A GROUP of Mount Gambier sporting club leaders and players are giving residents a voice behind-the-scenes in City Council’s $39.1m Community and Recreation Hub project.
Members of several different sporting clubs across multiple codes – including swimming, basketball and tennis – form part of the Community Reference Group, which meets periodically with council and project developers to provide design feedback.
Community organisation delegates and other members of the public also sit on the group, with its terms of reference also highlighting school representatives, healthcare providers and youths as part of the consultation process.
While decision-making remains council’s responsibility, the reference group helps guide the project and provides feedback on proposals based off first-hand experience in their chosen fields.
Group member Nathan Stratford praised council for continuing to involve the community in the design process, with new terms of reference for the group to adhere to recently endorsed by the local government body.
“Under the new terms of reference we are looking forward to continuing to provide that community flow within the facility and provide some
insight,” Mr Stratford said.
“When it is appropriate for us to relay back to our interest groups and give them updates, we can then continue the conversation between community and council.”
Mr Stratford said the consultation process gave the group a sense of “ownership” over the project, having been involved since its initial stages.
“We want to make sure we are part of the finished product,” Mr Stratford said.
“We have some ideas that we want to keep fleshing out with council about different opportunities.
“But obviously at times there is going to be some parts of the project where we are not going to be involved in under confidentiality, especially when it comes to tender or contracts.”
Watching the project unfold, Mr Stratford described the announcement of a combined $25m in federal and state government funding as surreal.
“Certainly the process I have had with people shows they are still excited and they say it is a massive achievement to be at this stage,” he said.
“We are also excited to see when it starts and also what it will look like in the end.”
With a “robust and open” relationship between the group and council, Mr Stratford said the community group was ready to fulfil any role required in the future.
City Council chief executive Andrew Meddle said the group’s terms of reference “set out” council’s arrangements for the hub’s future.
“The community reference group represents a selection of community user groups that council can coincide with,” Mr Meddle said.
“Their usages of other facilities through their sport travels allows them to then come and correspond with the architects.”
