Recreation Precinct Master Plan - Shire Of Mount Magnet

1. Overview ............................................................................................................. 3
2. Process ............................................................................................................... 3
3. Mount Magnet as a Community ........................................................................... 3
4. Existing Facilities ................................................................................................. 4
4.1. Summary of Facility Condition ............................................................................. 9
5. Stakeholder engagement ................................................................................... 10
6. Design intent...................................................................................................... 10
7. Order of Probable Cost ...................................................................................... 11
8. Master Plan ....................................................................................................... 13
9. Appendix 1 – Moloney Asset Condition Rating system ...................................... 15

CCS Strategic takes pleasure in submitting this Master Plan for the Mount Magnet
Recreation Precinct.
The detail of the report is provided in the drawings and the associated cost schedules which
have also been provided in electronic form.
The study process used to inform the design of the master plan involved:
A review of background materials including previous studies, reports and publications
The preparation of a series of project display panels presenting design and
development ideas to assist in the consultation program
An extended visit to Mount Magnet from Friday to Monday inclusive to allow for:
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Site inspection and audit of existing infrastructure
Meetings with key stakeholders including the local school students subsequently
the staff, local aboriginal corporation, shire staff and elected members
A shopping precinct display and community interaction session on Saturday
morning
An open community workshop on Saturday evening at the recreation centre
An aquatic centre display and community interaction session on Sunday
afternoon
Further site inspections and investigation and a meeting with the Visitor’s Centre
Manager on Monday
Follow up enquiries with local stakeholders
Development of a series of draft master plan design option and discussion with Shire
representatives
Refinement of the design options to the master plan presented in consultation with the
quantity surveyor and product suppliers
Preparation of a detailed cost schedule
Presentation of the draft master plan to the shire councillors via teleconference
Refinement of the plans, cost schedules and report based on feedback
Presentation of the final report and plans.
Mount Magnet is located 573 km northeast of Perth via the Great Northern Highway and
was developed in the late 1890’s in support of very strong pastoral and mining industries.
Today the township is in decline with the surrounding pastoral district suffering ongoing
hardship from drought and wild dogs and mining activity reduced to only a few mines.

The Shire of Mount Magnet is currently home to a population of around 640 people of which
36% are Aboriginal 1 . Within the township there are some 530 residents of which 43% are
Aboriginal, acknowledging the largely non-indigenous population living on the surrounding
pastoral stations.
The WA Planning Commission 2 forecasts a decline in the local population by as much has
half by 2026. The chart below demonstrates the predicted change in the population profile
from 2006 to 2026 with every age cohort declining sharply, except for the very few residents
aged over 75 which is expected to remain constant.
The number of young children will decline dramatically and although youth numbers will fall,
the drop is not nearly as severe. The cohort of school aged children is anticipated to be
predominantly aboriginal and will need to be serviced.
Mount Magnet is serviced by a comprehensive range of community facilities. These
facilities have been the subject of a visual inspection and audit using the Moloney Asset
Condition Rating system. This system provides for a subjective alpha numeric assessment
of the current condition and serviceability of the asset.
A full description of the Moloney scale is included in appendix 1. In essence the lower the
number the better the facility. A score of zero indicates a brand new facility and score of 10
describes a facility that should be removed from service and most likely demolished. The
fitness for purpose or ability of a facility to deliver the services intended is classified in the
range of A to D. Highly suitable facilities that meet service delivery requirements fully are
ranked A and facilities that completely fail to service need are ranked D:
The inventory and audit scores of Mount Magnet’s community facilities is shown below.
1
ABS Census 2011
2
Western Australia Tomorrow Population Report No.7 2006 to 2026, February 2012.

Facility
Rural Transaction Centre
Condition
9C
Library
9C
Youth Drop-in centre
9C
Local radio station
3B
Foster Park
4B

Anzac Memorial (town) Hall
5B
Outdoor Cinema (picture gardens)
6C
Seniors Centre
7C
Basketball courts (2)
6B
Basketball court shelter
4B

Full size AFL
and cricket oval
(synthetic pitch)
3A
Cricket practice nets (2)
9D
Tennis courts (4)
10D
Tennis court shelter
7C
Playground
9D

Recreation centre
5B
Squash courts (2)
5B
Skatepark
8C
BMX track
7C
Fire brigade running track
9D

Swimming pool - 5 lane 25m and
toddlers pool - outdoor /seasonal
3A
Fitness centre gym – within the
swimming pool compound
Museum
Visitor’s Centre – within the
Museum building
0A
1A
0A
The Shire boasts a range of new and recently upgraded facilities at the southern end of
town comprising the museum, visitors centre and aquatic centre.
Community amenities within the central section of town comprise the town hall (Anzac
Memorial Hall), outdoor cinema and seniors centre. In general these facilities are old and’,
whilst serviceable to some degree, could all be dramatically improved to contemporary
standards. The town’s main parkland on the main street (Foster Park) is a small pocket of
green in the landscape and could be considerably improved for both aesthetic and
functional purposes.
The Rural Transaction Centre building on Naughton Street (also housing the Library, Radio
Station, Op Shop and Youth Centre) is stricken by structural decline and requires major
restoration if it is to be maintained in a state fit for ongoing use.
The main recreation precinct comprising the recreation centre and squash courts, oval and
hard courts and BMX track and skatepark is in a varying states of repair and dereliction.
The recreation centre and squash courts building is in sound condition and quite functional
and the oval irrigation system has recently been upgraded to provide an improved, quality
surface. The two hard courts near the school catering for basketball and tennis are in
reasonable condition although it wold appear the little tennis is played, hindered by the
process required to secure the net posts and nets.
The four old tennis courts are totally derelict and would be dangerous to use. They have
been effectively decommissioned but the surface should be removed.
The BMX track is in varying states of repair and is still useable as is the concrete skatepark,
however, the latter is far from contemporary in design. Leading skatepark construction
company CONVIC have assessed the facility from photographic records provided, and
advise that the facility is unsuitable for renovation.

A range of stakeholder engagements were
conducted during the study process and
importantly included a workshop session with
the students at the school. Nearly all of the
children in the school indicated that they
owned a bicycle and would be interested in
riding on a new skate/bike track. A much
lesser number indicated ownership of a
skateboard, however, they would be keen to
acquire a skateboard if there were new
facilities to ride on.
As a group, the secondary school students
expressed a desire to have a place in which
they could gather, conduct dances and play
their music. A broadcast system capable of
playing their music (captured on their iPod or
smart phone) was highly valued. Other
important consultation sessions involved
mounting a display and encouraging informal
interaction on Saturday morning in the
shopping precinct and on Sunday afternoon
at the aquatic centre.
The display panel shown to the right is one of
a series used to attract attention and provide
a stimulus to conversation.
Even though the concept drawings that comprise the Master Plan and the cost estimates
that detail the order of probable cost are intended as comprehensive stand-alone
documents, there are elements that would benefit from some further explanation.
The Master Plan focuses on the main recreation precinct in town adjacent to the school
and comprising the recreation centre, oval, hard courts, BMX track and skatepark.
Other facilities, particularly the swimming pool and fitness centre, are an integral part of
the suite of leisure facilities on offer in the township.
The further development of facilities such as Foster Park on the main street, Barimaia
Creek in the centre of town, the town hall and the outdoor cinema are further addressed
in a separate report dealing with town streetscape and general amenity.
Most importantly, it must be noted that the work done to date on the concepts for the
Recreation Precinct are just that – concepts only.
There will need to be a process of ongoing and in some instances detailed design
development to enable implementation. This relates in particular to the detailed design
of the skatepark and shade structures in the area including the cover over the hard
courts.
That said, and with respect to some of the less complex items, if the concepts proposed
and illustrated are accepted by the Council, much of the work could be readily
implemented through order placement with a prescribed supplier.

Installation could be carried out by Shire staff or local contractors, or perhaps through
local community involvement. This opportunity relates to the purchase and installation
of post and rail perimeter fencing, exercise and playground equipment, signage and bin
enclosures and the proposed graffiti wall.
The rammed earth hit-up wall at the old tennis courts is intended to be reinstated. This
feature could be further enhanced by the installation of a series of art canvases
(actually 1800 x 900mm sheets of marine ply or similar) onto which the local youth can
apply graffiti. If the youth (collectively) agree that a panel of graffiti art is worthy of
preservation it can be removed, preserved by an application of varnish or other sealant
and set on permanent display. Locations could include the inside of the picture gardens
wall, within the proposed youth centre building or even at the visitors centre. The
designs could also be used as the art work for the banners for the Main Street banner
poles.
Note that the graffiti canvases need not be applied to the hit-up wall. They could also be
applied in other locations such as the tennis courts fence or as part of the proposed
skatepark shade structure. They key is to activate the space with a program designed
to bring youth to the site and offer an opportunity to get involved in an activity that
makes a positive contribution to the site. The graffiti art work can also be applied to the
skatepark itself.
The cost schedules provided in spreadsheet format give an order of probable costs to
install each component of the concept plan. The estimates have been developed by a
quantity surveyor working from the concept plans and in discussion with the Principal of
CCS Strategic for further detail and interpretation.
The forecast costs are anticipated to be adequate to deliver each component, installed in a
condition for use, except where local content such as artistic input is required. The
schedules have been developed on an item by item and location by location basis, inclusive
of project on-costs, allowing the projects to be staged.
The project on-costs included in the schedules account for professional fees, site
preliminaries, and design and construction contingencies as required. Locality loadings for
the remoteness of Mount Magnet have been included in unit rates or allocated separately
as appropriate, providing for cost to deliver on site in Mount Magnet.
We have anticipated that minor works items will be able to be undertaken using local
tradespeople and local or Shire labour. Major items such as the skatepark, youth centre
and shelter over the new tennis courts will be undertaken by external contactors bringing
materials and expertise to town. Their on-costs for travel and accommodation have been
anticipated in the rates used.
If some of this work could be done locally there exists the potential to reduce costs.
The overall cost to implement all aspect of the recreation precinct concept plan as shown is
summarised in the following table.
Note that not all items need to be done at once and not all items need to be done in full.
The items can be addressed selectively and also staged.

MOUNT MAGNET
RECREATION PRECINCT MASTER PLAN
Item
Multi-marked courts refurbished
Description
Page 1 - item 1 - ongoing maintenance of
existing courts
Total cost
(2013$)
27,300
New court hire signage Page 1 - item 2 - to be fixed to court shelter 27,300
Exercise equipment around oval -
based on Forpark manufactured
items
Page 1 - item 3 - includes for supply and
installation of 5 pieces shown plus an area
of softfall around each item
16,028
Ecowood post and rail barriers to
prevent vehicle access to oval
Allowance for signage to exercise
equipment etc
Remove defunct tennis court
surface (4 off)
Page 1 - item 4 - 1.5m posts and 3.6m rails
separated by a space of 1.6m
27,300
3,250
Page 2 - item 1 11,250
Repair rammed earth ‘hit up’ wall Page 2 - item 2 1,000
Install new bitumen surface for off
court practice on hit-up wall
Install new acrylic surface to 2
southern courts
Cover over new tennis courts
Play area replaced and upgraded
with new equipment
Existing tennis shelter refurbished
and made double sided
Page 2 - item 3 - hot bituminous concrete
and road base
Page 2 - item 4 - includes new sub-base
and topping
Page 2 - item 5 - lightweight roof structure
and lighting
11,340
106,313
677,250
Page 2 - item 6 - provisional sum allowance 49,000
Page 2 - item 7 2,000
New drinking fountain Page 2 - item 8 3,500
New skate park with more
elements and partial shade cover
Remediate existing skate park as
BMX space
New self-contained toilet block to
service youth precinct and tennis
courts
Historic railway platform
stonework and surface to be
refurbished and made sound.
New electrical supply to skate
area for music and events
Total cost if implemented in
2013-14
Page 2 - items 9 and 10 - provisional sum
allowance
Page 2 - item 11 - provisional sum
allowance
Page 2 - item 12 - WALGA approved
Landmark model toilet block
Allow for use as a stage and as a skate
elements - add protective metal edge strip
- stone repairs by others - not costed
includes supply cable and lockable
switchboard
200,000
14,625
98,983
6,500
6,500
$ 1,289,438