1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:02,280 Speaker 1: But look a real change of pace because we know 2 00:00:02,360 --> 00:00:06,760 Speaker 1: the Northern Territory government have awarded local consultant Haims Sharlie 3 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:10,119 Speaker 1: the three hundred and sixty one one thousand dollars contract 4 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:13,480 Speaker 1: to drift a master plan for the Marara Sporting Precinct. 5 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:17,480 Speaker 1: It's going to provide a roadmap for improved sporting infrastructure 6 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: for territorians and also established the precinct as an iconic 7 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:24,639 Speaker 1: sporting facility for the Northern Territory. I reckon, it's a 8 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 1: fantastic thing to do. 9 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:26,640 Speaker 2: Now. 10 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: Joining us on the line is the Department of People's 11 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:34,839 Speaker 1: Sport and Culture, General Manager of Sport, Recreation and Strategic Infrastructure, 12 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 1: Mitch Hardy. Good morning to you, Mitch. 13 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 3: Morning Katie. How are you today? 14 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:41,880 Speaker 1: You're really good. Thank you so much for your time 15 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:42,479 Speaker 1: this morning. 16 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:44,279 Speaker 3: Now, mich thanks for having me on. 17 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 1: Why is this master plan needed? 18 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 3: Well, I think it's really important that we have, as 19 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:52,960 Speaker 3: you said earlier, a roadmap for the future for our 20 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 3: sporting facilities in the Mara Precinct. As we all know, 21 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 3: the precinct is widely used by the Greater Darwin community 22 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 3: and it's been a home to many families and generations 23 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:06,559 Speaker 3: of families for sport participation, so to have that plan 24 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 3: for the future and be able to cater for expected 25 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:12,400 Speaker 3: growth in the Greater Darwin region, but also to support 26 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:15,920 Speaker 3: the sports that exist there and potentially look at other 27 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:18,559 Speaker 3: activities and sports that can actually make that their home 28 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 3: as well. Yeah, right, is something that we're really looking 29 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 3: forward to exploring and having a bit of a plan 30 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 3: for the future. 31 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:27,040 Speaker 1: Look, the thing I really like about it, and it's 32 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:29,479 Speaker 1: something that you know, I suppose we're probably a bit 33 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 1: used to if you've lived here for quite a long time, 34 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:33,959 Speaker 1: but when you're traveling to state and you go to 35 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:37,840 Speaker 1: different sporting events, you realize that we're actually pretty lucky 36 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 1: to have so many sports in such close proximity to 37 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 1: each other, particularly if you're a parent like me that's 38 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 1: got one kid at one sporting pre seinct to men 39 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 1: another kid across the road somewhere else playing another sport. 40 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 1: But it's actually like it is such a great, a 41 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 1: great sporting complex to have. But I suppose, you know, 42 00:01:57,280 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 1: we've got to make sure that that infrastructure is up 43 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 1: to that it is at a standard that we need 44 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 1: it to be, and that we grow as the sporting 45 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:05,920 Speaker 1: community grows. 46 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 3: Well that's right, and like everyone who's come to Darwin 47 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:11,520 Speaker 3: who will be familiar with it's a real wow factor 48 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 3: when you go into there and see the various sporting 49 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 3: facilities that we have to offer. And now anyone who 50 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 3: comes from inter state or visitors from overseas are always 51 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:23,520 Speaker 3: impressed about the way that the precinct's been set up 52 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:25,520 Speaker 3: and the quality of facilities that we have. But as 53 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 3: you say, these facilities have been there for some time, 54 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 3: some are newer than others. That we have the fantastic 55 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 3: indoor network facility and the tennis center and the rugby 56 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 3: league stadium, but there are some aging facilities in amongst 57 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:38,640 Speaker 3: that precinc that we need to have a look at. 58 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 3: And if we're going to be contributing to the next 59 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,920 Speaker 3: eight or so years of major events around Australia and 60 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,360 Speaker 3: contributing to what they're calling the Green and Gold Decade, 61 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 3: we need to make sure we've got the infrastructure in 62 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:54,519 Speaker 3: place and only support visiting teams and potential international teams, 63 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:58,240 Speaker 3: but also making sure our community still continues to have 64 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 3: access to really good quality facility and we support the 65 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 3: sports of putting so many hours both in paid and 66 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 3: volunteer time to make sure that they've got facilities de 67 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:07,640 Speaker 3: catered for their sport. 68 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, one hundred percent. So much. What's this master plan 69 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 1: going to include? 70 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:15,639 Speaker 3: Yeah, so we're going to have a look at the 71 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:19,280 Speaker 3: individual sport facilities that make up the precinct and look 72 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 3: at the condition of those facilities and where the priority 73 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:25,400 Speaker 3: items might be sitting. So as we're whare we're doing 74 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:27,919 Speaker 3: a replacement turf to pitch to at the Hockey Center 75 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:31,239 Speaker 3: early in twenty twenty five, so we'll be looking at 76 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 3: what the condition needs of the Hockey Center might be 77 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 3: about their long term future planning. I know Cricket have 78 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 3: got aspirations to look at their two cricket ovals at 79 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 3: the X Arena there. We're going to have a look 80 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 3: at TOO Stadium to look at the spectator, corporate and 81 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:50,720 Speaker 3: obviously player amenity within and around the playing surface at 82 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 3: THEO Stadium because there's some aging infrastructure and change rooms 83 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 3: in that facility, and obviously we've got the Wanderers Club 84 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 3: and Sub Mary's Football clubs part of that facility as well. 85 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 3: Then we move over to the rugby Union rugby parks 86 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 3: and old facility. I played there some twenty twenty five 87 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 3: years ago. And it's still the same facility that was 88 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 3: what I played on there. So we've got lighting infrastructure 89 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 3: such as Darwin Football Stadium where we've had a League 90 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:19,520 Speaker 3: games where have had to bring in temporary lighting to 91 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 3: make sure that those games are broadcast quality. So we've 92 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:25,559 Speaker 3: got to look at the lighting and some of that work. 93 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:28,719 Speaker 3: We'll look at the environmental solutions that we can put 94 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:31,599 Speaker 3: in place as well. So the benefits of having led 95 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:34,920 Speaker 3: lighting and reducing the costs to sports about having lights, 96 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:36,480 Speaker 3: and as we all know with the environment up here 97 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:39,279 Speaker 3: in Darwen, the more times we can spend playing under 98 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:41,160 Speaker 3: lights and not in the heat of the day, it's 99 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:44,600 Speaker 3: going to be beneficial for families, but also around the precinct. 100 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:47,560 Speaker 3: We want to make sure spectators and families have a 101 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:50,160 Speaker 3: positive experience and a really quality experience when they're coming 102 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:53,760 Speaker 3: into the precinct as well. There's one footpath that runs 103 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:55,360 Speaker 3: around the Aballa Loop. 104 00:04:55,160 --> 00:05:00,360 Speaker 2: As you'd be familiar with i AM, and there's is 105 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 2: there too, which you know boot camps use and people 106 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:06,720 Speaker 2: use that for some strengths and conditioning and physical exercise. 107 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:10,159 Speaker 3: So we want to make sure that the open drains 108 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:12,040 Speaker 3: are looked at as part of that process, because there's 109 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:14,599 Speaker 3: a lot of erosion around those big open drains in 110 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 3: the precinct. And also we want to make sure that 111 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 3: we've got amenity there so that if families are coming 112 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 3: into the precinc they can go for a walk or 113 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 3: do their exercise in a safe environment, but also have 114 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 3: a really quality experience. So we'll have a look at 115 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 3: some environmental factors. Maybe some smart technology is part of 116 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:34,440 Speaker 3: that as well, be able to track users and making 117 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 3: sure that we've got good lighting and face secure space 118 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:40,799 Speaker 3: for families to come park their cars and spend time. 119 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:43,839 Speaker 3: That's something we have to look at as well. 120 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:46,160 Speaker 1: And Mitch, look before I let you go. I know 121 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:49,280 Speaker 1: that most sports buy and larger, you know, pretty friendly 122 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:51,560 Speaker 1: towards one another. But is there going to be a 123 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:54,040 Speaker 1: bit of jostling here when it comes to you know, 124 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 1: which sports going to get some additional funding or which 125 00:05:56,880 --> 00:06:00,560 Speaker 1: sport's going to get some additional infrastructure. Is that kind 126 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:03,640 Speaker 1: of going to be determined as we move down this pass. 127 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 3: Yeah. I think that's where Haim Charlie will really come 128 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:10,679 Speaker 3: to the fore with their expertise and their consultancy process 129 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:12,920 Speaker 3: will be key to that to make sure that all 130 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:15,719 Speaker 3: the sports voices are heard and we get some independent 131 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:19,640 Speaker 3: recommendations around the priority items. Obviously some sports will be 132 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:21,880 Speaker 3: lobbying harder than others, but we're also going to need 133 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:24,919 Speaker 3: to think about those sports that probably don't have a 134 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:29,160 Speaker 3: strong visibility out there. I mean volleyball use Mara indoor 135 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:32,559 Speaker 3: stadium for five nights a week. You've got a sport 136 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:35,160 Speaker 3: like Bamington and are based over at Winnelly that are 137 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 3: at capacity. We've got some martial arts sports and sports 138 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 3: like gymnastics, So some of the smaller sports, it's really 139 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:43,320 Speaker 3: important for them to have a voice as to what 140 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 3: their future needs might be and how they can potentially 141 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:50,000 Speaker 3: either co locate or have a multi sports facility or 142 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 3: or leverage off existing ones. But also things like shade 143 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:56,039 Speaker 3: and some of the smaller ticket projects we can maybe 144 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 3: bundle up as sort of minor project work that we 145 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 3: can do in I guess in a collaborative way. So 146 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:06,080 Speaker 3: if one organization needs a bit to shade, there's probably 147 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 3: two or three others that probably have the same need. 148 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:11,120 Speaker 3: So it's about capturing that and that's that consultancy process 149 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 3: will bring that to the full well. 150 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:14,600 Speaker 1: And look, it is such an important thing to invest in. 151 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:17,400 Speaker 1: I think that sport infrastructure. We know that sport brings 152 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:20,440 Speaker 1: so much to our community in so many different ways. 153 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:23,840 Speaker 1: You know, first and foremost that physical activity and getting 154 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:26,960 Speaker 1: kids involved in something really positive kids and adults. But 155 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:28,960 Speaker 1: then even when you look at it, you know those 156 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 1: further steps down the track and you've got those big 157 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 1: international sporting events coming to the Northern territory. That's a 158 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 1: wonderful thing. And even some of those you know, other 159 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:40,960 Speaker 1: tiers of sporting events coming to the end and bringing 160 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:44,480 Speaker 1: that sports tourism like it it brings so much to 161 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 1: the community. 162 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 3: Yes, right, and it all fits together, so you've got 163 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 3: your participation base for all the families and the kids 164 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 3: out there, but you also got to bring those events 165 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:57,640 Speaker 3: in and let the kids and families see their heroes 166 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:00,480 Speaker 3: and feel a part of the Australine sporting land. I 167 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:03,680 Speaker 3: think is really important. And there's some wonderful opportunities on 168 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:05,840 Speaker 3: the horizon, and we've got to be smart about how 169 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 3: we invest in, who we invest with, and also look 170 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:11,840 Speaker 3: at where we can attract other forms of investment, whether 171 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 3: it be private or federal as well as part of 172 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:17,720 Speaker 3: this process, because we can't keep relying on the Northern 173 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:20,560 Speaker 3: Territory government to keep paying for upgrades and maintenance facilities, 174 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 3: we need to be smarter about how we bring that 175 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 3: money in and improve the facilities without doing it all ourselves. 176 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:31,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, good point well, Department of People, Sport and Culture, 177 00:08:31,320 --> 00:08:35,320 Speaker 1: General Manager of Sport, Recreation and Strategic Infrastructure, Mitch Hardy, 178 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:37,800 Speaker 1: really appreciate your time this morning. Thanks so much for 179 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:38,560 Speaker 1: having a chat with me. 180 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:41,440 Speaker 3: Nice to talk to you, Katie having thank you you too.