Wally Hagan Stadium Redevelopment

The Wally Hagan Stadium Redevelopment is a proposal. It’s important to note that not all proposals proceed to construction phase. This can be due to various factors such as environmental constraints, heritage constraints, financial capacity, or feasibility. In the 2023-24 financial year, the City intends to undertake the following:   

• Detailed needs analysis for a community indoor recreation (dry) facility that includes but is not limited to basketball/multi-purpose courts, gymnasium, multi-purpose social spaces and other complementary activities.  

• Site assessment – analysis of suitable sites based on the requirements identified in the needs analysis. 

• Concept design and feasibility study – design drawing/s of the proposed infrastructure based on needs, viability and benefits outlined in the feasibility study. 

The City has undertaken the following community engagement, to date, to determine needs for the proposed redevelopment.: 

• Development of the Western Suburbs Sporting Precinct Study 2018 

• Development of the Community, Sport and Recreation Facilities Plan 2018–2033 

• Development of the Report for the Future Hamilton Hill Community Centre 2020 

• Consultation in early 2023 to inform the review of the Community, Sport and Recreation Facilities Plan  

Next steps  

The City will speak to relevant stakeholders as part of the needs analysis to test previous information and allow the opportunity to gather new information. Further engagement needs will be determined after the needs analysis has been completed.  

Should you have any queries, please email [email protected] 

Background 

The Wally Hagan Basketball Stadium is currently located at 9 Starling Street, Hamilton Hill. 

It is a four-court indoor basketball facility built in 1979. The facility is currently leased in entirety to the Cockburn Basketball Association. The Association also facilitate a number of community programs and operate at multiple venues to meet community participation and competition requirements. 

The facility is nearing the end of its useful life and supporting amenities such as changerooms, toilets, café/kiosk, office space and storage are not-fit-for purpose.  

2018 

In 2018, as part of the City’s Western Suburbs Sporting Precinct Study (WSSPS), a need was identified for the following: 

• 4-6 indoor basketball courts 

• Additional parking 

• Clubroom/function space, changerooms, storage, office space 

• Public gym 

• Café, creche and other meeting rooms 

• Additional public open space 

Three options were prepared as part of the WSSPS with the preferred option (Option one) endorsed by Council at the time with an estimated cost of $36.5M. This proposed option, was further reflected in the City’s Community, Sport and Recreation Facilities Plan 2018–2033, adopted by Council in December 2018, which is currently being reviewed. 

2019-2020 

In 2019, the Hamilton Hill Community Group obtained a grant from the Hon. Simone McGurk MLA for an Aboriginal and Early European Heritage Study of the Hamilton Hill Swamp Precinct. Upon completion, the Study was submitted to the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage and in December 2020 the site of which Wally Hagan Stadium is currently built on and neighbouring land was listed as an official Aboriginal Heritage site (18332). 

2021 onwards 

At the Ordinary Council Meeting in February 2021, Council revoked the preferred endorsed option, noting the proposal was unachievable due to the Aboriginal Heritage site listing. At that same meeting, Council endorsed an alternative option (Option three) subject to further engagement being undertaken with relevant stakeholders and approvals being applied for, in particular a Section 18 process under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972. 

Continued engagement has occurred with relevant Aboriginal stakeholders, however understanding the process of engagement and approvals has been challenging due to the revocation of and then changes in Aboriginal heritage legislation. 

Furthermore, the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage (DPLH) has undertaken a public consultation process on amending the Metropolitan Region Scheme (MRS) relating to the land corridor originally reserved for Roe 8 (West) and Roe 9 Highway extension proposal. The outcome of this process is not expected to occur until sometime in 2024. Further information can be found here: Roe 8 (West) and Roe 9 Planning Study - City of Cockburn