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Background Information – Why Is There a Focus On Penguin?

The Council’s Open Space and Recreation Plan 2012-2022 identified that the facilities at Penguin Recreation Ground are due for replacement in approximately 10 years. The Penguin Recreation Ground is currently underutilised and there is little scope for increasing use or user groups, other than by facilitating other groups to use the ground on days when it is currently unused. The ground is undersized for cricket matches and landlocked in a residential area. In managing these risks, the following ‘rules of use’ are currently being applied:

The Penguin Cricket Club enforce

  • ‘Six and out’ rule;
  • No batting practice is permitted on the oval wicket with the exception of Thursday;
  • No playing of cricket is permitted on Sunday;
  • No playing of finals games is permitted at the Penguin Recreation Ground;
  • The playing of the grand final is hosted at the Heybridge Recreation Ground; and
  • The Council work with the Penguin Cricket Club to help find an alternative venue.

Considering the ground’s limitations and the amount of expenditure required on the ground’s assets in the short to medium term, the Plan concluded that replacing these assets would not provide the same benefits as redirecting the funds to improving grounds that do not face the same constraints. It was recommended that relocating the users and facilities at the Penguin Recreation Ground to the Dial Regional Sports Complex was ideal and should be pursued as a matter of priority.

Council has approved the final preliminary/concept designs for the Dial Regional Sports Complex, and is now undertaking the detailed design phase so that construction can commence late in 2016.

You can view the full details of the Dial Regional Sports Complex Development by clicking here.

SO WHAT NOW FOR THE FUTURE OF THE PENGUIN RECREATION GROUND?

Some preliminary consultation commenced in August 2015 and included forums and a postcard campaign which sought information from the local community on what they thought would be the best use for the Penguin Recreation Ground.

KEY OUTCOMES FROM 2015 POSTCARD CAMPAIGN

There was strong interest in the postcard campaign with 161 responses received and over 332 ideas generated. Some of the concept and ideas that have emerged through the 2015 engagement activities and through Council’s strategic planning processes include:

  • Development of a retirement village/ lifestyle village;
  • Development of open space & increasing connectivity around and through site;
  • Housing subdivision;
  • Development of civic space/hub;
  • Tourism development/ commercial development;
  • Community centre/ hall/ aquatic centre; and
  • Mixed use development with elements of the above.

A newsletter providing updates from this consultation was distributed to households in Penguin in January 2016.
Project Update Brochure   .