Perth Voice Interactive

FACILITIES at Morley’s Beales Park are so “third world” that young female players “change into their playing strip behind towels in the middle of the park”.

Noranda Women’s Football Club is currently based at the Noranda sporting complex, sharing facilities with two other clubs. It’s pretty crowded and means the complex grounds are often booked out.

The women’s club has been using Beales Park as an overspill ground and is now keen to build its own changing room and pavilion there.

President Chris Blake says existing facilities at Beale are “third world” and will need upgrading first.

“The existing toilets are third-world and definitely nowhere near Australian standards,” Mr Blake wrote to Bayswater city council.

“At present young women change into their playing strip behind towels in the middle of the park.

“Due to the disgusting condition of the toilets most refuse to use them, opting to travel the half-kilometre to use Noranda sporting complex facilities instead. This is unacceptable and embarrassing.”

“The existing toilets are third-world and definitely nowhere near Australian standards,”

Beales Park—an active reserve on the corner of McGilvray Avenue and Lincoln Rd—has been under-utilised with no formal bookings since October 2011.

Before that it was booked fewer then 20 times a year.

The women’s state league first division side has offered to pay for new infrastructure at the park.

Cr Michelle Sutherland—who coaches a female soccer team in her spare time—says it’s a great fit.

“I think this would be great for the local community in Morley,” she says.

“It’s not often you get a club who are willing to pay for the new facilities themselves—that is refreshing.”

Around a dozen players from the Noranda women’s football club trouped into the council gallery to hear the council debate its plans.

Cr Alan Radford raised concerns about the impact of traffic on surrounding suburban streets.

“There is no provision for car parking in the plan,” he said.

Council voted to undertake community consultation and prepare a report.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK