$5million funding bid for sporting facilities

Heading the priority list of project bids, to the Department of Sport and Recreation (DSR), is $2 million toward the cost of the proposed $18.6 million Butler North District Open Space development.

Construction of playing fields to cater for AFL, athletics, cricket, hockey and soccer as well as hardcourts for netball and tennis along with associated clubrooms is earmarked to start in the 2017/18 financial year.

Mayor Tracey Roberts said the project – incorporating passive recreational facilities such as an amphitheatre, playgrounds, sheltered barbecue and rest areas – highlighted the need for additional government funding for large-scale regional facilities.

“While the City will pick up most of the cost, I urge the government to establish a new fund for strategically significant regional projects such as Butler North,” she said.

“Additional funding is needed right now for the timely delivery of community infrastructure to one of the fastest growing regions in the country.”

Mayor Roberts said the City’s second-ranked project was $1million towards the cost of floodlighting and a sports amenities building at Banksia Grove District Open Space, to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population.

“The City has nominated a sports amenities building and floodlighting at Jimbup Reserve in Tapping as its next priority, seeking more than $600,000 towards the total project cost of almost $1.85million,” she said.

Priority funding for floodlighting is also being sought for Leatherback Park at Alkimos to accommodate growing training and match play requirements.

Another application for $700,000 is to help replace the Kingsway Olympic Soccer Club change rooms, in addition to a $217,000 bid towards storage facilities for Little Athletics. The full cost of both these Kingsway facilities will be almost $2.7million.

Rounding out the applications is a bid for $110,000 from DSR to cover one-third of the cost of refurbishment and upgrades to the changerooms, kiosk and storage facilities at Lake Joondalup Park.

The outcome of the funding applications is expected to be reported to Council in March next year.

Since 2005 the City has delivered 20 similar sport and recreation projects, worth more than $50million, that attracted almost $6million of DSR grant funding.

The DSR’s Community Sports and Recreation Facilities Fund (CSRFF) is a vital element in the City’s funding model to promote healthy and active communities.