Hockey complex gets green light

A detailed design and cost analysis of the proposed facility, which will include one synthetic and two grass hockey pitches, floodlights, clubroom facilities, a carpark and the relocation of existing softball and cricket infrastructure, will now be undertaken.

Whitford Hockey Club president Fabian Ross thanked the council for its help since 2007 to develop a turf hockey facility in the City of Joondalup.

‘The Warwick Open Space will become an integrated sporting precinct which will be abuzz every weekend,’ he said. ‘On any given weekend, a minimum of 20 fixtures will be played, bringing over 1000 players, family and friends to the City.’

Joondalup Mayor Troy Pickard said the need for extra synthetic hockey pitch facilities in the north metropolitan area was well documented and it would ‘complement a planned upgrade of the Warwick Leisure Centre’.

‘Despite not receiving the anticipated funding from the State Government, the council has decided that this project is too important not to proceed,’ he said.

The City had originally applied for $2.3 million through the Community Sporting and Recreation Facilities Fund but received $1.2 million. The project was estimated to cost $7 million.

However, reducing the clubroom facility from 400sq m to 200sq m would save $480,000, bringing the total down to about $6.5 million.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Cr Russ Fishwick said he would ‘prefer to borrow the extra money rather than reduce the function room’.

‘I believe it would be a good decision to retain the size of the function room at 400sq m to make it a viable attraction for staging social functions and the opportunity for it to be hired,’ he said.

Councillors requested an extra $662,000 for the project be listed for consideration in the 2015-16 capital works program to cover the shortfall of the project costed at $6.5 million. The hockey club will also contribute $600,000.

The Warwick Open Space is located on Lloyd Drive and is currently used for softball in winter and cricket in summer, while Whitford Hockey Club is based at MacDonald Park, Padbury in winter.

Developing the synthetic hockey pitch at the Warwick Open Space requires the relocation of the softball and cricket clubs.

‘Both have indicated they would support a move to different venues within the City where they could access more suitable facilities and in turn grow their respective clubs,’ Cr Pickard said.