Perth Voice Interactive

BAYSWATER councillor Dan Bull has asked the City to find an extra $130,000 from this year’s budget to help the Bayswater City Soccer Club prepare plans for new clubrooms at Frank Drago Reserve.

Cr Bull also wants the city to put another $200,000 into a new reserve account next year to build a war chest for the project, which is estimated will cost more than $16 million.

In a motion to go before this week’s council meeting, Cr Bull said the council had already provided in-principle support for the clubroom upgrade in 2019, though the lack of City funds for the project was noted at the time.

World Cup

Cr Bull said the club had missed the opportunity to have Frank Drago Reserve used as a team training facility during last year’s highly success and popular Women’s World Cup, though it had made the shortlist after an application was made to FIFA.

Late last year the soccer club wrote to the city requesting funds to formally start the process to redevelop the reserve.

“The letter explained the club has experienced a period of significant growth, which means the current facilities are no longer fit for purpose,” Cr Bull’s statement with his motion read.

But a staff report said that while there was $50,000 in a draft forward capital works program to progress the redevelopment plans, there was no other money allocated over the next decade.

Demolish

“Based on the previous concepts, it is unlikely that the project will be a like-for-like replacement; it would involve demolishing the old clubhouse and constructing an entirely new clubhouse building, reoriented closer to Whatley Crescent, to allow space for the inclusion of an additional pitch,” the report said.

Because of the high price tag, the club and council are likely to have to seek most of the funding from the state and federal governments.

The report notes that means they’ll have to show that it can be financially viable and suggests looking into including function rooms, restaurants or cafes in the designs.