Sports Surfaces

Embracing Technology to Meet Demand of the Community to have Safe, Quality Places to Play and Participate in Community Sport.

All surfaces have their place, and it’s important that you plan, design, and procure the right one for your needs.

With our 15 years of experience, Smart Connection Consultancy has developed its offering around your needs with a four-level approach so that the surfaces and overall parkland are addressed. These surfaces include:

  • Playing surfaces: These are ideal for schools, play, and recreation. They have a short to medium-term life expectancy and a functional engineered base and drainage.
  • Sports—Entry Level: Alignment with an International Sports Federation (e.g., FIFA, World Rugby, FIH, etc.) with an engineered solution for 20 to 30 years and drainage strategy. Normally, 40 hours a week for eight to ten years will be provided.
  • Smart Performance Standards: These align with the International Sports Federation but include additional Australian Standards on performance, durability, environmental, health, engineering, and drainage. They are customized for each sport, location, and use.
  • Smart Sustainable Standards: Embracing the Smart Performance Standards and a holistic whole of Parkland approach, with significant emphasis on sustainability, aligned with the United Nations sustainability goals (SDGs) and the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects guidance on climate change.

sports surface strategies

Our offering focuses on embracing the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructures guide for decision makers involved with synthetic sports fields.

 

Planning

• Fit for purpose standards.
• Sports fields needs per population.
• Growth projections v field/population.
• Land availability.
• Quality of land.
• Design standards.
• Fit for purpose standards.

design

• Planet – Environmental standards
• People – community usage/accessibility
• Prosperity – Economic standards
• Performance standards - sport, smart extras

Procurement

• Purchasing standards
• Best practice
• Manufacturing

Management

• Usage standards
• Maintenance standards
• Management standards (governance, accessibility)

How We Service Sports surfaces

Sports Surface Strategies

Smart Connection Consultancy works with governments and sports to develop municipal wide and regional sports surface strategies for multi or single sport needs. We start with the natural surface and then explore how technology can support an integrated approach.

Good planning practices are needed to ensure that the best surface is placed in the most appropriate location, and Smart Connection Consultancy offers a range of services in partnership with our associates.

These include:

  • Whole of Council/Region of Council strategic planning: aligning supply and demand with strategic priorities, principles, and best practices
  • Environmental assessments: To explore how to minimise the impact that synthetic surfaces (hard surfaces, rubber, and synthetic grass) may have on a parkland and potential positive impacts on the landscape
  • Site-based strategies: Including feasibility studies, masterplans, business cases and management plans.

Understanding how the field of play fits into the environment and how it will be used and managed is key to the design. Combined with an understanding of the budget and required performance level, it will ensure that the design is fit for purpose. We have amazing, experienced partners to conduct site assessments (geotech, site service, etc), integrated landscape architects and sports engineers that can provide innovative state-of-the-art designs for community, district, regional, and state-based designs. Combined with SCC Managing Director Martin Sheppard (current Sports Surface Technical Consultant for Hockey Australia, Football NSW, and NRL Rugby Australia), you know that you will receive the best and most practical design advice possible.

Procurement is the most critical aspect of ensuring that you receive what you have requested. It is important to appreciate the combined engineering and performance surface solution and how that is preceded. Smart Connection Consultancy, in association with our partners, understands the depth and quality of the industry better than anyone else. We have developed our services to support our clients in this process by offering:

  • Development of specification and design drawings
  • Understanding of consultant options for design and construct, detailed design, design finalisation and construct etc
  • Expert and transparent tender evaluation
  • Contract management, including hold witness points and handover meetings

Practical, experienced advice on program and revenue generation strategies and game plans, combined with maintenance programs, annual ‘health checks’, half-life health checks and ageing field health checks.

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Smart Connection Consultancy concentrates on Australian and international sport, recreation and leisure management best practice. We are passionate about working with clients who want to invest, plan, and develop active communities through sport and recreation.
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Our Offering

Strategic and tactical solutions from complex to operational issues and opportunities are provided to our clients in the sport, government and education sectors.

Consultancy

Expert consultancy in Facilities Planning, Sports Surfaces, Strategic Development, and Management Procurement. Tailored solutions for optimised spaces and operations.

Advocacy

Supporting peak bodies to create the right resource on behalf of the industry.

Events

Connecting the dots between global knowledge and local good practice in a positive learning and networking event.

Start-up Investments

Investing in future generations means supporting investments in start-up businesses to encourage innovative solutions.
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