ALBURY Council’s long-running bid to gain access to outdoor basketball courts at Albury High School for community use could be the first of many similar ventures.
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NSW Department of Education officials have approached council about planning for school infrastructure into the future and joint use of facilities such as sporting ovals.
The school assets strategic plan released this year pushes the case for joint and shared use.
“Joint use involves a school sharing and funding facilities with a community partner, such as managing a sports ground with a local council,” the plan states.
“Shared use is where a school controls a facility on its grounds, but allows related community use during out-of-school hours.
“As we redevelop smaller school sites to accommodate more students in improved teaching spaces, we will increasingly turn to joint and share use.
”Research shows this can also strengthen community relationships and social cohesion while offering extra income for schools.”
Sporting ground space for both winter and summer competitions is at a premium in Albury-Wodonga.
Albury Council’s community and cultural committee this week agreed to support in principle joint use of education department facilities.
General manager Frank Zaknich will also sign a memorandum of understanding with the department.
“This has the potential to provide social, cultural and recreational benefits for the Albury community and as a consequence, the commitment of council to the process is strongly supported,” director James Jenkins said.
But council is still in the process of securing a licence for use of the high school basketball courts with a longer term plan to build at Waites Park.
Outdoor basketball courts were floated during last year's council election campaign with two re-elected councillors, mayor Kevin Mack and Darren Cameron, and former deputy mayor Ross Jackson backing a petition launched by basketball identity, Chris Maginnity.
Cr Alice Glachan said the issue of sharing facilities was initially raised at the NSW Local Government Association conference last year by the education department.
“We’re progressing that work with Albury High School,” she said.
“It will enable what are otherwise government facilities to be unlocked and more readily available for the community to use.”