New sports facilities on the cards

Following last month’s decision to stop negotiations for Yanchep’s playing fields and focus instead on developing a sports oval in Two Rocks, the City of Wanneroo has developed a preliminary plan.

It includes removal of the existing sports amenities building, lighting and irrigation, and provision of a cricket wicket, practice nets and off-season matting, football goals, little athletics jump pits, discus cage and shot put circles.

It also proposes removing the existing skate park and relocating it or building another after consultation with local youth.

Under the concept plan, a new sports amenities building would include change rooms, store rooms, a kiosk, first aid room, umpires’ change room and patio for spectator protection.

At last week’s briefing session, infrastructure director Dennis Blair said the City planned to hold extensive community consultation, with letters to all residents in Two Rocks, advertising and at least one sausage sizzle information session.

Although the Water Corporation has plans to install a pump station in the park, the City’s planning and sustainability director Len Kosova said his staff had discussed it with the utility.

‘The area in question is quite literally at the intersection point,’ Mr Kosova said.

‘The plan in no way encroaches on the plan proposed by the Water Corporation.’

He said most of the pump station would be below ground and the little visible above ground would not be a constraint to the sports facilities proposed.

Mr Blair said the administration, after meeting with the Department of Sport and Recreation, recommended the council relinquish almost $1 million of State funding allocated for the Yanchep playing fields in January.

Instead, he said the City could submit a new application for the Community Sporting and Recreation Facility Fund which would be considered out of round and need approval from the Sport and Recreation Minister.

Elected members will consider endorsing the preliminary concept plan for community consultation purposes, spending $150,000 on consultation and initial design costs, and relinquishing the State funding before submitting a new application.