Horsham City Oval upgrades and the proposal for another oval in the city are two of the key recommendations of a new Horsham Rural City Council assessment.
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At the council's meeting on Monday, the council voted on a motion to place its Wimmera River Precinct and Central Activity District Vision and Master Plan on public exhibition.
The council also discussed its Horsham Sporting Facilities Demand Study, which was a supporting document of the master plan.
In her report to the council, strategic planning co-ordinator Justine Kingan said the assessment would be used to inform the council's decisions on provision of sporting facilities for sports clubs and associations.
The study looked at the provision of outdoor sports, including Australian rules football, cricket and netball.
The assessment identified City Oval as Horsham's premier regional Australian rules football and cricket venue, but stated that the oval was in need of significant facility upgrades.
"City Oval is considered the premier facility in Horsham. Although this facility is well presented and maintained, its infrastructure is ageing and is insufficient to cater to large scale events," the assessment said.
Among facility issues identified was the size of the field being too narrow, an ageing pavilion, a lack of parking on major event days, and insufficient and poorly accessible public toilets.
The plan also said there may be demand for an additional Australian rules football oval in the city.
"As rural populations decline, the viability of supporting AFL teams in these areas may reduce, leading to consolidation and increased demand for facilities to be provided within central Horsham," the assessment said.
It stated that existing facilities - such as City Oval and Coughlin Park - were highly utilised and had little room for more activity, with both venues already hosting a crowded schedule of sporting clubs using the facility.
The study was funded by the council and conducted by consultancy agency Urban Enterprise.
Councillors David Grimble and John Robinson voted against placing the master plan on public exhibition.
Cr Robinson moved a rescission motion immediately after, which meant public consultation would not take place until the plan was debated at a future meeting.