Fair and equal facility access

Imagine a world where everyone gets the same support and chances, without any bias or stereotypes. A world where everyone can reach their sports dreams.

Community sports and recreation areas, like fields and courts, are essential parts of our city. They are filled with people playing and having fun all year round, no matter the weather. But if not everyone in the community can use these facilities equally, it can lead to unfair results in sports and a bigger problem with gender inequality.

Sports clubs should make sure they are welcoming and inclusive to women and girls. When they do this, it helps more people access the physical, social and mental wellbeing benefits of being active. It also benefits the club itself.

• Community sports infrastructure and environments are genuinely welcoming, safe, and inclusive
• Women and girls can fully participate in all aspects of community sport and active recreation, including as a player, coach, administrator, official, volunteer and spectator
• Women and girls will have equitable access to and use of community sport infrastructure:
  • of the highest quality available and most convenient
  • at the best and most popular competition and training times and locations
  • to support existing and new participation opportunities, and a variety of sport
• Women and girls should be equitably represented in leadership and governance roles
• Encourage and support all user groups who access and use community sport infrastructure to understand, adopt and implement gender equitable access and use practices
• Prioritise access, use and support to all user groups who demonstrate an ongoing commitment to gender equitable access and use of allocated community sport infrastructure

Source: Change Our Game, Fair Access Principles for community sport and active recreation clubs

The Sports Facility Hire Licences and Leases Agreement Policy 2024 guides how community sports facilities and reserves in Brimbank are shared. The goal is to make sure everyone has a fair chance to use these facilities, following our Community Vision, Council Plan, Municipal Health & Wellbeing Plan and Social Justice Charter.

The updated 2024 Policy puts extra emphasis on promoting gender equality. It aims to make sports facilities and environments welcoming, safe and inclusive for women and girls. It also follows the Victorian State Government's Fair Access Policy and Principles to ensure better and fairer outcomes.

We hope this Policy will help all user groups understand and follow fair practices for gender equality. It gives priority to groups that show a strong commitment to gender equality in their use of community sports facilities.

Click here to download Policy (PDF 307KB)

To help your club meet the requirements outlined in Council’s Sports Facility Hire Licences and Leases Agreement Policy 2024, we are working on creating a Fair Access Plan Checklist and Template for you to use. This is an easy and useful way for your club to reflect, discuss and plan your actions to provide a more welcoming and inclusive club for females.

Fairpark Football Club

Fairpark Football Club wanted to review its match schedule and see if women preferred playing in evening games 'under lights' after men’s matches. The Club asked members for their opinions and discovered that evening games were not ideal for women. The late time slot conflicted with family and social commitments, and many found it less appealing.

As a result of this feedback, the Club moved women’s games to Saturday mornings. This change made it easier for players, spectators and officials. Women volunteers can now play without giving up their other roles at the club. The new schedule has also brought in more spectators and has been recommended by the Club’s league as the best time for women’s matches.

Key takeaway: Ask women and girls what works best for them – don’t assume.

• Change Our Game: Fair Access Policy
• Inclusive Sport Design: including women and girls in sport
• Vichealth: Quick wins checklist for sporting clubs
• Vichealth: females and physical activity – what the research shows
• VicSport: Becoming a more Welcoming Sport Club
• Change Our Game: Recruiting and retaining women coaches
• Change Our Game: Influence of Women Coaches and Officials  
• Change Our Game: Men as Allies
• Member Protection Information Officer

Brimbank's Sport and Recreation team is here to support you through creating and delivering on a fair access plan for your club.

Please reach out to your Sport and Recreation Officer if you require any support.

The Sport and Recreation team can also be contacted on sport@brimbank.vic.gov.au