Log in | |

Facilities & Venues

   BACK TO TOOLKIT MENU

Facilities are the constraint we hear about most, and the one no single club can solve alone. Here's what VNSW is doing about it, and starting points while that work scales.

We'll keep building this section as the Local Area Mapping pilot rolls out beyond Blacktown.

To view a map of Volleyball venues in NSW (North, Metro and South), check out:

   Facilities - VNSW 2025 AGM & Stakeholder Meeting Presentation

VNSW is building a mapping tool to connect clubs directly with their local councillors, council master plans, and LGA-level opportunities, the people and plans that actually decide what gets built and where.

We're trialling this with Blacktown-based clubs through 2026 before rolling it out further. If your club is in the Blacktown LGA, reach out below to get involved early.

If you're elsewhere, register your interest, this is exactly the kind of thing that expands based on which clubs put their hand up first.

Register your club's interest

While the mapping tool is being built, a few starting points that work regardless of your LGA:

  • Start with council, not just venues: most gyms and multi-purpose courts are council-managed or council-linked; your council's sport and facilities unit is usually the first call, not the venue itself
  • Ask about off-peak allocation: councils often have unused mid-week or early-morning slots that don't show up when you just ask "what's available," because they're not the default offer
  • Growth intent helps your case: councils prioritise allocation partly on demonstrated demand; a club that can show membership growth or a waitlist has a stronger ask than one requesting space "just in case"
  • Don't go it alone: shared or co-use agreements with schools, other sporting codes, or community centres can get you access faster than waiting for a dedicated facility. And that includes VNSW, if you're stuck on a facilities issue, reach out before you spend months on it solo. We may already know your council's process, have a contact who can help, or be working on something in your area through the Local Area Mapping pilot.

Every council runs facilities differently, so there's no single link that works for all 60+ of your affiliated clubs, the honest starting point is knowing where to look in your council.

Search "[your council name] + sport and facilities": most NSW councils have a dedicated unit covering ground allocation, DA approval for upgrades, and co-funding programs. If you're not sure who to contact, your council's general customer service line can point you to the right team.

This section is an extract of the Facilities - VNSW 2025 AGM & Stakeholder Meeting Presentation

Outdoor (hard court) club facilities

Key dimensions

  • 18m x 9m playing court
  • 3–6.5m run-off zone
  • 3m attack line
  • 10.8m net length
  • Variable net height 2.4m–2.15m

Requirements

  • Minimum of four club-grade courts co-located at club venues, placed parallel to reduce unintentional ball movement
  • Competitive net heights range from 2.43m (Open Men's) to 2.15m (Junior Girls) — permanent posts need multiple grooves to allow height variation; clubs store their own nets
  • Underlay should be a hard material (asphalt or concrete); acrylic surface layers preferred over synthetic turf or bare concrete

Considerations

  • All court lines 5cm wide, typically white
  • For competitive courts: 9m-wide service zone behind both end lines; run-off zone with room for substitution and libero replacement; extra width beyond run-off for team benches and scorer's table

 

Beach (sand) club facilities

Key dimensions

  • 16m x 8m playing court
  • 4m run-off zone
  • 9m net length
  • 2.2m net height

Requirements

  • Permanent posts with grooves allow net height adjustment between 2.15m–2.43m; standard removable net stored at a nearby community facility or brought by users
  • Sand playing surface, minimum 300mm depth, with adequate drainage (method depends on site slope and installation)

Considerations

  • Sand courts must limit wind/use-driven sand movement while ensuring adequate drainage
  • Minimum three courts co-located to count as a competitive club venue
  • Co-locate parallel courts to reduce edging/retaining needs
  • Net post length needs increasing to account for structural instability given sand depth
  • Edging (paving or raised lip) needed to stop sand escaping the court and grass encroaching

 

Community (social) facilities

Key dimensions

  • 15m x 6m playing court
  • 3m run-off zone
  • 3m attack line
  • 8m net length
  • 2.2m net height

Requirements

  • Intended for social use, not competitive club use — prioritise low-maintenance, vandal-proof design for broad community access
  • Vandal-resistant net (steel-reinforced rope), permanently installed
  • Recommended net height 2.24m for usability across demographics; net length 8.05m (drives the reduced court dimension)
  • Hard, flat, light-coloured surface preferred; acrylic over concrete
  • Turf courts suit low/moderate-usage areas (low maintenance, good low-cost interim option to gauge demand before a hard-surface build)
  • Sand also achievable at reduced dimensions (refer to beach specs)

Considerations

  • Pair with benches, shade trees/structures, playgrounds, pump tracks, skate parks, or other sporting uses to boost engagement

 

Multi-use facilities

Requirements

  • Reduces council space, build and maintenance costs by overlaying volleyball on existing courts
  • Volleyball's competitive dimensions often fit within other court sports' boundaries; smaller volleyball dimensions can be reviewed case-by-case where standard size won't fit

Considerations

  • Net/post placement is critical — permanent installations must avoid interfering with other sports' run-off zones
  • Confirm the other sport's seasonality/adaptability so volleyball use doesn't clash

Sport-specific overlay notes:

  • Netball — single full-size volleyball court fits across two netball training courts; net sits within the run-off zone between them
  • Basketball (half-court) — locate volleyball overlay adjacent to half-courts (not overlapping) due to high usage volumes
  • Futsal — single full-size volleyball court fits across two futsal courts; net located in the run-off zone between them
  • Badminton — badminton net located centrally within a volleyball court; similar net height/area needs make them a strong pairing
  • Tennis — volleyball fits well within a tennis court; a height-variable net lets both sports share a single net structure with no extra infrastructure

General requirement across all facility types: flat, uniform, non-slippery surface; 5mm/metre drainage slope on hard courts; avoid fencing where possible (use removable/stored nets, or vandal-resistant nets as fallback); prioritise shade via trees without canopy overhang onto the court.