Loddon Shire Council: Newbridge Sports Pavillion Reconstruction
Posted under: Project objectives and outcomes
In January 2011 Loddon Shire experienced its second largest flood in recorded history. This event caused widespread and severe damage throughout the municipality and decimated the Newbridge Recreation Reserve and associated sports pavilion. In response the local community, recreation reserve committee of management, Loddon Shire and state government embarked on a reconstruction project to establish a replacement multifunction sports pavilion incorporating public and camping ground amenities, as well the re-establishment of ancillary recreation reserve facilities which were extensively damaged (e.g. tennis courts, playground etc.).
Distinguishing and innovative features of the project
Whilst Loddon Shire maintains no responsibility for the Newbridge recreation reserve (direct committee of management to DSE), both the reserve committee and state government called upon Council to act as the project and financial manager for this important flood restoration project. Subsequent governance of this project distinguished it from the way in which Council historically delivered projects. Long term use of the new facility also exemplifies sustainable operational models for public facilities through multi use agreements and functionality, consistent with Councils long term building asset management strategies.
Governance excellence was achieved via a collaborative model involving the establishment of a project steering committee made up of representatives from the various user groups, local government and state government agencies.
From the outset of the project, terms of reference for this group were agreed and established, providing a clear framework by which all decisions regarding every aspect of the project would be managed.
This steering committee was the forum through which all stakeholders were able to voice their opinions, receive information for subsequent dissemination and influence decisions regarding planning and delivery of the reconstruction works.
As Loddon Shire maintained the leadership role in this group, working so closely over an extended period of time has built strong, robust and enduring relationships between Loddon Shire, the Newbridge community and state government agencies.
How the project has achieved excellence.
The Newbridge Pavilion project is shining example of how multiple stakeholders can work collaboratively towards a common goal of building stronger and more resilient communities.
This project involved the co-operation, oversight and funding contributions from local government, state government, the local community and a wide range of philanthropic or corporate sponsors.
Financial accountability, management and control of the project was excellent, meeting state government and local expectations and complying with available funding limitations.
Contractual control over the works was also excellent with the establishment of a formal contract administration group reporting to the steering committee and regular project management meetings
and reports provided.
How it has positively impacted on the local community.
– Reinstatement of an important community facility which in its own right is an integral component to the social fabric of this small rural community and surrounding district.
– Re-establishment of the former reserve to what is now considered to be one of the premier recreation facilities and sports pavilions in the municipality and indeed surrounding regional district.
Barriers that have been overcome to achieve success.
– Establishing a building design which met the needs of such a diverse range of user groups as well as satisfying the requirements of regulatory authorities such as the Catchment Management Authority, Department of Sustainability & Environment and Loddon Shire.
– Overcome through the establishment of a steering committee which ensured that all parties maintained an equal voice in determination of building functional design as well as compliance with regulatory design elements.
– Obtaining of all regulatory approvals was streamlined through the inherent involvement of responsible authorities and their commitment to ensuring the project was delivered in a timely manner.
– Budgetary constraints and limitations overcome through the generous and forthcoming support of the state government (via the flood recovery fund) as well as significant and extensive financial and in-kind contributions from the local community, sporting clubs,
Costs associated with the project.
Total Cash Expenditure $2,204,236
Council Contribution $553,800
State Government $1,497,367
Community $153,030
In Kind Contributions $335,000+ (Estimated)
Community Labour $175,000
Donated Materials (Corporate) $80,000
Council Resources (Staff) $80,000
In addition to the costs associated with the pavilion, extensive funding and expenditure was also provided and acquitted on restoration of the recreation reserve and camping grounds.
This funding was administered by the committee of management for the recreation reserve & camping ground and as such Council does not have detailed financial records. It is however estimated that a further $1.8 Million has been spent (cash & in-kind) on ancillary works at the reserve including construction of new tennis courts, new netball courts, new playground, temporary building s and facilities, camping ground re-establishment, access roads etc.
How did the project achieve its intended goals and did it achieve more goals than were intended?
Completion of this project has seen not only the re-establishment of the sports pavilion but provision of a facility which now accommodates multiple sporting and recreation activities and clubs, and which has the potential to generate income (assisting in long term sustainability) through the hosting of various functions and events.
The resultant building maintains numerous features, services and amenities which meet the needs of a wide range of sporting groups as well as providing outstanding services for tourists and campers visiting the Shire.
The project has been delivered on budget and in a manner which has met the governance and accountability expectations of external funding providers, user groups, stakeholders and the wider community. Throughout the entire planning and delivery phases of the project, stakeholders were consulted and provided numerous opportunities to influence the project which has ensured that the new facility and ancillary reserve improvements meet a wide variety of community needs.
Other than the outstanding facility which now stands at the reserve, the most gratifying aspect/outcome of this project has been the strong community and state government relationships which have been established. The relationships will endure for many years to come and place the Shire in great stead to collaborate with the local Newbridge community as well as State Government well into the future.
What made this initiative unique and what were its defining factors?
Defining aspects of this project are as follows:
– Level of community, state government and local government support, collaboration and partnership. The level of financial, resource and in-kind support by all parties has been critical in delivering a project which otherwise may never have been possible to delivery in such scale.
– The provision of such a high quality multi-function facility along with ancillary works upon the camping grounds and recreation reserve, will meet the needs of the local and wider Loddon community for generations to come, and provides a critical element towards the long term development and growth prospects within the Newbridge Township.
– Outstanding example of how multiple stakeholders can come together under a structured governance model, to deliver a complex project whilst managing various expectations or ensuring compliance with statutory and financial requirements.
– The commitment made by all parties to assist each other wherever possible and stand unified in common goal of rebuilding not only a key recreation and tourism facility within the Shire but the spirit of a local community following what was considered to be one of the most devastating natural disasters ever experienced within the Shire.
How was the project effective?
The project has delivered a premier facility which will meet the long term needs of a wide variety of user groups within the recreation reserve precinct including sporting clubs, campers and the general public, whilst being fully DDA compliant.
Construction of the new pavilion includes features which provide opportunity for the responsible committee of management to generate additional income through the hire of the building assisting the committee in remaining financially sustainable.
Effectiveness of project delivery is considered to be demonstrated by the following:
– Final building design meeting the needs of all user groups.
– Project delivered on budget
– All user groups engaged throughout the planning and delivery of the project
– Receipt of exceptional community support during delivery of the project
– Local community, state government and Council all concurring that and exceptional result for the Newbridge community has been achieved
Explain how leadership was demonstrated in this initiative?
Loddon Shire staff and councillors demonstrated strong leadership throughout all stages of this project including detailed input and co-ordination of the initial planning, design, tendering, project management and commissioning stages of the new facility.
Strong control and governance over the building design and construction was established extremely early in the planning phase of the project in order to ensure that all parties were working towards a common goal and kept informed of various legislative, regulatory, financial and functionality requirements.
The steering committee was co-chaired by the two local ward councillors (one of whom is the sitting Loddon Shire Mayor) thus demonstrating the level of importance placed by council in ensuring that the project met state government requirements and community expectations whilst also ensuring the efficient expenditure of public funds.
Expert technical guidance and administration support was provided to the steering committee by sitting Council staff, who brought with them a wealth of technical experience in civil construction and recreation facility management. This guidance ensured that all legislative and regulatory requirements were met and that the committee were equipped to deal with all challenges and decisions brought before them.
In addition to Council’s lead role in the steering committee, each committee representative also took on leadership roles on behalf of their respective stakeholder organisations through the informing of and reporting back on steering committee decisions.
How did you evaluate the effectiveness of the initiative?
Effectiveness of the project is evident through the quality and functionality of the building as well as the positive comments and feedback received from the local community, user groups and the state government.
Council have also conducted and internal debrief to evaluate the success or otherwise of the project.
This review overwhelmingly identified the benefit in the establishment of the project steering committee and the associated terms of reference.
How could the initiative be transferred to another Council/organisation?
The documentation of clear terms of reference for the steering committee group may be used as an example document within other municipalities looking to undertake projects collaboratively with state government agencies, the local community or stakeholder groups.
Whilst it is considered that the project governance worked exceptionally well and should serve as a model by which Council will deliver other projects (has been applied on recent projects of a similar nature) requiring such a high degree and broad community involvement, a number of learning’s in respect to aspects of design preparation and contract delivery were noted.
These learning’s have been shared and discussed in detail between all staff directly involved in the project but also within Councils wider asset management and senior management working groups.
Individual/Team Contribution
Council’s Director Operations, Mr Ian McLauchlan took on a lead role within both the governance and project/contact management groups. Given the nature of the project and demands in delivering Council’s own extensive flood (road, bridges and public buildings) restoration program, an extensive amount of afterhours work was required throughout the various stages of this project.
As the most senior Council officer directly involved in the delivery of this project, Mr McLauchlan was regularly called upon to provide expert advice, guidance and implementation of various technical and engineering solutions, contract law, project management processes and quality control inspections.
Given Mr McLauchlan’s position within Council, he was also regularly called upon to inform and guide the steering group through the various regulatory approval processes (health, planning and building).
Council’s Manager of Community & Recreation, Mr Allan Stobaus provided the steering group with expect technical advice and input in respect to the design and operation of recreation facilities. Mr Stobaus was also instrumental in ensuring the administrative and governance aspects of the steering group and contract/project management group were supported and functioned correctly. Mr Stobaus also provided ongoing direct support the Director Operations in the administration of the construction contract as well as subsequent quality and compliance inspections.
Cr Geoff Curnow (Mayor) & Cr Allen Brownbill alternated in the position of chair of the project governance group, maintaining focus on the overall objective of the project, ensured that all stakeholders views, opinions and contributions were recorded, maintained proper meeting protocols and provided high level strategic leadership for all parties.
General Comments
Delivery of the Newbridge Sporting Pavilion project along with ancillary recreation and camping reserve restoration works is one of the largest individual flood recovery projects delivered by Loddon Shire following the 2010/11 flood events, outstripped only by the restoration of the Bridgewater Caravan Park complex.
This project demonstrates Council’s commitment to building strong local communities in that whilst not being directly responsible for this facility, recognition of this important local asset from the perspective of role it plays in public health and wellbeing as well as economic development, prompted Council not only to financially contribute to the restoration effort but provide extensive inkind resources in the form of key personnel. This commitment was further reinforced by the direct involvement of two councillors in the project steering group.
The establishment of a project steering group provided the opportunity for Council to build a variety of strong relationships with user groups, the wider community and state government agencies. Other than the premier recreation facilities which have been delivered under the guidance and leadership of Loddon Shire, these relationships are one of the most gratifying and enduring legacy of this project.
Experiences and learning’s taken from this project are now being applied across other building projects under the control of Loddon Shire and will ultimately contribute to an improved result in
ensuring that Council and Public buildings meet the needs of generations of Loddon Residents to come.
Summary
In January 2011 Loddon Shire experienced its second largest flood in recorded history. This event caused widespread and severe damage throughout the municipality and decimated the Newbridge Recreation Reserve and associated sports pavilion.
In response to this event and following calls by both the local community and state government, Loddon Shire took on responsibility for the co-ordination and administration of the reconstruction of this important community asset.
To this end a project steering group was established involving numerous stakeholders under the technical guidance and leadership of key Council staff and Councillors. Guiding this group throughout the various stages of reconstruction, the result being the re-establishment of a critical community asset which accommodates multiple user groups and shines as a premier sporting facility within not only Loddon Shire but the wider regional community.