The council has released its draft plan for our shire's open spaces for the next 10 years, and community members are being urged to have a look and have their say.
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The council has placed its Recreation and Open Space Strategy 2021 to 2031 on exhibition for community comment and you can view it online or at council's administration offices.
From investigating an indoor sports facility to an aquatic facility masterplan, to the council taking on management of the showground to develop multi-use equestrian facilities, the strategy has a broad scope.
It outlines preferred options for each of our local parks, those well-known and those tucked away in residential areas, and options range from investigating selling undeveloped parcels of land to investing in new equipment and more walking paths for key areas.
It highlights the need for sports ground lighting, access to local waterways and where new and improved amenities are needed.
"It's very comprehensive and it's really important that local community groups look at it," Mayor Phyllis Miller said.
She explains the Strategy has been two years in the making, and it's like a "stocktake" of what Forbes has, identifying what we need in future. It looks at publicly owned spaces.
"We have been to and fro, trying to get it right, there has been community consultation and this is the opportunity to look at what is hopefully getting close to the final document," Mayor Miller said.
There are masterplans to be developed for areas including Spooner Oval and the aquatic facility, and the mayor says having the overall plan and shovel-ready projects puts the shire in good stead for attracting funding.
The council has been out to schools and sporting clubs, community stakeholders and government agencies to develop the plan, the introduction states.
A community survey attracted 114 responses, identifying walking (70 per cent), fishing (39 per cent) and playing in the park (31 per cent) as the top three activities closely followed by swimming (29 per cent), bushwalking (28 per cent), exercise in the park, cycling, water skiing, horse riding and gardening.
Directions in the Strategy
Basketball: Consider options for joint development of a two-court multi-use indoor sport facility and options for partnership with education providers (include netball in consultation).
South Circle / Grinsted Ovals - lighting for cricket and rugby union, movable covered spectator seating and a modern scoreboard for rugby, investigate options for change rooms and first aid facilities downstairs at the clubhouse and a versatile function venue upstairs.
Dragon boating: Investigate options for a boat launching area on the lake.
Equestrian / Forbes Showground: Investigate opportunities for the council to assume control of the showgrounds site and prepare a masterplan including multi-use facilities and a covered arena. This site is unique in that it is largely owned by the PA and H Association, and is a hub for numerous events.
Fishing: investigate boat ramp and parking requirements on Lake Forbes, regrade the road to Cottons Weir and schedule three-monthly maintenance at the Cottons Weir foreshore.
Botanical Gardens: new shared canteen and storage facilities, investigate lighting central fields for cricket and soccer, and construct a series of walk / cycle loops through the venue.
Motorsports - Investigate opportunities to provide mains electricity and develop an amenities block with showers.
Netball: Redevelopment of the central bank of three courts with lighting, seating and scorers' benches.
Rugby league - a separate master plan is to be developed for Spooner Oval.
Sporting shooters: install appropriate irrigation and grasses to reduce dust, upgrade amenities and re-grade the access road.
Swimming: undertake a feasibility study and masterplan to determine the future direction of aquatic facility provision including indoor and outdoor options.
Tennis courts: plan for resurfacing of older courts, develop a plan for shade, seating and barbecue / food preparation, and monitor the growth of hockey which uses the facilities.
Water skiing - investigate additional boat landing beaches, dredging the silt from the lake and battering back the banks to prevent wave action and ongoing erosion.
Parks and areas listed for development include: Gum Swamp and bird hide; Jenny Murphy Park; Lake Forbes; Mabel Green Park (Scrivener Street); Nelson Park; Nurse Stokes Park (near the hospital); Ron Flannery Park; Sister Gardener Park (Patterson Street)
Parks its suggested council investigate disposing of include: Alma Sharp Park (Kent Street); Andrew Peet Memorial Park; Carrington Gardens (Wheelong Place); Clematis Street Park; Dulcie Muffet Park (Wyndham Avenue); Eloora Place Park; Margaret Muir Park (Flint and Barwin streets); Paul Wenz Park (Hettie Place); Powter Street Park; Reymond Street Park; Sister O'Delia Park (off Koala Pl); Vi Adams Park (if appropriate recognition of her contribution to community is made on the Lake walk); and Willis Place Park.
The plan is on Forbes Shire Council's website, forbes.nsw.gov.au.
Submissions addressed to the General Manager can be emailed to forbes@forbes.nsw.gov.au or posted to PO Box 333, Forbes 2871 by 5pm, Friday 18 June 2021.
Councillors will then consider and adopt the strategy.
Submissions close 5pm, Friday 18 June 2021.
