The City of Bunbury has set its sights on improving Hay Park and the South West Sports Centre.
At the annual general electors meeting on Tuesday, December 4, Bunbury Basketball Association secretary Marina Quain put forward questions regarding proposed changes to the South West Sports Centre.
Ms Quain also asked whether or not Bunbury Baptist College’s proposal – to build four International Basketball Federation-standard courts – would impact the city’s plans for the South West Sports Centre.
Over the past 12 months, the city has conducted meetings with the South West Sports Centre User Reference Group about the centre’s future.
The user reference group includes representatives from basketball, squash, netball, taekwondo, waterpolo, badminton, underwater hockey, and many other sports.
The city has also been developing a Community Sport and Recreation Strategy, calling upon members of the public to provide feedback and ideas.
The survey, accessible via Social Pinpoint on the city’s website, will be available until December 24.
Due for completion in 2019, the strategy will provide the city with future planning recommendations for facilities in the region.
“Over the past few months, our officers have engaged one-on-one with sports facility users. There have also been focus groups,” City of Bunbury Mayor Gary Brennan said.
“The master plan is coming along really nicely, it’s now at the final stages of community engagement.
“The South West Sports Centre is constantly being looked at.
“Over the past few years, there’s probably been close to $1.5 million spent at the centre on upgrades and maintenance.
“It’s an ongoing project for us and doesn’t need to be identified as a special project.
“The ‘priority projects’ don’t currently have funding allocated to them, whereas the South West Sports Centre has funding allocated to it every year.”
Ms Quain also put forward a motion calling for a registration system to recognise current and former athletes from the South West who have represented Australia.
The motion was designed for Bunbury to be recognised as a “Regional Sporting Centre of Excellence”.
Prior to the electors meeting on December 4, council discussed a new recommendation to adopt Option 1 as the model for the ongoing management of the Hay Park Multi-Sports Pavilion.
Option 1 calls for the city to retain management of the facility, while creating seasonal hire agreements for the South West Phoenix Soccer Club, Hay Park United, and other clubs.
Council voted on the recommendation on Tuesday, December 11.
Read more:
