With six weeks to go until Western Australia goes to the ballot boxes, WA Labor has released its most ambitious tranche of re-election promises for sports and recreation facilities around the state.
Five percent ($10 million) of the $186 million pledged at the weekend was promised to the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale, to help fund the SJ Community Recreation Centre expansion, “BMX track and other facilities”.
The announcement was welcome news for the shire, which has put almost all of its election advocacy eggs in the one basket.
Besides a request for $44.2 million in road upgrades, and a relatively modest ask to upgrade the Byford Fire Station, the shire’s election advocacy priorities for this year are all sports and recreation-based projects: the Rec Centre upgrade, a new netball centre and state level BMX track and pavilion at Keirnan Park (Stage 1B and C), and the Jarrahdale Trails Centre (which attracted a $5 million re-election commitment from the Cook government 11 days ago).
The justification for the shire’s hyperfocus on sport and recreation is sound.
Recent statistics from the National Growth Areas Alliance (NGAA) reveal that the SJ Shire lags behind other local governments in greater Perth, ranking last for access to community and sport infrastructure, despite being a key growth area.
According to NGAA’s ‘From Deficit to Equity’ report, the shire’s community and sport liveability score is a mere 0.2 out of 3, highlighting the urgent need for investment in essential facilities.
The report calls on governments to prioritise funding to address infrastructure deficits that leave growth areas with 68 percent less access to sport and leisure facilities compared to inner metropolitan areas of the wider Perth region.
So, Saturday’s funding promise was another win for the shire, if Labor is re-elected.
“It’s fantastic news that the Labor Party has identified the benefits of investing in sport and recreation in the shire to support our rapidly growing community,” President Coales said.
But $10 million won’t even scrape the surface of the amount needed to complete the Rec Centre expansion, which has been costed at $43.77 million.
The dream is to deliver two additional indoor courts, upgraded change rooms, gym, group fitness space and after school care.
And the BMX track relocation to Keirnan Park will cost another $12.5 million.
It’s unclear how the money from a hypothetically re-elected Labor government would be split between the two projects.
And there’s not even a whiff yet of state government support for SJ’s netballers who currently play on the worst courts in WA, according to the state body for the sport. A new 15-court netball centre at Keirnan Park has been costed at $40.4 million (or $28.6 million for a six-court Stage 1 option).
Just up the road, the City of Armadale was promised double ($20 million) on Saturday by the Cook Government to begin their long-awaited netball and basketball mecca, the Armadale Regional Recreation Reserve.
And after such a comprehensively large amount already pledged by a post-March Labor government, it’s difficult to imagine there’s anything left in the prospective DLGSC coffers to offer the shire. After all, before the 2021 election, the McGowan government committed a lesser total of $165 million for community and sporting infrastructure.
Member for Darling Range Hugh Jones was unable to provide any comment on whether there were any more promises for sports facility funding still in the tank.
President Rob Coales expressed his hope that there were while thanking the local member for the support his government had already extended.
The shire is also calling on the WA Liberal Party and WA National Party to commit funding for sport and recreation projects in SJ.
And of course, there’s still time to hold a tin out in the lead up to the federal election.
“It’s critical that we provide the sporting and recreational facilities for our community so they can keep fit and healthy,” President Coales said.
“We urge all major political parties and candidates contesting the Federal election to commit funding to sport and recreation projects in the shire.”
Though hopes were dashed somewhat when the shire was overlooked on its bid to fund the BMX track relocation through the federal government’s Thriving Suburbs Program grant.
And there’s no word on the outcome of their applications to the federal government’s Urban Precinct Partnerships Program for Stage 1B and C of Keirnan Park. Although the City of Armadale is also hoping to score an extra $20 million from the same pool of funds for the ARRR.
The next few months of political jostling will be crucial for the future of the SJ Shire.
