In my recent DWS podcast with Justine Channing, DWS’ Strategic Gaming Specialist, parking facilities was mentioned as point of difference for Clubs when compared to the new Queen’s Wharf Casino and other centrally located food and entertainment precincts. This raises the question, are Clubs making the most of this advantage, such as investing in additional car parks, or better utilisation of existing car parking space?
The DWS and Clubs Queensland Benchmark Report released last month indicated that Clubs with 51-100 EGMS had on average 1.5-2.5 car parks for every EGM. But whether this is enough parking depends on a variety of factors, such as where a Club is located or if a Club has sports and function facilities. However, I’m sure we can all agree that not having enough car parking will result in some patrons driving to another venue where parking is unlikely to be an issue.
City Golf Toowoomba recently added ninety new car parks to their venue. This development took seven weeks to complete and complements Tabatinga, the new family fun centre at the Club, which has proven to be a more valuable facility than their previous function centre.
“The new car parks have attracted a lot of new social members to our Club, especially in the 30–45-year-old age bracket, and we’re having a lot more birthday parties at our venue!”
Car park development can be more than sealed asphalt and line markings on undeveloped land. Last year, Cazalys in Cairns had the grand opening of ‘Cazalys Solar Shade Carpark’ which includes the installation of 200 solar shaded car parks, a benchmark project merging environmental responsibility with cutting-edge technology. The Club has also installed an EV charging station, exporting power to the Cairns electrical network. Frenchville Sports Club also recently opened their new solar covered car park, a state-of-the-art facility providing convenient and sheltered parking for their members and guests while significantly reducing their carbon footprint and energy costs. Looking farther afield, Castle Hill RSL in Sydney is developing a multi-level car park featuring a significant green space and grassed terrace providing seamless access to 862 parking spaces, with circa 700 undercover bays.
New car parks are a significant investment and can be upwards of 35k per parking spot. It is critical that Clubs carefully consider this investment when developing their strategic plan, supported by a robust cost-benefit analysis. Does it make sense to invest in only fifty car parks? Is multi-level or multiple carparks a smarter approach than one large, flat car park facility? Either way, Clubs need as many car parks as possible to avoid or limit the loss of patrons to competitors or shiny new establishments in the city.
If you would like to discuss a tailored benchmarking report for your venue or the development of a strategic plan, please contact the DWS team via email at info@dws.net.au
About the Author
John Dickson is the founder and Executive Chairman of DWS Hospitality Specialists,. With over 40 years of senior management and consulting experience in the hospitality and leisure sectors, John specialises in the areas of strategic planning, corporate governance, business structure and workshop and training facilitation.
Learn more about John here, or please reach out to John if you would like to discuss any upcoming projects you need assistance with via email at info@dws.net.au.
