Perth Voice Interactive

A FIERY crowd was expected for WA Cricket’s annual general meeting this week as tensions rise over the board’s decision to go ahead with a stripped-down WACA redevelopment which doesn’t have any men’s urinals.

The multi-million-dollar plan, which has been in contention since last month, omits the internal fit out which once included the urinal-free, stall-only bathrooms and gender neutral hand washing areas.

The members-only bar, viewing area, and bathroom have now all been shunted to later stages of the redevelopment. The first stage is due to start this month.

Contention

WA Cricket board member Paul Collins initially aired concerns about the urinal-free design with the Voice, which subsequently made national headlines, and says the mothballing of members’ facilities had become another bone of contention he’d raised.

He said the “matter was not resolved at the board level” and he expects members to be raising the issue at the AGM, which was due to be held as the Voice went to the printers.

“Addressing the issue is still a work in progress,” Mr Collins said.

“The members are now getting a shell because they can’t afford to do it all at once.”

If this year’s meeting proves contentious, it would follow a pattern set by last year’s general meeting and “special general meeting” held in November, which highlighted key issues the organisation was facing.

The CEO was peppered with questions regarding “gender matters”, director resignations, concerns regarding an apparent “lack of budget”, as well as offensive comments directed at members.

There was a perception that members were seen as an “inconvenience”, with more non-members attending the meeting than members.

A report by WA Cricket CEO Christina Mathews presented at last year’s AGM detailed cost increases the redevelopment had experienced, with $30m needed to progress. That funding was later secured, but one year on the development costs have increased again, rising from $154m to $163m.

WA Cricket, which committed $11m to the project, currently lacks more than $7m that it hopes to fundraise.

One Facebook user David Brown said the “disaster” is getting worse by the day.

“How are we to fund what has been left out so the building can be used; even by members.”

Ms Mathews has said that separating the members’ facilities from the overall redevelopment contract will allow WA Cricket to save money.

by RACHEL JENNINGS