title: Sports Field Feasibility Study council: mitchell state: vic category: strategy classification: MINOR status: unknown last_compiled: 2026-05-31 source_docs:
- mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf
Sports Field Feasibility Study
The Sports Field Feasibility Study is a 2014 infrastructure-planning framework for active sporting reserves across Mitchell Shire, with its strongest emphasis on the Wallan, Beveridge, Kilmore and Broadford facility network. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.4) Its planning significance is that it translates population growth, sport participation trends and precinct-structure planning into land, field, pavilion and shared-use requirements for future active open space. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, pp.4-5)
Background
The study was commissioned by Mitchell Shire Council to guide policy, provision standards and infrastructure requirements for future active sporting reserves. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.4) It builds on the Sports Development Plan 2011, Mitchell Open Space Strategy 2013-2023 and Integrated Community Services and Infrastructure Plan 2013, and it was intended to inform growth-area planning, reserve concept design and future negotiations over sporting infrastructure provision. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, pp.5-6)
The study responds to a projected doubling of Mitchell Shire’s population over the following 20 years, with most growth expected in the Wallan and Beveridge sub-region. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.4) It identifies demographic change, more young families in new housing estates, changing cultural backgrounds and emerging demand for sports such as soccer as reasons why the existing Australian Rules football, netball and cricket reserve model would need to become more flexible. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.4)
Analysis
Growth-Area Facility Logic
The study treats Mitchell South as the main pressure point because Wallan and Beveridge were expected to carry substantial population growth. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, pp.4, 8) Its core mechanism is simple: as new residential areas are planned through Precinct Structure Plans, active open space must be reserved early enough, in large enough parcels, and in locations that can support multi-field, multi-sport use. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, pp.6-8)
The study recommends district reserves of at least 8-10 hectares, with 10-12 hectares preferred where a broader mix of playing fields, pavilions and passive-open-space interfaces is needed. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.8) This matters because a reserve that is too small functions like an undersized schoolyard: it may hold one activity, but it cannot easily absorb future sports, overflow training, shared pavilions, parking, lighting, cricket nets, playgrounds, circulation and expansion. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, pp.8, 40-41)
The study also distinguishes between unencumbered and encumbered land. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.8) It allows innovative use of encumbered land for active open space only where community benefit, management and maintenance are not compromised, which means drainage, topography or environmental constraints cannot simply be counted as equivalent to functional playing-field land. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.8)
Wallan: Three New District Reserves Triggered by Growth
For Wallan, the study identifies Greenhill Reserve, Hadfield Park and Wallan Secondary College as the existing active-sport base. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.9) It recommends three new active sporting reserves when Wallan reaches 35,000 people, expected in the study to occur in 2036. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.9)
Reserve A is proposed as a district-level Australian Rules football, cricket and netball reserve with two senior irrigated ovals, synthetic cricket wickets, four acrylic netball courts, a shared pavilion, car parking, sports lighting, scoreboard, coaches boxes, cricket practice facilities and a children’s playground. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.9) Reserve B is proposed as a district-level Australian Rules football, cricket and tennis reserve with two senior irrigated ovals, synthetic cricket wickets, eight acrylic courts and the same supporting infrastructure suite. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.9) Reserve C is proposed as a staged district soccer facility with four senior irrigated turf pitches, two fenced and two unfenced, with consideration of one synthetic pitch. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.9)
The planning implication is that Wallan’s future active-open-space need is not one reserve but a distributed network of sport-specific yet flexible district facilities. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.9) The study’s staging logic means Council would not need to build every component at once, but land reservation and spatial planning would need to happen before residential subdivision removes viable sites. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, pp.7-9)
Beveridge: Larger Long-Term Demand and Stronger Soccer Pressure
For Beveridge, the study identifies the existing Beveridge Recreation Reserve as containing a community centre, two tennis courts and pony club facilities. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.10) It responds to projected population of more than 30,000 people in and around Beveridge by 2036, and it notes that the full facility program would only be realised if Beveridge reaches 30,000 people in 2036 and 80,000 people by 2054. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.10)
The recommended Beveridge network includes six Council reserves and four school ovals for Australian Rules football, cricket and netball. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.10) It also includes five Council soccer facilities and two purpose-built school soccer facilities, each with up to four pitches, plus one eight-court tennis facility. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.10)
The study gives Beveridge a stronger rectangular-field emphasis because new communities were expected to have more diverse sporting preferences than the traditional football-and-cricket pattern elsewhere in the Shire. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.10) This changes the reserve-planning problem because rectangular pitches, unfenced fields and synthetic-surface options can increase flexibility, but they also require deliberate design choices about fencing, lighting, competition standards and compatibility with athletics or emerging sports. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, pp.10, 39)
Kilmore and Broadford: Targeted Local Network Adjustments
For Kilmore, the study identifies JJ Clancy Reserve, Kilmore Cricket and Recreation Reserve, Kilmore East Recreation Reserve and Hudson Park as the existing facility base. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.11) It recommends further investigation before detailed master planning for a new Kilmore reserve, with the intended focus on junior football, cricket and athletics. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.11)
For Broadford, the study focuses on the Broadford Leisure Centre Precinct, which combines education land, DSE land and Council-managed land. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.15) Existing issues include access to toilets, overuse, playing-field quality, player and spectator amenity, and sports-field lighting. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.15) The preferred response is a local-level shared precinct supporting baseball, soccer, cricket and junior football training, with a multipurpose community sports pavilion and improved school, leisure-centre and reserve integration. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, pp.15-16)
Hierarchy, Provision Ratios and Infrastructure Standards
The study applies a local, district and regional reserve hierarchy from the Sports Development Plan. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.25) Local reserves are intended for junior competition, training and walking-distance communities; district reserves are intended for club training and competition with pavilions, car parking, floodlights and social amenities; regional reserves are intended to serve Mitchell Shire and surrounding municipalities and host regional events. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.25)
The Integrated Community Services and Infrastructure Plan ratios used in the study are one Australian Rules football field per 6,000 people, one cricket field per 4,800 people, one soccer field per 5,000 people, one outdoor netball court per 5,000 people and one tennis court per 4,000 people. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.27) Applying those ratios at full build-out produced recommended provision of six Australian Rules football fields in Wallan and 13 in Beveridge, seven soccer pitches in Wallan and 16 in Beveridge, seven outdoor netball courts in Wallan and 16 in Beveridge, and nine tennis courts in Wallan and 20 in Beveridge. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.27)
The reserve standards are also quantified. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, pp.40-41) A local sporting reserve is described as approximately 8 hectares for a population range of 3,000-5,000 people, a district reserve as approximately 10 hectares for 10,000-15,000 people, and a regional reserve as a minimum of 20 hectares for a catchment of 100,000 people accessible within a 60-minute drive. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.40)
Pavilion standards scale with the same hierarchy. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, pp.41-43) Local pavilions are up to 350 square metres, district pavilions are 500-600 square metres, and regional pavilions are up to 1,000 square metres. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, pp.41, 43) This shows the study is not only allocating fields; it is setting a service-level model for change rooms, social space, storage, public toilets, first aid rooms, umpire rooms and community space. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, pp.41-43)
PSP and Developer-Contribution Implications
The study links active open space to PSP delivery in Lockerbie, Lockerbie North, Beveridge Central, Beveridge North West and future Wallan planning. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, pp.19, 26) The Lockerbie PSP allocates 43.5 hectares of active open space, including three active reserves of approximately 9 hectares and a 15-hectare regional sports precinct. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.19) The Lockerbie North PSP includes 17.5 hectares of active playing space across two reserves, including an 8-hectare reserve and a 9.5-hectare reserve. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.18)
The study records public-open-space contribution rates of 8.33% of Net Developable Area for the Lockerbie PSP, made up of 6.30% active open space and 2.03% passive open space. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.18) It records a 9.15% public-open-space contribution for Lockerbie North, made up of 5.9% active open space and 3.24% passive open space. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.18)
The practical consequence is that the study gives Council a basis for negotiating land and infrastructure outcomes in growth areas, but it also acknowledges that open-space contributions alone may not fully fund the community infrastructure needed. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, pp.4, 18) This creates a delivery gap between reserving land through PSPs and actually constructing fields, lighting, pavilions, drainage, irrigation, car parking and ancillary facilities. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, pp.18, 40-41)
Current Status
The supplied evidence is a 2014 feasibility study and does not provide a later adoption record, implementation audit, capital works update or current PSP status. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf) The safest status classification for this page is therefore unknown, with the study treated as an informing strategy rather than as proof that recommended reserves have been delivered. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf)
Dependencies
- Blocks: The study itself does not appear to block statutory decisions, but its standards influence whether future PSPs, master plans and reserve designs allocate enough land and infrastructure for active sport. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, pp.6-8)
- Blocked by: Implementation depends on final PSP layouts, Wallan structure planning, confirmed population growth, community demand, funding availability, school shared-use agreements and detailed site master planning. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, pp.7, 9-11, 26-28)
- Informed by: The study is informed by the Sports Development Plan 2011, Mitchell Open Space Strategy 2013, Integrated Community Services and Infrastructure Plan 2013, MPA growth-area guidance, sport-specific facility guidelines and stakeholder consultation. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, pp.5, 29)
- Implements: The study implements local reserve hierarchy planning, growth-area active-open-space planning and shared-use facility principles for new communities. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, pp.6-8, 25)
- Conflicts with: The document does not identify a formal policy conflict, but it highlights a delivery tension where developer open-space contributions are not sufficient by themselves to deliver the full level of community infrastructure required. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.18)
Cross-Jurisdictional Links
The study contacted adjoining growth-area councils Hume and Whittlesea to understand sports and community-infrastructure planning for new communities. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.24) Hume was planning facilities including a town park with an aquatics centre, synthetic athletics track and regional play space, a 14-court tennis complex, two hockey pitches at Newbury Park Community Hub, a regional soccer hub at John Ilham Reserve and a three-pitch soccer facility south of Craigieburn Road. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.24)
Whittlesea was experiencing growth in Epping North, Wollert, Donnybrook and Woodstock, and the Donnybrook PSP was expected to connect with future Lockerbie and Lockerbie North development. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.24) The study notes that residents may share facilities and services across municipal boundaries, but the existing railway line would need to be resolved as a physical barrier. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, p.24)
Gaps in This Analysis
The manifest provides two extracted-text records that appear to represent the same feasibility study rather than a broader implementation file. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf) The analysis is therefore limited by the absence of the Sports Development Plan 2011, Integrated Community Services and Infrastructure Plan 2013, Mitchell Open Space Strategy 2013-2023, current PSP documents for Wallan and Beveridge, capital works records, school shared-use agreements and any post-2014 delivery audit. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf, pp.5, 19, 26, 29)
The largest analytical gap is implementation status. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf) The source identifies what should be planned, but it does not show which reserves were later secured, funded, designed, constructed, deferred or superseded. (Source: mitchell_sports_field_feasibility_study_finalsmall.pdf)