The City of Cockburn is excited by the State Government’s announcement that it will contribute $2.5m towards a major $12m expansion at Cockburn ARC, further improving the local community’s ability to be more active, more often.
The City of Cockburn will contribute $6m to the $12m project, along with a $2.85m commitment from Fremantle Football Club and $650,000 from the WA Football Commission (WAFC) and the Australian Football League (AFL).
The announcement was made by Premier Hon. Mark McGowan, Sport and Recreation Minister Hon. David Templeman and Women’s Interests Minister Hon. Simone McGurk at Victor George Kailis Oval at Cockburn ARC, along with City of Cockburn Mayor Logan Howlett and Fremantle Football Club CEO Simon Garlick this morning.
Also in attendance were Cockburn MLA David Scaife and Jandakot MLA Yaz Mubarakai, Fremantle Football Club President Dale Alcock and WAFC CEO Michael Roberts.
The project will give the community better access to the Dockers training oval and enable the expansion of community football opportunities.
State government funding will help build new changerooms for Fremantle’s AFL Women’s team, which can also be used by female football and sporting teams as part of community sporting programs accessing the facility.
The City’s funding component will provide seating for 250 spectators at the oval and a community changeroom that includes female and gender-neutral facilities.
The project will increase gym floorspace by 550sqm to improve capacity and user experience at ARC’s three health studios which are used for popular group fitness, yoga and spin classes.
This will allow 3,000 locals to become new members at the award-winning regional facility and create another 30+ direct jobs.
Mayor Logan Howlett said the City was proud to invest $6m in the expansion of such an important community facility, and very thankful for the collaborative funding partnership that would see it come to fruition.
“More than one million people walk through the ARC’s doors annually, right here in Cockburn Central at the heart of the capital of Perth’s southern metropolitan area,” Mayor Howlett said.
“Cockburn will grow by around 30,000 new residents in the next seven years, so this development will meet community demand in the years ahead.
“Our successful partnership with the Fremantle Dockers, the State Government, the WAFC and the AFL, is directly supporting community sports and the ever-growing fitness and health needs of the region.”
Caption, l-r: Women's Interests Minister Hon. Simone McGurk, Fremantle Football Club President Dale Alcock, Sport and Recreation Minister Hon. David Templeman, Cockburn MLA David Scaife, Premier Mark McGowan, Fremantle AFLW forward Gabby O'Sullivan, Fremantle Football Club CEO Simon Garlick, City of Cockburn Mayor Logan Howlett and City of Cockburn Acting CEO Victoria Green after the funding announcement.