WA Election: Arena Joondalup sweetener from Labor

LABOR election sweeteners keep coming for the northern suburbs while the Government continues to scrutinise the size of the opposition’s jar of 100s and 1000s.

Mark McGowan’s team again popped the lid on the confectionary, this time to sprinkle a $750,000 offer on Arena Joondalup.

While the Liberals have also been aggressive in their dusting of campaign sugar over the critically vulnerable local seats, they did not counter with their own offer.

Labor candidates Emily Hamilton, for Joondalup, and Mark Folkard, for Burns Beach, announced the commitment for the western side of the sporting complex late last month.

It came as the Government intensified its attempts to cast doubt over Labor’s ability to keep billions of dollars worth of promises.

But Joondalup Little Athletics Club president Philippe Bossert, based at Arena Joondalup, was just happy one of the parties acknowledged his pleas, having rallied for funding from both of them since November.

Mr Bossert, who also chairs the Arena Community Sport and Recreation Association, had wondered if his requests had “fallen on deaf ears” as the two majors flashed cash at other entities all over town.

But Labor sensed an opportunity for a late play ahead of this Saturday’s poll.

Should the opposition win the election and keep its promise, the development would benefit Joondalup Little Athletics Club, XTR Tri Club, the Joondalup Netball Association and the Joondalup Brothers and Sisters rugby clubs.

The upgrade includes a toilet block for the netball courts, $450,000 for rugby change rooms and $216,000 for athletics equipment storage

Mr Bossert was buoyed by the announcement.

“We have over 2000 members and due to the growth in the past years, we have outgrown the current facilities,” he said.

In keeping with the Liberal line, Joondalup MLA Jan Norberger questioned how Labor would uphold its funding promise.

“Labor’s announcement adds to the list of promises that they will struggle to pay for, unless of course they raise taxes and/or charges,” he said.

Mr Norberger said a number of the projects were already in the forward works plan for the Government-funded precinct, with the intention of starting them within the next four years.