrades.

The City will collaborate with community sporting clubs, the broader City of Melville community, the Access Advisory Panel, and internal staff to shape The Game Plan.

The final draft plan, along with an officer recommendation, will be presented at an Ordinary Meeting of Council for endorsement.

Click on the 'Follow Engagement' button at the top of this page to receive email updates.