Leisure and Recreation Planning

Our Appreciation

Whilst a universal meaning has never been agreed, leisure is traditionally seen as the time outside of work, sleep, chores and other daily duties when free to choose an activity for intrinsic values and reasons. Recreation is the ‘freely’ chosen activities usually occurring in leisure time which generate feelings of enjoyment, relaxation, satisfaction and can be defined as active or passive.

The Leisure industry as we know it has evolved from the onset of the industrial revolution when days became structured and the differentiation between work, rest, and play more distinct. With substandard housing, public baths were provided to keep the masses clean, industrialists provided their workers with ‘holy days’ as a break from work and to celebrate and worship; public houses became places to meet, keep warm and share stories among workers and neighbours, and the landed gentry began to open their parks and gardens for all to enjoy.

While public intervention is different today from that of the 18th Century, the good use of leisure time brings with it many benefits that is still understood and promoted by all levels of government. These include being a valuable outlet for social integration, breaking down cultural barriers, helping reduce the impact on the health budget, assisting with inclusion, and generally being good form of enhancing community wellbeing and providing a sense of place and belonging.

Leisure and recreation planning is, as its name suggests, a process whereby we gain an insight into the needs of a community for facilities, services, or assets. It’s a visionary process undertaken by assessing both latent and expressed demand, and critical research to include:

Our Approach

  • Guiding principles for leisure

  • Understanding the role of Council or Government agency in the provision of leisure

  • Trend assessment

  • Societal influences such as changing work and life patterns

  • Demographic and population profiling

  • Examining and auditing existing supply

  • Analysis of national, state, and local benchmarking for facilities and services

  • Understanding participation levels

  • Assessing gaps in service provision

  • Assessing ‘tipping points’ when facilities or services may be required based for future development and growth

  • Perceived priorities based on the areas of greatest need.

  • Budgeting and forecasting

Our Experience

  • Clare Valley Recreation Strategy

  • City of Charles Sturt St Clair Recreation Centre Future Demands Study

  • Holdfast Bay Sport in the Bay Needs Analysis

  • Holdfast Bay ‘Be Active in the Bay’

  • Mount Barker Sports Facilities Needs Analysis

  • Strathalbyn Recreation Needs Analysis

  • Roseworthy Open Space and Recreation Needs Analysis

  • Norwood Payneham and St Peters Youth Recreation Needs

  • Salisbury Recreation Strategy

  • Goolwa Sports and Recreation Study

  • Mawson Lakes Recreation Strategy

  • Gawler Aquatic Centre Needs Analysis and Feasibility

  • City of Unley Recreation Strategy

  • Mount Barker Sports Facilities Needs Analysis.

  • Onkaparinga Horse Access Policy

  • Aldinga Recreation Centre Community Facility Co-location study

  • City of Playford Strategic Recreation Policy

  • City of Unley Ridge and Orphanage Parks Sport Activation Opportunities

  • Hawkesbury Sports Strategy NSW

  • Launceston Recreation Needs Analysis TAS

  • Waterplay Feasibility Study; Logan QLD.

Let’s Work Together

Please feel free to contact us for a no obligation chat about how we can assist in turning around your challenges with our innovative solutions. No job is too big or small and we work nationally and internationally so please get in touch so we can work together to create great communities, businesses, and organisations.