Bradfield Development Authority, NSW Government

To provide the City with a strategic blueprint for advancing softball/baseball facilities in the region.

The Bradfield Development Authority engaged Otium to conduct a Social Recreation Needs Study to inform the open space and recreation requirements for the new Aerotropolis precincts within Liverpool LGA, Western Sydney. This area was also within the regional catchment of a proposed regional park.

The Needs Studies objectives were to:

• Review, summarise and map the existing open space and recreation network in the study area.
• Engage with stakeholders to understand requirements within the study area.
• Define the role of regional open space and assess the proposed regional park’s impacts and considerations on the study area.
• Forecast future demands of social recreation.
• Provide key planning considerations
• Develop an open space and recreation planning framework to ensure equitable distribution of high-quality open spaces that can meet the needs of the future community.

An extensive analysis of the existing network within Liverpool and its surrounding Local Government Areas guided the provision framework and provided the client with a detailed set of recommendations.

Establishment of a detailed list of facilities so the City Analysis of the open space and recreation within the study area provided our client with:

• An extensive understanding of the key research, participation and trends in social recreation planning.
• Participation, trends, and information from stakeholders that have informed the current and future needs for sport and recreation.
• Mapping and analysis of the existing and planned indoor sports and recreation facilities within the network.

Key recommendations were formed for the provision of open space for recreation and sport within the study area. This includes:

• Development of provision frameworks to outline the recommended standards of open space.
• Recommendations for the provision of public open space, outdoor sport, aquatic and indoor sport facilities; summarised by type, spatial requirements, and potential number of sites required.
• As informed by demand modelling for each facility type.
• Recommendations for social infrastructure components within the proposed Regional Park.