The Joint Venture Policy and Framework developed for the NSW Education Department by Otium proves to be a success with the Department working in collaboration with a number of local government authorities and local community/sporting groups to progress joint use and shared provision projects. Some of the councils include Sydney, Ryde, Newcastle, Camden, Liverpool and Willoughby.
Otium Director Kate Maddock is excited to see how the detailed work that was undertaken developing the policy and process framework is delivering successful partnerships and outcomes for local communities. She said “seeing school sports fields and indoor sports courts empty every afternoon and all weekend is a failure of policy, particularly when local government is often struggling to find enough sporting land for growing demand. We need to be using existing resources and assets to maximise participation in sport and active recreation at the same time as providing quality sporting infrastructure for our schools”.
Otium is keen to see this approach adopted more widely and become the norm for school, but recognise the challenges involved in working across departments, levels of government and the community. The NSW Education Department is to be congratulated on the initiative.