Sporting club support

• Booking - a booking relates to any organised activity scheduled to take place within a City of Joondalup Community Hireable Venue. A booking is a permit under the Local Law.
• Seasonal booking/regular hire booking – a booking period where the hirer has been allocated use of a facility and/or active park, court or beach for home and away matches and training. This usually refers to the winter or summer sporting season.
• Pre-season - Use of a facility and/or active park 6 weeks prior to season commencement
• Out of season - Use of a facility and/or park outside of seasonal or pre-season booking dates
• Casual booking – a one-off booking of a venue, such as hiring a facility for a club function or fundraising activity, or booking a park for a charity sporting match outside the normal season fixtures. If additional permits are required, a casual booking must be submitted so the required information can be captured.
• Bookings Manager (BM) – the City’s online booking management system used to request bookings for community hireable venues.
• Hirer – a person/s, group, community group, sporting club.
• Community Venue – City-owned and managed property, which attracts a specific hire charge as per the Venue Hire Fees and Charges Policy and the City’s Schedule of Fees and Charges (e.g. passive or active parks, outdoor courts, community facilities, clubrooms etc.), excluding those contained within the Craigie Leisure Centre and the City of Joondalup Libraries.
• Facility – City owned and managed buildings such as sporting clubrooms and community centres.
• ‘active’ park – a park with sporting infrastructure.
• ‘passive’ park – other parks around the City usually without any sporting infrastructure e.g. Whitford Nodes, Tom Simpson Park etc. Not usually suitable for organised sporting events.
• Infrastructure Changeover – changing over the sporting infrastructure at active parks for the change of sporting season e.g. putting on cricket mats and installing AFL or soccer goals at the start of winter season
   

The summer sporting season runs from 1 October to 31 March inclusive.

The winter sporting season runs from 1 April to 30 September inclusive.

Clubs may apply for pre-season training bookings from six weeks prior to the commencement of the season. Approval is subject to ground conditions and venue availability. The parks allocated to your club for the season are not guaranteed to be available for pre-season use.

The City’s community hireable venues, including beaches, courts, active parks and facilities, are shared spaces that support a wide range of community users throughout the year.

While the City aims to accommodate booking requests wherever availability permits, clubs are encouraged to submit event booking applications as early as possible once their seasonal bookings have been approved.

Early submission allows sufficient time for any additional requirements, such as permits, cleaning services, or floodlighting arrangements, to be assessed and organised prior to booking approval.

Making a booking
All venue and park bookings must be submitted through the City’s Bookings Manager system, with availability displayed via the live online calendar.

When seasonal bookings open, the club’s nominated bookings contact will receive an email notification and will have two weeks to submit the club’s preferred venues, days and times for the regular hire booking. This booking period is for the duration of the sporting season i.e 1 April to 30 September for the winter sporting season or 1 October to 31 March for the summer sporting season. The City will then review all requests, resolve any booking conflicts, and confirm approved allocations.

Invoices for approved bookings, floodlighting usage and storage are issued in arrears. Any casual hire invoices are invoiced separately to the seasonal hire booking

Removal of bookings 
Clubs are responsible for managing their bookings and must cancel any bookings that are no longer required, including away fixtures, forfeited games, and cancelled training sessions. Bookings cannot be cancelled retrospectively.

Timely cancellation of unused bookings helps ensure fair and equitable access to facilities for all community users, including clubs operating outside their regular sporting season such as for pre-season bookings. It also ensures clubs can keep their costs down by ensuring they are not paying for venue hire they don’t need. 

If you require assistance using Bookings Manager, please contact your Sport and Recreation Officer.

Out of Season and Pre-Season Bookings
To manage increasing demand and ensure equitable access to the City’s active parks, the City has established guidelines for out-of-season and pre-season bookings. These guidelines are designed to protect the interests of in-season sports, allow for essential maintenance works, and support turf recovery following the winter season.

• In-season clubs allocated to a park will be given priority access.
• Approval of out-of-season ground use for winter and summer sports is at the City’s discretion. A club’s regular active parks may not be available during this period.
• The City will not install sporting infrastructure during the out-of-season period. Required infrastructure will be installed in accordance with City practices prior to the commencement of the relevant season.
• Players and coaches may be required to wear soft-soled footwear to minimise turf damage (ie. no studded footwear). The City will determine whether this requirement applies to individual bookings.
• Training and other activities are not permitted on areas undergoing maintenance, containing newly laid turf, or showing signs of deterioration or damage from previous seasonal use.

• All booking requests for hire must be made via the City of Joondalup's website through a Booking Application.
• Any changes must be made through the City's booking management system. The City will provide approved written confirmation of changes to booking.
• Hirers must be over 18 years of age and provide proof of identity if requested.
• Time required for set-up and pack-down, including deliveries and cleaning, must be included in the booking time. Hirers do not have access to the venue outside of their booking time.
• Accessing venues outside of listed booking time is considered a breach of the Terms and Conditions of Hire.
• The City of Joondalup reserves the right to refuse, amend or cancel bookings at any time.
• Approved Hirers are not able to transfer the right of hire and use to another person. 
• Bookings may be cancelled if invoices are overdue by more than 60 days.
• In accordance with the City's Gambling on City-Owned or Managed Property Council Policy, the City prohibits any wagering activities on City-owned or managed property within the City Local Government Property, for any purpose.
• All facilities must be vacated prior to 12:00am (midnight), unless otherwise approved by the City of Joondalup.
• Smoking and vaping is not permitted inside any City venue. This includes electronic cigarettes, personal vaporisers, electronic nicotine delivery systems or other battery powered vaporisers.
• Vehicles are not permitted on parks, reserves or beaches unless written permission from the City of Joondalup has been obtained.
• Line markings on reserves require approval from the City and must only be made using PVA water-based line marking paint.
• Keys and/or security access cards must be collected and returned to the City of Joondalup's Administration Building during operating hours.
• The maximum capacity of the venue as determined by the City must not be exceeded.
• Gas bottles and anything flammable is prohibited to be kept in any indoor storage spaces within the City's venues.
• Lithium Batteries cannot be stored within the City's facilities. 

Please see our full terms and conditions of hire.

The City reserves the right to temporarily close any park or sportsground to hirers where it is considered necessary to:

• Protect the playing surface from damage due to adverse ground conditions or excessive use.
• Manage the level of use of a playing field to maintain turf quality and safety.
• Address situations where the playing surface is deemed unsafe for its intended use.
• Facilitate maintenance, renewal, improvement works, or turf recovery.

Where practicable, affected hirers will be notified of any closure as soon as possible.

The City has introduced a Wet Weather Protocol to provide clubs with clearer guidance and early notice when bookings at active sporting parks may need to be cancelled due to significant rainfall. The protocol aims to protect turf from damage and provide consistent guidance for clubs and state sporting associations. It is triggered when forecast rainfall is expected to exceed 50mm in one day or 80mm across two consecutive days, or where heavy rainfall has caused significant surface water that is not draining.

For weekend fixtures, clubs will be notified by Tuesday if the protocol is active and bookings may be at risk. A final decision on full or partial closures will be communicated by 12 noon on Friday. Decisions will consider recent and forecast rainfall, ground conditions, surface water, type of use and potential repair impacts. For weekday training, the same process will apply with adjusted timeframes.

The seasonal changeover period enables the City to undertake essential preparation and maintenance works, as well as the removal and installation of seasonal sporting infrastructure in readiness for the upcoming season.

To assist with effective planning and a smooth transition between seasons, hirers are required to provide estimated final training and fixture dates as early as possible, preferably at least one month prior to the seasonal changeover. Hirers must also ensure that all bookings in Bookings Manager remain accurate and up to date throughout this period. This includes amending or cancelling bookings as team progression becomes known, such as removing bookings for teams that do not progress to finals or updating bookings for teams that continue through the finals series.
 

Sports Floodlighting

• SMS-controlled floodlighting – Many of the City’s active parks are equipped with floodlighting that is activated via SMS. Floodlighting operating times are programmed in accordance with approved booking times. Hirers should only activate the lights when required and ensure they are switched off promptly once training has concluded.
• Non-SMS floodlighting – At parks without SMS-controlled lighting, floodlighting is programmed to operate in line with approved booking times. Lighting activation is based on an astronomical clock system and will typically switch on approximately 10 minutes before sunset.

Sporting Field Line Marking

• All line marking on active parks and reserves requires prior approval from the City and must only be undertaken using PVA water-based line marking paint for turf.
• Line marking is the responsibility of the club allocated use of the ground during its seasonal booking period.
• The use of unapproved paints or line marking materials may cause damage to turf surfaces. Any costs incurred by the City to repair damage resulting from incorrect line marking practices will be charged to the responsible club.

Management of Active Parks
The City invests significant resources each year in maintaining active parks to provide safe, functional, and high-quality facilities for community use. This includes irrigation, mowing, fertilising, top dressing, turf renovation, and a range of other maintenance activities undertaken by the City.

Sporting clubs and hirers also play an important role in preserving the condition of sportsgrounds throughout the season. To assist with maintaining quality playing surfaces, hirers are asked to:

• Rotate training activities across different areas of the park, avoiding repeated use of high-wear locations such as goal mouths, centre squares, and other heavily trafficked areas.
• Conduct high-intensity training activities, such as agility drills and conditioning exercises, away from the main playing surface and central field areas wherever practicable.
• Avoid the use of metal pegs under any circumstances to secure nets, goals, or other equipment. Weights, sandbags, or other approved alternatives must be used instead. Clubs found using metal pegs may be held responsible for any damage caused to mowing or maintenance equipment and charged for associated repair costs.
• Vehicles are not permitted on parks, reserves or beaches unless written permission from the City of Joondalup has been obtained. This includes the use of motorized golf carts, ATV or similar. Unauthorised vehicle access can cause significant damage to turf surfaces, tree roots and irrigation infrastructure.

By adopting these practices, hirers can help maintain safe, high-quality playing surfaces and support the long-term sustainability of the City's active parks.

Facility Hire
The City offers 33 community hireable facilities for hire across a range of locations throughout the City of Joondalup.

Community facilities are available for booking between 8.00am and 12.00 midnight and vary in size and functionality, from small meeting rooms through to large halls capable of accommodating up to 300 people.

Hire of community facilities includes access to tables and chairs, with most venues also providing a serviceable kitchen equipped with amenities such as a stove, community refrigerator and boiling water unit.

Further information about individual facilities, including capacities, amenities and location details, is available on the City of Joondalup website. Virtual tours of the City’s community hireable venues are also available on the City’s website.

Clubs and hirers are required to accept the City’s Terms and Conditions of Venue Hire when making a booking and must ensure the facility is used in accordance with those conditions throughout the hire period.

Cleaning
All hirers are responsible for leaving the facility in a clean, tidy and secure condition at the conclusion of their booking. The City reserves the right to recover any costs associated with additional cleaning, maintenance, repairs, security call-outs, after-hours attendance, or damage resulting from the booking. 

Hirers must ensure that:

• Cleaning equipment is supplied by the hirer, as no cleaning equipment is provided at City venues. 
• All spills are cleaned immediately. 
• Detergents are not used on timber flooring. 
• All tables, chairs and other furniture are cleaned and returned to their designated storage areas. 
• Floors and change rooms, where applicable, are swept, vacuumed and/or mopped as required.
• All rubbish is placed in the appropriate bins and any excess waste is removed from the venue. Additional waste services should be arranged by the hirer where necessary. 
• Surrounding areas associated with the booking, including parks, car parks, verges and pathways, are left clean and free of litter.
• Any damage, maintenance issues or incidents occurring during the booking are reported to the City as soon as practicable via the maintenance reporting.
• The venue is vacated within the approved booking time, including all cleaning and pack-down activities. 
• Before departure, all lights are switched off (excluding security lighting where applicable), doors and windows are secured, and alarms are activated if required. Hirers may be held responsible for security call-out fees where negligence is identified. 
• The use of confetti, crepe paper, blu-tack, sticky tape, temporary adhesives, or decorations attached to City assets, trees or plants is prohibited. Hirers must not penetrate the ground with pegs, stakes, flagpoles or similar objects without City approval.

Please refer to the Terms and Conditions of Venue Hire and the facility cleaning checklist for complete cleaning requirements.  

Display of Memorabilia, signage or installation of other items in a community hireable venue
If the club wants to display memorabilia or upgrade a community hireable venue within the City, then a Club Funded Upgrade (CFU) application form needs to be completed. This application process ensures that all required approvals and licences are granted before the work commences. Any works undertaken to upgrade the venue without the approval of the City may be considered unlawful and unauthorised. This will also prevent the City having to undertake any expensive remedial work on unauthorised works.

Maintenance
The hirers and members of the public are recommended to report any kind of maintenance, damage, and graffiti directly through the City's Maintenance Reporting Page.

Equipment
Hirers are responsible for ensuring all equipment being used meets Australian Safety Standards, including electrical equipment. All equipment used within the City’s Community hireable venues must be tagged and tested.  

Governance and Compliance
Strong governance practices help clubs operate effectively, meet legal obligations and provide a safe and inclusive environment for members, volunteers and participants.

Clubs are encouraged to maintain and regularly review key governance documents, including:

• A current Constitution or Rules of Association.
• A Code of Conduct for members, players, coaches, officials and spectators.
• Member Protection, Child Safety and Inclusion policies.
• Financial management and conflict of interest procedures.
• Committee position descriptions and governance frameworks.

Incorporated clubs are responsible for ensuring their governing documents remain compliant with the requirements of their relevant sporting association and the Associations Incorporation Act 2015 (WA).

For information on becoming an incorporated association, refer to the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety's Inc: A Guide for Incorporated Associations in Western Australia

Working with Children Checks
Clubs are responsible for ensuring compliance with Western Australia's Working with Children (WWC) Check requirements.

Any person engaged in child-related work may be required to hold a valid Working with Children Check, including coaches, team managers, officials, committee members and volunteers, depending on their role and responsibilities.

Clubs should:

• Verify that relevant personnel hold a valid WWC Check before commencing child-related work.
• Maintain an up-to-date register of WWC Check details and expiry dates.
• Ensure appropriate child safeguarding policies and procedures are in place.
• Provide a safe, respectful and inclusive environment for all children and young people participating in club activities.

Further information regarding Working with Children Checks is available from the Working with Children Screening Unit.

Certificate of Insurance
Clubs should maintain appropriate insurance cover for their activities, including cover for players, coaches, trainers, officials, volunteers and any persons providing professional instruction or advice. Appropriate insurance helps protect both the club and individuals against claims arising from negligent acts, advice, instructions or omissions during the course of their duties.

The City may request evidence of insurance coverage as part of the booking or hire process.

Contents Insurance
Hirers are encouraged to obtain contents insurance for any equipment or property stored within a City facility, including approved indoor and outdoor storage areas.

The City accepts no responsibility for the loss, theft or damage of equipment, materials or personal property belonging to hirers.

Liquor Licences
The consumption, supply or sale of alcohol on City property requires prior approval from the City and may require a liquor licence issued by the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety (DLGIRS).

Clubs intending to sell, supply or consume alcohol must:

• Obtain approval from the City as part of their booking application.
• Obtain any required liquor licence or permit prior to the event.
• Comply with all licence conditions and relevant legislation.

Clubs should clearly indicate any proposed alcohol service when submitting booking requests and contact their Sport and Recreation Officer if further guidance is required.
 

Food Permits and Food Traders
Clubs using kitchen facilities or preparing and serving food may be required to obtain approval from the City's Environmental Health team.

Food trucks, coffee vans and other mobile food traders must hold the appropriate approvals and permits and operate only from locations approved by the City.

Where multiple food traders are proposed for an event, additional approvals or permits may be required. Clubs should contact the City's Environmental Health team early in the planning process to determine applicable requirements.

For assistance with any of the above areas, please contact your Sport and Recreation Officer.