Work on sports facility under way

Joondalup Mayor Troy Pickard turned the first sod on the $2.93 million project on Tuesday.

The multi-purpose facility will include a community |centre with a meeting room for 130 people, change rooms with showers, toilets, storerooms, an umpire room and kitchen, a playground, barbecue and picnic shelter, drink fountain and car park.

Sports floodlighting and a synthetic cricket pitch are also part of the project, with trees to be planted next to the playground to provide natural shade. Mr Pickard said the population of Burns Beach was expected to more than treble in the decade from 2011 to 2021 and the facility would "alleviate a shortage of usable active public open space for organised sporting activities in the city's North ward".

The facility will also provide room for community-based meetings and activities.

At the City of Joondalup's April 21 meeting, councillors voted to accept the construction tender from McCorkell Constructions (WA).

Tenders were advertised from February 11 to March 5, with six submissions received.

In August 2014, councillors approved delegated authority to the chief executive to accept the tender subject to the price being no more than $1.95 million.

McCorkell Constructions tender was for $2.17 million.

Cr Kerry Hollywood said it would be a "great asset for all the community of Joondalup".

"However, I am concerned with regard to the build time of 48 weeks given, when this type of building should only take six to seven months to complete," she said.

The project has received some funding through the |State Government's Community Sporting and Recreation Facilities Fund.