City retains $5.5 million Federal funding for facilities to increase female participation in sport

Media Release 8 December 2023
RAF
The City of South Perth has retained $5.5 million funding to enhance and modify facilities that will increase female participation in sport. The funding is a portion of the $20 million grant originally obtained from the Federal Government program for the City’s discontinued Recreation and Aquatic Facility (RAF) project. 

Following the Council’s decision in May 2023 not to proceed with the RAF, the City applied to the Federal Government to retain the grant for an alternative project, which included two options for consideration; the construction of indoor sports courts at George Burnett Leisure Centre (GBLC); and the upgrade to changerooms and lighting at six City reserves.  

Image of women's change rooms at sporting facility

The $5.5 million funding from the Department of Health and Aged Care’s Female Facilities and Water Safety Stream Program, is intended to go towards improving changerooms and sports lighting at local sporting reserves within the City.

While the formal agreement is yet to be finalised, the City has applied for upgrades at George Burnett Park in Karawara, Richardson Park in South Perth, Bill Grayden and Collier Reserve in Como, Challenger Reserve in Manning, and Morris Mundy Reserve in Kensington. 

The upgrades include enhanced changeroom amenities and sports lighting to better meet female sporting participation requirements and enable the establishment of new female sporting competitions in the local area.  

Photo of women playing football at night time.


Approximately 8,000 females a year participate in sporting activities at the six reserves that have been identified as part of the project. 

The project is anticipated to lead to an increase in sporting participation to approximately 30,000 females a year. Female participation is expected to increase across various sports at all levels, including soccer, cricket, baseball, rugby league, touch football, Aussie Rules and hockey. 

City of South Perth Mayor, Greg Milner, welcomed the funding announcement. 

“The City is excited to work with the Department of Health and Aged Care to deliver much needed improvements to our community infrastructure, targeted at increasing female participation in sport”, Mayor Milner said.  


“Though we’re disappointed we haven’t retained the funding that would allow us to undertake upgrades at George Burnett Leisure Centre, the City’s Female Changerooms and Sports Lighting Project will boost community participation in sport and recreation, especially girls and women at all levels”.

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