Effective Leisure Planning by Local Government
Dr Ken Marriott has supplemented his 2016 book, his 2023 presentation on climate change and other substantive material on PaRC with a purpose-written guide for local governments’ staff and elected members on planning for the provision of facilities and services in the leisure sector. The guide includes a sample project brief. Dr Marriott has included an offer to advise inquirers and to present workshops.
The guide is Package 1 of an envisioned three-package series of materials.
Master planning of open space – Precinct planning
PaRC Committee member Neil McCarthy has written a thoughtful article advocating better master planning of open space, with some principles that can be incorporated into a brief. (Link to be completed).
Managing construction costs
PaRC partner Parks and Leisure Australia has issued a paper A Guideline to Managing Construction Costs in the Parks and Leisure Industry. The paper offers an in-depth analysis of current construction-cost dynamics, key factors driving capital expenditure increases, and strategic recommendations to help councils and industry professionals manage rising costs. There is an Appendix: Managing Construction Costs, a practical companion guide offering frameworks and tactics including risk provisioning, phased project staging, procurement approaches, and cost-control mechanisms, tailored for capital projects. For the source, see https://parksleisure.com.au/pla-advisory-committee/pla-advisory-projects/.
See also the Green Infrastructure Management Manual, designed to provide asset stewards with the knowledge, tools, and frameworks needed to include Green Infrastructure (GI) in strategic, asset, and financial management planning. The manual provides best-practice guidance on a range of GI assets, including street trees, green roofs and walls, parks and gardens, urban forests, community gardens, living shorelines, hybrid reefs, seagrasses, saltmarshes, mangroves, and water-sensitive urban design features such as constructed wetlands, bioswales, and rain gardens. Guidance is provided on valuation and condition assessment methodologies; co-benefits; service provision; demand management; lifecycle analysis; risk assessments; long-term strategic and financial management planning; costs; threats; case studies; decision tools and templates. This Manual is supported by an online training course on GI Asset Management with an industry recognised micro-credential. As at December 2025, the GIMM can be downloaded by filling out the form on https://www.ipwea.org/resourcesnew/bookshop/gimm.