A sporting, educational and community project to deliver a regional sports hub and improve social, economic and health benefits in the heart of Clarence Plains.
Located in the heart of Clarence Plains, one of the fastest growing regions in Southern Tasmania, this $60 million project would see Council partner with the Tasmanian and Australian Governments to develop a regional community sports hub at Bayview Secondary College in Rokeby. The precinct incorporates multiple outdoor sports fields and an indoor sports stadium with four courts and a high-performance gymnasium to deliver talent pathways for aspiring elite junior athletes.
The project will address significant facility shortages for high participation sports, which particularly disadvantage women and junior participants. It is a critical component of Clarence City Council’s long-term Sports Facilities Strategic Plan which is aimed at ensuring Council can provide facilities to meet the needs of its grass roots sports and encourage active lifestyles both now and into the future.
In development since 2019, the Bayview College project is fully costed and supported by a detailed Feasibility Study and Business Case, with $8 million committed from the Tasmanian Government to date. The project is listed as a Major Strategic Project in Council’s Strategic Plan and aligns with the vision and objectives for a healthy and active city in in Council’s Active Living Strategy 2022.
The project also aligns with the National Sport Plan – Sport 2030 with this strategy aiming to make Australia the most active nation in the world, focusing on increasing participation in sport and recreation, particularly for women, girls, and youth. The Bayview Sporting Hub directly addresses shortages in sporting infrastructure and encourages participation among underrepresented groups, aligning with these objectives. The project also aligns with the Federal Governments Closing the Gap priority reforms and the National Gender Equality Strategy.
View the project details, as well as design and concept plans on the Master Plan webpage.
Addressing Community Sports Facility Shortages
Greater Hobart and indeed Clarence’s existing sporting facilities are at capacity and struggling to keep up with an explosion in demand, particularly among women and girls and junior participants. Detailed demand modelling has identified an immediate need for more facilities within the municipality for major participation sports, including current shortages of:
- 7 indoor basketball courts
- 6 netball courts
- 3 Australian Rules Football ovals
- 2 cricket ovals, with an urgent need for an additional turf wicket
- 1 soccer field
Existing facilities are ageing and out of date and do not adequately cater for female participation or meet current standards.
Council has invested significant resources in planning for the future sporting facility needs of the region, working with sports clubs, governing bodies, and the wider community to comprehensively plan for the next 20 years. Our draft Sports Facilities Strategic Plan 2025 confirms an urgent need for the Bayview Facilities to accommodate the growth in participation and address current shortages.
Supporting Grass-Roots Community Sport
Fostering healthy and active lifestyles.
Development of the strategic vision and business case for the Project has involved extensive consultation with a range of sporting and community stakeholders including, AFL Tasmania, Cricket Tasmania, Football Tasmania, Tennis Tasmania, Basketball Tasmania, Netball Tasmania, and over 50 community sports clubs from across Clarence who will benefit from the increased capacity and improved facilities that the redeveloped precinct will provide.
The proposed configuration of facilities supported in the Business Case is based on direct consultation with clubs and key users, as well as extensive research and demand modelling, that has identified the optimal number and configuration of playing fields and indoor and outdoor surfaces.
Investing in Clarence Plains
Improving social outcomes and providing urban expansion.
Clarence Plains, incorporating the suburbs of Rokeby, Clarendon Vale and Oakdowns, is a diverse community and is one of the fastest growing areas in the State.
In the 5 years to 2016, population grew by 11%, and by 2035 the area could be home to around 20,000 people. Geographically, it is located in the heart of the region, 20 minutes’ drive to the Hobart CBD and within 15 minutes of all the major population centres in Clarence and the Hobart International Airport.
Council recognises the multitude of opportunities that growth in the region provides to address disadvantage, improve social outcomes, and provide much needed housing and infrastructure to accommodate growth in Southern Tasmania and has developed a draft master plan for Clarence Plains that incorporates the Bayview precinct. Investment in the Bayview Secondary College Sports Precinct will provide enormous benefits to the community beyond addressing the need for sports facilities.
- It will demonstrate the commitment of all levels of government to investing in and developing this traditionally disadvantaged area, and attract others to the region to live, work and play.
- It will encourage further investment from developers and industry, fostering economic and housing growth in the region.
- It will provide a state-of-the-art education precinct with improved educational outcomes and opportunities for elite junior athletes from all backgrounds to nurture and develop their talent.
- It will kickstart the local economic growth, with an expected 350 FTE jobs during construction and increased visitation and activity once completed.
- It will provide social and health benefits, with the facilities available for both community and school use.
Delivering Partnerships
All 3 tiers of government partnering to deliver for Clarence and Greater Hobart.
To become a reality, the Bayview Secondary College Sports Precinct requires funding from local, state, and federal governments. The project has the support of Clarence City Council and the Tasmanian Government:
- Council has invested over $300,000 in preliminary investigations and development of the Feasibility Study and Business Case
- The Tasmanian Government committed $8 million to the project in its 2023-24 State Budget.
Shovel ready
Delivering results quickly.
With a detailed investment case, concept designs prepared and $8 million in preliminary funding secured, the project is ready to go with funding of the project the only barrier to commencement.
With concept designs prepared and supported by the Business Case, tendering for detailed design and construction is ready to be progressed. As a priority project of strategic significance to Council and the region, this can be expedited with the aim of completion of the first stage (outdoor sports fields) by 2027.
Design for the remaining stages, including the indoor stadium, is also ready to progress through to detailed concepts and DA ready design and would be undertaken concurrently with the construction of Stage 1.
| Total Project Cost | $60m (estimated) |
| Funding Committed | $8m from State Government |
| Funding Sought | $52m |
| Location | Bayview Secondary Collage, Rokeby |
| Project Timeline | Dependent on funding, stage one completion of outdoor sports fields by early 2027 is feasible, with ongoing staged delivery over a 5-year timeframe. |
| Impact of Funding | The project will not progress without further funding support. |