PLA VIC/TAS REGION A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 3-2 0 1 4
THE BOARD The PLA Vic/Tas Board continues to develop and extend its range of offerings and services to its members, and indeed the entire sector, through the hard work, diligence and commitment of its Board and broader membership. Through the hard work and inspiration from our membership we are re-shaping our offering to meet the growing needs of a sector that has over time fragmented and lost its voice. Quite often I find myself in conversations navigating the complex set of organisations, partnerships and authorities in our sector. Consequently, a key task of the Vic/Tas Board is to build stronger professional networks to address this situation. The Vic/Tas Board has rolled out a number of key initiatives over the past 12 months that will set the tone for our future offerings. These include: - the delivery of our first State Conference that showcased the great work being done in our state - the delivery of our inaugural Leadership Program, with the second course now in progress, and - the continued delivery of a comprehensive set of professional development training opportunities. None of the above can be achieved without the work of the Board and I thank all Board members for their commitment and hard work. Paul Jane, President PLA Vic/Tas Region 2013 / 2014 BOARD MEMBERS President Vice President Secretary Treasurer General Members Co-Opted Members Executive Officer Paul Jane Marg Scanlon James Collins Andrew Butterfield Jacquie Anderton Cathy Kiss Richard O Byrne Barb Gaiotto Ian Waugh Ben Bainbridge Jason Summers Bruce Fordham Darren Bennett Richard Simon Thank you, Ian and Barbra We thank Ian Waugh and and Barb Gaiotto, who are both retiring from the Vic/Tas Board after many years of service. Both members have given their time to the Board for a number of years and have filled many key roles. Their knowledge, advice and counsel will be missed. Ian held the positions of Treasurer, President and National Board Representative. Barb held the positions of Vice President, and more recently, Convener of the Membership Sub-Committee and she was the Vic/Tas Region representative on the 2014 National Conference Organising Committee.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT The inaugural State Conference was a great success 95 delegates, 39 speakers, 31 LGA s, 4 peak agencies and 4 state sporting associations The inaugural Vic/Tas Region State Conference was held over two days on 30 April and 1 May 2014 at Simonds Stadium in Geelong. Brian Cook, CEO of Geelong Football Club and one of Australia s leading sports administrators (right), delivered the opening address of the Conference with a presentation on leadership and the value of partnerships. There were 32 concurrent sessions across the following six streams: Open Space, Regional Cities, Regional Councils, Metro Councils, Sport, and Growth Areas. Each session comprised of one to four speakers presenting about relevant sector issues or innovations, and most concluded with a forum during which delegates and panelists interacted and shared experiences and knowledge. An interactive workshop was also conducted for sector professionals associated with each stream. It is expected that the workshops will be the first of what will become regular network meetings for each respective stream to share ideas and tackle issues affecting their areas of interest.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Sector On Show Taking a look at the latest Two offerings: 1. Lakeside Stadium, Albert Park, State Sports Centres Trust, September 2013 2. WaterMarc, Greensborough, Banyule City Council, February 2014 The WaterMarc and Banyule staff show participants around the Centre Leadership Program I gained insight about myself as a person and as a leader in the sector, as I now know that reflecting on ones leadership style and aspirations is a critical component of effective leadership. It was also a great networking opportunity with colleagues in similar stages of their careers. Program Sponsor [Ben McManus, Coordinator Leisure and Cultural Services, City of Banyule] The inaugural Leadership Program was conducted during the period July-September in 2013. The Program was facilitated by an expert organisational consultant, and consisted of three interrelated modules involving workshops, guest speakers, individual and group activities, and presentations. The final day of the program finished with a celebratory dinner and the presentation of certificates to the 13 participants. Big thanks to the three host Councils - Monash, Hume and Geelong. Participants presented the outcomes of their group projects at the 2013 PLA National Conference held in Melbourne in October 2013. The second Leadership Program was completed this week. Ben McManus is presented with his certificate by Laurence Robinson from Program sponsor, Brand Architects.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Seminars Over 300 delegates attended 6 one day seminars offered during the past 12 months. The attendees at the Turf Management Seminar had the added opportunity of attending the Cats v Kangaroos Friday night AFL game at Simonds Stadium. Seminars and the host organisations were: Nature Based Tourism and Trails Macedon Ranges Shire Council, August 2013 Plant Based Solutions - Native Plants for Urban Landscapes Horticultural Seminar (in conjunction with BGANZ) Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, November 2013 Bike Parks - Developing Exciting Mountain Bike Facilities, Surf Coast Shire Council, April 2014 Planning and Managing Elite Turf Playing Surfaces Simonds Stadium, Greater Geelong City Council, May 2014 Innovative Approaches to Recreation & Leisure Facility Development, Kingston City Council, June 2014 Low Inputs - High Outcomes: creating resilient horticultural landscapes Horticultural Seminar (in conjunction with BGANZ) Hume City Council, July 2014 Sport and Rec Officers Forums Two offerings: 1. Creating Active Communities, VicHealth, June 2014 2. Good Governance in the Parks and Recreation Sector, Monash City Council, August 2014 Mike Eubank, from Colorado, (USA) presenting at the Bike Parks Seminar in Torquay Open Space Planning and Design Guide Workshops Following the release of the Open Space Planning and Design Guide in June 2013, four training workshops were delivered across the state, and were hosted by the City of Hume, City of Ballarat, City of Knox and Shire of Baw Baw. The practical sessions were facilitated by Sharon Sykes, a member of the guide working party. The full day workshops were well attended by Open Space Planners, and Statutory and Strategic Planners.
AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE DINNER The Awards of Excellence Dinner was held during the evening of Day 1 of the State Conference at Simonds Stadium. The Dinner incorporated the announcement of the nominations and winners of the Vic/Tas Region Awards of Excellence, and the presentation of certificates to the winning organisations. The host for the evening was wellknown entertainer and comedian, Marty Fields, who had the 100 guests laughing and enjoying their way through the evening. Thanks to our Award sponsors
And the winner is... Vic/Tas Regional Awards of Excellence Award Category Winner Project Award for Events YMCA Australia YMCA Swimathon 2014 Award for Inclusive and Brimbank City Council Brimbank Cup Connected Communities Award for Leisure Facilities City of Wodonga WAVES - Wodonga Aquatic Venue and Exercise Space Award for Open Space Planning City of Yarra Converting Roads to Open Space Parks and Open Space Whitehorse City Council Box Hill Gardens Development Redevelopment Playspace Award - Category B Brimbank City Council Alice s Playspace Playspace Award - Category A Yarra Ranges Council Zina Grove Playspace Playspace Award - Category C Glen Eira City Council Murrumbeena Playspace Award for Use of Technology Brimbank City Council Brimbank Online Sports Facility Allocation System City of Wodonga staff accept the " Award for Leisure Facilities Whitehorse City Council award " winners (L-R) Dion Scott and Terry " Wilkinson, with Jacquie Anderton, " PLA Board Member. YMCA staff accept the Award for Events
Vic/Tas Region Award winners and Cathy Kiss take out gongs at the National Awards Dinner held recently in Cairns Frank Stewart Distinguished Services Award Cathy Kiss First awarded in 1985, the Frank Stewart Distinguished Service Award recognises outstanding service to the industry. It is the most prestigious individual award Award for Inclusive and Connected Communities Brimbank City Council - Brimbank Cup Award for Use of Technology Brimbank City Council - Brimbank Online Sports Facility Allocation System Ashley Fleming accepts the Awards Award for Open Space Planning City of Yarra - Converting Roads to Open Space Joanna Bush accepts the Award" Award for Parks and Open Space Development Whitehorse City Council - Box Hill Gardens Redevelopment Dion Scott and Kendall Sinclair accept the Award David Aldous Student of the Year Award Liam Cole
ADVOCACY Letter to AILA (Australian Institute of Landscape Architects) in support of their position on the proposed East West Link and their call on the government to reconsider. Greg Maddock Memorial Scholarship The 2014 Greg Maddock Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Cormac McCarthy, Open Space Coordinator, Maroondah City Council. Cormac is also President, Play Australia. Cormac undertook a study tour of the United Kingdom. He meet with representatives from peak parks and leisure associations in England, Scotland and Wales to investigate how the various organisations function and work together to further the industry. Cormac enjoying one of the small community parks in the UK During the tour, Cormac was also able to compare and evaluate the offerings available through different organisations in the UK with those available through Play Australia, PLA and other organisations in Australia. He visited some innovative playspaces and recreational facilities during his travels. Cormac outlined some of his learnings at a session during the 2014 PLA National Conference (see left), and will be publishing an article in the next PLA journal.