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Kostera Oval redevelopment a boon to Kalamunda sporting clubs

Sally McGlewMidland Kalamunda Reporter

JUNIOR footballers in Kalamunda are jumping for joy with the footy season in full swing at the recently redeveloped Kostera Oval.

Shire President Andrew Waddell officially opened the Kostera redevelopment and Kalamunda MLA John Day has hailed it a huge success after the first rounds of footy were played on the site.

Kostera Oval is Kalamunda’s main sporting reserve, with shared clubroom facilities for junior football and senior and junior Cricket.

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The oval accommodates more than 200 cricketers and 440 junior footballers for sporting battles, as well as the Kalamunda Agricultural Show.

This main oval and some smaller grassed areas also serve as an outdoor classroom for recreation activities and sports area for Kalamunda Senior High School.

“Previously the site was multi-level, comprising of the main football and cricket oval, a lower portion and a higher portion to the South of the site,” Cr Waddell said.

“It made the southern sections underutilised as they were the wrong size for any competition cricket or football games and could not be used by the school for athletics or team sports and generally were disconnected to the main site.

“To reduce wear and tear on the main oval, increase the number of fields and provide a viable high quality facility, the Shire has re-profiled the three sporting spaces into a single level space. The $3m project also included upgrading the drainage, reticulation and turf quality of the new multi-use surface and installation a top quality turf cricket pitch that does not impact on the winter sports fields.”

Mr Day congratulated the Shire on the achievement, with the project being completed on time and on budget.

He also acknowledged the significant contribution of Kostera Advisory Committee chairperson and Kalamunda and Districts Junior Football Club life member Mike Perry, who has been an ambassador for the project for the last decade.

The redevelopment has seen the playing area increase with three distinct ovals now available to play on, one larger fully dedicated AFL field and two smaller junior ovals incorporating other sports such as cricket.

Kalamunda Cricket Club and the Kalamunda and Districts Junior Football Club will now have the ability to run multiple games at the ground at one time.

Kalamunda and Districts Junior Football Club president Mike Davis said the redevelopment would be an enormous benefit to the club over the coming years and its player numbers had already increased by 30 per cent on last year.

“We have had so many positive comments from the parents and players, as well as from other clubs who have come to play on the new site,” he said.

“With the relocation of the turf cricket wicket the football club will be in position to host games throughout the final series. This will have a significant financial benefit to the club.”The project was funded by a $2 million dollar investment from Shire of Kalamunda, along with a $1 million contribution from the State Government.