Background Information

The Open Space, Parks and Play Strategy 2025 - 2030 provides a strategic framework to guide the planning, design, management and investment in public open space across the Wingecarribee Shire. It establishes a clear vision and actions that will ensure high quality parks and open spaces continue to enrich community life, support active and healthy lifestyles, protect our natural environment and celebrate local character.

The Strategy integrates and updates Council’s previous Parks Strategy (2016) and Playspace Strategy (2020), aligning with the broader directions of the Community and Recreational Facilities Strategy (CRFS) and the Wingecarribee Community Strategic Plan 2035.

The purpose of the Open Space, Parks and Play Strategy 2025 - 2030 includes:

  • To establish qualitive frameworks for auditing our existing parks and open space facilities
  • To establish new park classification and hierarchy frameworks for provision and renewal
  • To integrate open space, parks and nature based recreational activities into a centralised strategic planning document
  • To help inform Council's Assets Management planning for park, play spaces and non-sport base recreational activities

Strategy Elements

  • Revised Systems

    Introduce a new park classification system to improve planning and ensure appropriate service levels

  • Recreation Types

    Focus on eight key ways to have fun and be active including play, youth spaces, trails, nature-based activities and organised sports.

  • Open Spaces

    Creating new design standards and planning guidelines to ensure our open spaces are top-quality, accessible to all and good for our environment

  • Master Plan

    A prioritised Master Plan, outlining delivery based on existing condition, how well things work, and what the community needs

  • Action Plan

    A comprehensive action plan with six strategic directions, grouped by recreational focus and delivery categories

Viewing the Strategy & Providing Feedback

The Draft Open Space, Parks and Play Strategy 2025 - 2030 is on public exhibition from Monday 23 June until Monday 21 July 2025. The draft Strategy along with supporting documentation may be viewed:

  1. In the electronic Document Library on this page
  2. At Council’s Customer Service Counter, Civic Centre, 68 Elizabeth Street, Moss Vale NSW 2577, between 8.30am and 4.30pm Monday to Friday
  3. Councils Libraries

Feedback can be provided on the draft Strategy through:

  1. Completing an Online Submission Form (below)
  2. Emailing it directly to mail@wsc.nsw.gov.au with the subject title Open Space, Parks and Play Strategy
  3. Hand writing your submission and delivering it to Council's Civic Centre located at 68 Elizabeth Street, Moss Vale NSW 2577
  4. Posting your submission to Wingecarribee Shire Council, PO Box 141, Moss Vale NSW 2577

Only written submissions will be considered and these must be received by Council before Monday 21 July 2025. Please note that any submissions received may be included in the final report to Council.

Your feedback is a way for you to share your thoughts and ideas on a particular issue or project. The goal is to make sure your voice and the community’s voices are heard and considered. It helps provide valuable insights, identify potential issues and suggest improvements. This way, decisions can be more inclusive, transparent and effective, reflecting what you and the community really needs and wants.

Responses to engagement projects are compiled and considered. When projects are reported to Council to make a decision a summary of community feedback will be included. Updates on projects will be included in these pages and elsewhere on Council's website.

Sometimes it takes some months to provide feedback to the community and to make a decision as further investigation is often needed. We are listening and we do take your suggestions on board!