Baldivis Sporting Complex Takes out WA AwardTuesday, September 12, 2023 - 12:29 PM

The Baldivis Sporting Complex has been named the inaugural winner of the West Australian Football Facility of the Year Award

The $20 million project was funded by the City of Rockingham, Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, WA Cricket, Baldivis Brumbies Football Club and White Knights Baldivis Cricket Club, and covers 20 hectares of open space in the City of Rockingham and includes three playing fields, training and competition lighting, goal posts, scoreboards and a multi-purpose community sporting facility that meets AFL preferred facility guidelines. 

The development benefits the Baldivis Brumbies Football Club, White Knights Cricket Club, as well as the local community. 

Steven Rose, Manager Facilities and Government Relations at the West Australian Football Commission said the development benefits the Baldivis Brumbies Football Club, White Knights Cricket Club, as well as the local community. 

“The Baldivis Sporting Complex is a fantastic example of a well-positioned, welcoming, accessible, fit-for-purpose football facility that support our growing game’s strategic priorities and highlights the importance of a strong relationship between Council and club."

The Baldivis Brumbies Football Club said that the new facility allows the club to have one home ground. 

“We can bring together Auskick, Juniors and Seniors and have a ground that we can call home instead of being at ten different venues throughout Baldivis,” a club spokesperson said.

“The club had been involved in the consultation process with the City of Rockingham for the past 10 years, and it’s great to see this all come to fruition.

“Having the club housed in the middle of the ovals has enabled spectators to watch in comfort and enabled us to have multiple games going at the same time.”

City of Rockingham Mayor Deb Hamblin thanked the WAFC for recognising the City’s efforts in delivering this important community infrastructure project..

“The Baldivis Sports Complex is a project that was many years in the making and winning this award is a ringing endorsement of the work that City staff and several contractors have delivered,” Mayor Hamblin said. 

“Baldivis has grown rapidly in recent years, and delivering the facility through the City’s Community Infrastructure Plan has addressed a significant shortage of active reserve space. 

“Importantly, it also aligns with our Strategic Community Plan aspiration of delivering a built environment that is carefully planned for today and tomorrow.”

The complex will now by nominated for the National AFL Ken Gannon Community Facility Award, which recognises the best practice in community football facility development across Australia, along with the people, clubs and other stakeholders driving the best projects. 

About the AFL Ken Gannon Community Football Facilities Awards: 

The Ken Gannon Awards recognise best practice facility development across the country. 

The awards are assessed by looking at the impact a project has consistent with the AFL’s aim of providing well-positioned, welcoming, fit-for-purpose football facilities that support our growing game’s strategic priorities. 

AFL state and territory bodies identify their best community football facilities project of that year according to those criteria, which then places that project in the running for the National Award, pending assessment by the AFL National Facilities Panel in conjunction with Ken Gannon.