sala4D was commissioned by Molong Advancement Group and Cabonne Council to work in close partnership with the community of Molong, in particular the sporting groups, to prepare strategic planning documents to be used for grant applications.
The three sport grounds included: Doctor Ross Memorial Recreation Ground (Molong’s main sports ground); Hunter Caldwell Park (consisting of playing fields, the hockey precinct and tennis courts with clubhouse); and Molong Showground and Golf Course.
The masterplanning process commenced with a community consultation workshop, using a series of group exercises to establish community values. Follow-up meetings and phone calls with sporting groups were conducted to ensure everyone felt they had their say and were part of the masterplanning process.
A community consultation summary report consolidated this information. It has proved to be a powerful document for applying for grant funding, as it demonstrates the community-lead design process.
Three masterplans with cost estimates were adopted by Council in April 2020. As testament to our masterplanning process, there were no negative community comments submitted in the public exhibition period. This outcome greatly reduced the masterplan adoption process for Council.
Some of the projects identified in the masterplan have already been implemented, including the playground at Doctor Ross Memorial Recreation Ground. Installed by Moduplay, the feedback to Council was that there was sufficient detail in the masterplan for them to adhere to the overarching design principles.
In addition, following the recent floods, these masterplans have become important strategic guiding documents for flood recovery.
