Overview

City of Canada Bay Council sports rating system allows sporting groups to view the condition of all active sporting fields.  

The system of regularly recording the condition of active sports-fields is combined with the opportunity for sporting groups to be equally aware of the condition of their fields.  This creates a sense of partnership between sporting groups and Council with a process that encourages understanding and communication between both bodies.  Council’s overriding goal is to maintain the “Fit For Play” and long term longevity of each sporting field. 

The scored system rates each sporting field on 13 crucial condition factors with examples that include grass cover, wicket areas (where applicable), vigour, worn or bare areas.  

A scored point of 69 has been established at City of Canada Bay Council for preliminary notification.  Once this intervention position has been reached a letter is sent to the sporting group using this facility.  They will be advised that the field surface is at a critical point and needs to be addressed with consideration for reduced training or reallocation of games to other venues.  This letter is purely a preliminary notification of action that may need to be considered by both parties should the field further deteriorate.

If this occurs and reaches a scoring of 67 on the rating scale a meeting is triggered and decisions are made with the sporting body to reduce training and/or games that aim to ensure the sports-field has ample time to recover. 

If the sports-fields condition does not respond to strategies put in place and deteriorates to a scored level of 64 on the rating scale, closure will be initiated.  It should be understood that at this point there is an increased risk for user injuries as well as possible long term and possible irreparable damage to the surface.  The cost and time implication from bringing a field back from a point of failure to a quality standard is extensive and the intention is not to allow the field to reach this condition.

No sports-field, once closed, will be reopened until a scored standard of 67 is achieved.

There are increasing pressures from expanding user groups, variables of weather, lack of rain and water restrictions that all form part of the overall considerations for Council.

The Sports-field Rating System, as an assessment tool with clearly defined parameters, has already gained a high level of acceptance from user groups.  All parties are clear on what we are trying to achieve in an interactive and visual format.  There are no surprises as the fields are monitored on a fortnightly basis