AusLeisure

The Sports and Play Industry Association (SAPIA) has announced the winners of its 2020 Awards.

Delayed from last year because of Coronavirus, the Awards recognise SAPIA members’ achievements in the design, construction, installation, testing and maintenance of sports and play facilities throughout Australia and New Zealand as well innovation in the manufacture and supply of sports and play surfacing materials and equipment.

Conducted since 2000, the annual Awards competition are based on members submitting their sports, playground and recreation projects for evaluation by specialist judges.

And despite the COVID pandemic, SAPIA members submitted 61 entries in the 2020 competition.

Winner
S1. Construction - Commercial Sports Court/s (Synthetic Grass)
Dynamic Sports Facilities
Yan Yean Tennis Club, Victoria (pictured above)
Construction of two synthetic grass tennis courts and two acrylic tennis courts, including fencing, lighting, retaining wall, picnic shelter, ramp and stairs etc. Synthetic grass materials were supplied by FieldTurf Australia - Club 40; acrylic materials were supplied by ICP Group (California Sports Surfaces) - HSouth Australia; lighting materials were supplied by IWE Group.

Runner Up
Recreational Surfacing 
McGirr Park Tennis Club, Miller, NSW

Winner
S2. Construction - Domestic Sports Court/s (Synthetic Grass)
A.S. Lodge
Private Court, Toorak, Victoria

Construction of a private tennis court on a heritage listed property, complete with LED lighting, basketball tower, soccer goal and drink fountain. A 110,000 litre Aquacaught water tank was constructed below the court surface, connected to an automatic watering system. Also included was a retractable curtain, retaining wall, and custom designed fence.

Runners Up
Jordin Sports Constructions
Private Court, Middle Ridge, Queensland

Jordin Sports Constructions
Private Court, East Toowoomba, Queensland

Winner
S3. Construction - Commercial Sports Court/s (Acrylic)
Jordin Sports Constructions
Underwood Park Netball, Queensland

Installation of 10 new netball courts, and resurfacing of six existing asphalt netball courts. Construction included baseworks, retaining wall, fencing, asphalt, drainage, netposts, lighting etc. Acrylic surfacing materials used were Rebound Synpave (ICP Group/California Sports Surfaces); accessories were supplied by Grand Slam Sports Equipment.

Runner Up
Grassports Queensland
South Australiamford Tennis Club, Queensland

Winner
S4. Construction - Domestic Sports Court/s (Acrylic)
Grassports Queensland
Private Tennis Court, Ascot, Queensland

Disposal of old court surface, construction of new concrete slab, acrylic surfacing fencing, draw netting, privacy screen, lighting, hit up wall, timber fencing. Acrylic surfacing materials supplied by APT Asia Pacifc (Laykold Masters Float).

Runner Up
S4. Construction - Domestic Sports Court/s (Acrylic)
Jordin Sports Constructions
Private Court, Samford Valley, Queensland

Winner
S6. Construction - Construction - Sports Field/s
Tigerturf Australia
Parade College Bundoora, Victoria - Football Field

A state of the art football pitch was constructed for Parade College's football academy established in association with Melbourne City FC. The project included lighting, paths, ball storage for futsal users, fencing. Synthetic grass materials were Tiger Turf/Greenfields MX Elite.

Runner Up
S6. Construction - Construction - Sports Field/s
Grassports Queensland
Perry Park Futsal Facility - Brisbane, Queensland

Winner
S7. Construction - Other Sports Facilities
Sports Build
Latitude 25 Bowls/Tennis/PickleballFacility Nikenbah, Queensland

Sports facility inside new development at Hervey Bay, comprising 2 tennis / 3 pickleball hardcourts and 1 six rink bowling green to World Bowls standard. Project included lighting and fencing. Acrylic surfacing materials supplied by Mapei Sports Surfaces.

Runner Up
S7. Construction - Other Sports Facilities
Premier Sports and Leisure 
Browns Plains High School, Queensland

Winner
S8. Surfacing - Sports Courts (Synthetic Grass)
Jordin Sports Constructions
Redland Bay Tennis, Queensland 

Upgrade of existing facility, with new synthetic grass with line markings for tennis to two courts. Synthetic grass surfacing materials: Urban Turf Solutions. Accessories: Grand Slam Sports Equipment.

Winner
S9. Surfacing - Sports Courts (Acrylic)
Surfacing Contractors Australia
St Clair Recreation Centre Tennis/Pickleball South Australia

Surfacing of six courts in two-tone Australian Open Velocity Blue and True Blue to a total of 3500 m2, with linemarking for tennis, futsal and hot shots for junior training. Included supply and installation of removable tennis and futsal equipment. Acrylic surfacing materials: Greenset 3 coat acrylic sports system; Accessories: Play Hard Sports Equipment.

Runner Up
S9. Surfacing - Sports Courts (Acrylic)
Centrecourt Constructions
Clover Hill State School

Third Place
S9. Surfacing - Sports Courts (Acrylic)
Grassports Queensland
Blackwater Netball Club, Queensland

Winner
S11. Surfacing - Indoor Sports Facilities
Recreational Surfacing
Al Noori Muslim School, NSW

Surfacing of an inner Sydney school's gym.
Acrylic surfacing materials: Impact (ICP Group/California Sports Surfaces) 

Winner
S12. Surfacing - Other Sports Facilities
Surfacing Contractors Australia
Taperoo Reserve Fitness, South Australia

SCA provided a 3 coat acrylic system to the 500m2 multi-use fitness area at the newly built Taperoo Reserve. The design concept included running, hopping and skipping activities along with basketball and 4 Square and ability for HIT. Various colour designs and stencils had to be produced and some aspect spray applied. Several kilometres of tape was used to ensure high detail and definition between colours. Acrylic surfacing materials: Greenset.

Winner
S15. Surfacing - Sports Equipment Installation
Hitech Sports
Morayfield Sport & Events Centre, Queensland

Fitout of two sports courts for basketball and netball. Included 4 FIBA Level 2 roof mounted basketball backstops, dividing curtains, scoreboards, shotclocks, 4 netball posts and sleeves, post padding, scorer benches, equipment for netball, volleyball and badminton. The feature court is the first (and currently only) complete Certified FIBA Level 2 Basketball Court outside Brisbane Metro.

Runner Up
S15. Surfacing - Sports Equipment Installation
Hitech Sports
St Johns Anglican College Forest Lake, Queensland

Winner
P1. Surfacing - Regional Play Space
Bruce's Playgrounds
Moncrieff Community Park, ACT

Bruce's Playgrounds were engaged to install and delver the soft fall component in Moncrieff, a multi-purpose facility with a range of sporting, play and recreation facilities for the whole community. Rubber softfall was installed to playground, fitness equipment and softfall inserts to stairs. Working on 45 degree banks with different colours and shapes added to the complexity of the project. Softfall materials used: Rosehill TPV & Binder (Surface Designs).

Runners Up
P1. Surfacing - Regional Play Space
Surfacing Contractors Australia
The Mill at Moreton Bay - Petrie, Queensland

P1. Surfacing - Regional Play Space
Surfacing Contractors Australia
St Clair Recreation Centre Playspace - YMCA - South Australia

Winner
P2. Surfacing - Council or School Play Space
Bruce's Playgrounds
Taylor Adventure Park ACT

Bruce's Playgrounds was engaged to install and deliver the soft fall component for the new playground at Taylor, a new suburb in Canberra. The design was for a sunken playground, requiring 530m2 of wet pour impact and wear layer. The majority of the rubber installation was on a 45 degree bank surrounding the playground, with over 100 internal hand holds following a pattern on the bank, and vertical and curved surfaces of the stairs. Softfall materials used: Rosehill TPV and Binder (Surface Designs).

Runner Up
P2. Surfacing - Council or School Play Space
Glooloop Surfacing
Newmarket Playground, Randwick NSW

Third Place
P2. Surfacing - Council or School Play Space
Synthetic Grass & Rubber Surfaces Australia
Alexandria Park Community School, NSW

Winner
P3. Surfacing - Child Care/Early Learning Centre/Preschool Play Space
Glooloop Surfacing
Reggio Academy, Thread Lane Waterloo NSW

A brand new child care centre with an innovative and intricate design, featuring multiple colourways throughout which required precision work and intricate key joins. Several vertical installations (with the tallest being 1,000mm) adjoined multiple horizontal coping installations. Internal ground floor and mezzanine levels were created for inclusion in softfall surface. Bilaminate rubber wetpour: SBR impact attentuation layer with Premium Melos EWPDM wear layer (APT Asia Pacific).

Runner Up
P3. Surfacing - Child Care/Early Learning Centre/Preschool Play Space
Rubbertough Industries
GESAC Child Care Centre, Bentleigh East, Victoria

Winner
P4. Surfacing - Commercial Facility Play Space
Glooloop Surfacing
Glenmore Park, Linear Park - Mulgoa Sanctuary, NSW

An epic installation of rubber wetpour in a dramatic colourful execution of complex surfaces. With excessively steep inclinations created by the Principal Contractor, the rubber surfacing had some of the largest angles of inclination ever accomplished in rubber softfall projects - with ladders often required to execute finishes. The delightfully complicated design incorporated a climbing rope wall, large custom slide, double hill slide, climbing holds and mound play zones in six colourway blends. A mixture of flat surfaces and mounds, planters on walls and coping on concrete crawl tube completed this stunning and eye-catching work of playground art. In addition, there were 5 grass areas installed near the picnic area. Bilaminate Rubber Wetpour: SBR impact attenuation layer with Rosehill TPV wear layer (Surface Designs). Synthetic grass: Nouveau 40mm artificial turf with ACO mechanically groomed in (APT Asia Pacific).

Runner Up
P4. Surfacing - Commercial Facility Play Space
Grassports Queensland
Sugarworld Waterpark, Cairns, Queensland 

Winner
P5. Play Equipment Installation
Pro One Softfall
Bim'Bimba Park, Pimpama, Queensland

Pro One Softfall provided softfall and safety surfacing beneath this 15m high Berliner tower which was custom designed for Bim'bimba Park. As well as erecting the tower they also installed a net tunnel, large net climber, small net climber, custom terranos unit, custom sky swing, 1.6m mound tube slide, bell climber, springers, basketball tower, ping pong table, tubular bells, post smart phone and accessible whirl.

Runner Up
P5. Play Equipment Installation
NT Shade
The Pit Stop Olay Space, Smith St, Darwin, Northern Territory

Winner
L1. Surfacing - Other (landscaping, non-sport, non-play)
All Grass Sports Surfaces
Ken Rosewall Arena, Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush Bay, NSW

Synthetic grass surfacing was required for a large spectator break out area for rest, food and mingling during the inaugural ATP Cup. A combination of concrete and asphalt pavement areas had to be patched and ground, while wetpour rubber cushion ramping and naplock was required to minimise trip hazards. Finally, Tiger Turf Summer Envy 44 XWR was installed and sand filled.

Runner Up
L1. Surfacing - Other (landscaping, non-sport, non-play)
Rubbertough Industries
Porous Pool Paving

Winner
D1. Design Award
Surfacing Contractors Australia
Athletics Stadium Calisthenics Training Facility, South Australia

Surfacing Contractors Australia was approached by the South Australian Department of Recreation & Sport to design and construct an elite level outdoor calisthenics / high jump / pole vault training facility, to be utilised by the state's leading trainer for preparing athletes for Commonwealth Games and Olympics. Equipment was purpose designed to be not only flexible but durable, inclusive of a 6m A-frame tower. 

Surfacing had to be compliant and certified to exceed 3m FHOF. SCA were responsible for the design and construction of the project. A finished surface reflecting an athletic aspect was desired and the final approved design saw a pole vaulting figure in amongst the area. All design was installed free hand using PlayKote EPDM.

Winner
I1. Innovation Award
Glooloop Surfacing
St Peters Fences, NSW 

St Peters Fences, 2020 is a permanent public artwork commissioned by Westconnex/Transurban and in conjunction with Inner West Council for Simpson Park, St Peters. The project represents a pioneering and innovative unique collaboration between artist and installer. Each element has been carefully and purposefully chosen from the stockpile of demolished housing from infrastructure projects; repurposing discarded materials into a stimulating area for adults and children alike. Every item has been installed onsite to tantalise the imagination and encourage engaged play.

Engineering precision creates a playscape representing urban decay that visually deceives the viewer into the perception of a hardscaped area dominated in chaos. Front fences from the local area were carefully reconstructed 'brick for brick' from archive images of homes demolished in the last 30 years for infrastructure expansion projects. Salvaged components of all shapes and sizes appear as if temporarily stockpiled in the park, all leaning as if on soft ground and linked together with old play equipment (monkey bars, planks etc). The bricks and sandstone were sourced locally, many from houses along Campbell Street adjacent to the park.

Play equipment from the existing park was refurbished and included in the new design. The casual 'backyard assemblage' aesthetic disguises the meticulously crafted design undertaken to allow the sculpture park to be certified as a children's playground (including the remarkable and cutting edge innovation of 'bouncy concrete', an accessible rubber pathway throughout the park).

During the conception of design, the parties worked closely together to develop a distinct groundbreaking (and patent pending) system of softfall that would enhance the astonishing deception of the whole installation. What presents visually as a hard, concrete path, is actually ductile Rubber Wetpour surfacing, initiating a surprising response by visitors to the playground. The unique system does not follow normal installation procedures, yet still complies with the Australian Safety Standards. Tested independently by Acousto-scan on site post installation, the system well surpassed the Free Height of Fall requirement of 2600mm.

Runner Up
I1. Innovation Award
Tigerturf Australia
Ecocept 

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