Redevelopment of Gold Coast Hockey Facilities

 Redevelopment of Gold Coast Hockey Facilities for Commonwealth Games
Summary of Progress 
 
Extract from HockeyQld.com  25th May 2016 

Keith Hunt Park in Labrador has been identified as the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games hockey competition venue and will undergo significant redevelopment in preparation for the event. This site is home to both the Gold Coast Hockey Association (GCHA) and Labrador Hockey Club (LHC) with both organisations each holding a lease over a clubhouse and artificial turf hockey field with City of Gold Coast (CGC).
 
Over the past two years, City of Gold Coast, Gold Coast Hockey Association, Labrador Hockey Club and Hockey Queensland have been engaged in numerous meetings and discussions to identify what implications the redevelopment will pose on both GCHA and LHC and what solutions/model of operation could best be implemented to maximise the opportunities the redevelopment will create.  It has always been acknowledged that the redevelopment will require both GCHA and LHC to make changes to the way they have currently been operating.
 
One of the most significant forms of engagement between the stakeholders occurred in May 2015, when the City of Gold Coast convened a workshop, facilitated by KPMG, between Gold Coast Hockey Association, Labrador Hockey Club and Hockey Queensland to identify the issues, needs and future opportunities the development of the hockey facilities for the Commonwealth Games may present.  
 
At the workshop, the stakeholders were asked to identify their key objectives that would be taken into consideration when planning for the future model of operation of the redeveloped site.  These objectives included:

• Provide a sustainable facility, both financially and in terms of maximising opportunities
• Deliver a community facility – from grass roots to elite  - that also has the ability to host all levels of competitions including international
• Improved functionality through the optimum use of the site (maximise usage capability for hockey and other sports during off season)
• Ensure the facility supports the growth of hockey
• Ensure the facility remains accessible to hockey
• Maintain identity as a physical club
• Identify alternative income streams
• Ensure availability of fields for training and competition
• Improve the current model – integration and equity across the 6 clubs under GCHA
• Ensure minimal additional overheads for the new management entity

 
While it is acknowledged that the redevelopment of the site presents an opportunity for the sport of hockey in the city of Gold Coast and all associated stakeholders, in order to maximise the sustainability of the sport it was determined a new facility management entity - Gold Coast Hockey Management Group (GCHMG) will be established to manage the facility with GCHA, LHC and all other hockey clubs/associations liaising with the new entity in relation to their use of the site.

After consulting with all stakeholders, the GCHMG became an Incorporated Association in November 2015.  The members of the Management Committee elected were:
President:  Scott Beasley (LHC)
Secretary:  Louisa Begley (HQ)
Treasurer:  Chris Attard (HQ)
Member:  Paul Gasmier (GCHA)
Member:  Col Rawding (GCHA)
Member:  Bruce Curtis (LHC) – note Bruce recently resigned and LHC have nominated a new member
Member:  Mark Carkeet (HQ)

It is important to note that Hockey Queensland’s role on the GCHMG is to facilitate the development of a functional, sustainable operating model to manage the Keith Hunt Hockey Precinct with the members of the GCHMG.  The future of the GCHMG remains with the Gold Coast hockey community and as such, Hockey Queensland will be removing its representation from the GCHMG post the Commonwealth Games.
The GCHMG is now the entity that is working with all stakeholders to create a model of operation that addresses the objectives defined at the workshop.  This process includes identifying the most appropriate management model that ensures both GCHA and LHC have the same access to the synthetic pitches, both have an appropriate space to re-establish their clubhouse and both have a financial model that supports the needs of their operations.
As you can imagine, there is a lot of work that is being undertaken by all stakeholders to identify the best governance, leasing, financial and emotional model that meets the needs of each stakeholder.
Hockey Queensland has been supporting the GCHMG activity through the development of a business model for GCHMG, including an agreement between the entity and GCHA and LHC in relation to the use of the facility. The following high level actions have been identified as important steps in the development of the model:

• Benchmarking of alternative models
• Identification of key revenue and expense drivers (including consideration of lifecycle asset replacement – where that is the responsibility of the management entity)
• Identification of alternative access rights approaches
• Identification of potential revenue and expense sharing approaches, including items such as sponsorship/advertising, distribution of profits, etc.
• Development and agreement of ‘guiding principles’ or ‘evaluation criteria’ to the identification and evaluation of alternative governance/management/business models – typically in a workshop setting
• Development of alternative governance/management/business model options
• Evaluation of governance/management/business model options (including the selection of a preferred model)
• Modelling of the projected financial performance of the new management entity under the preferred model

 
Development of a business plan/model (inclusive of projected financial performance) or independent review of a business plan/model
There is a lot of great progress being made by all involved and it is anticipated an operating model will soon be agreed to and the next stage in the planning process can begin.