The City of Rockingham has officially opened the new Baldivis Sports Complex.
To mark the occasion a formal opening event and plaque unveiling was held last week.
Rockingham Mayor Deb Hamblin was joined by Premier Mark McGowan, Baldivis MP Reece Whitby, and several representatives from the Baldivis White Knights Cricket Club and Baldivis Brumbies Football Club.
Construction on the first stage of the complex began in early 2020 and over the past three years the City has delivered a new Main Pavilion, change rooms, maintenance shed, eight hectares of playing space with floodlighting that includes ovals for AFL and cricket, three separate car parks, as well as the Baldivis Indoor Sports Complex.
The indoor complex features four indoor courts that cater for a range of sports including; basketball, netball, badminton, volleyball, indoor soccer and floorball. It also contains a variety of multipurpose rooms, and an alfresco café. The BISC will be open for use by all community members.
The Main Pavilion is home to the White Knights Baldivis Cricket Club for the summer season, while the Baldivis Brumbies Football Club will call it home during the winter football season.
A unique public art element titled Karrikins Dirdong, which depicts the six Nyoongar seasons, is also a key feature of the project located centrally within the complex adjacent to the central pedestrian spine.
In addition, the City has worked to preserve the environmental values of the site by planting 40,000 native plants and installing nine nesting boxes for native black cockatoos.
Mayor Deb Hamblin said the project was guided by the Baldivis Sports Complex Master Plan and would play a key part in fulfilling the City's Strategic Community Plan aspiration of planning for future generations.
"The BSC on Eighty Road is one of the largest infrastructure projects the City has ever delivered and it will help to meet a significant shortage of active reserve space in Baldivis for present and future sporting groups," Mayor Hamblin said.
"Sport and recreation plays a vital role in delivering positive health and wellbeing outcomes for our community, and the City looks forward to the BSC delivering sporting and social benefits to residents for many years to come.
"The City also gratefully acknowledges the State Government's $12.5 million contribution towards the project, and the $100,000 support provided by Cricket Australia and the WACA through the Australian Cricket Infrastructure Fund."
Premier and Rockingham MLA Mark McGowan said it is a pleasure to officially open the Baldivis District Sporting Complex today - a significant infrastructure project for the City of Rockingham which will benefit so many families and the local community into the future.
"As local sporting clubs continue to boom and need more playing fields and facilities, this significant investment will contribute to meeting the demand for playing grounds for our local Aussie Rules and cricket clubs, and free up playing space at other ovals across Baldivis, Mr McGowan said.
"I want to commend the City of Rockingham for their role in delivering this project and playing a key part in planning for future generations. I'd also like to acknowledge everyone's hard advocacy and contribution on this significant piece of community infrastructure."
James Allsopp, Cricket Australia Executive General Manager Community Cricket and Capability, thanked the City for its development of the BSC.
"Providing the best possible facilities for cricketers and local communities is a key priority for Australian Cricket. This magnificent new complex will be tremendous for our players and residents of the City of Rockingham, as well as all the other sports who have cooperated in its development," Mr Allsopp said.
WA Cricket GM Community Cricket, Jo Davies, said the Baldivis Sports Complex project will inspire even more boys, girls, men and women to get active and enjoy the benefits of cricket.
"This project will go a long way to improving the cricket experience for not only the White Knights Baldivis Cricket Club but also the surrounding communities and will continue to support the continued growth in cricket participation across the area.
"I'd like to thank all parties involved in the bringing this project to life, your support has delivered a fantastic sporting complex that will benefit the local cricket community well into the future."
The next phase of the BSC that the City will deliver includes the Southern Pavilion, Baldivis Outdoor Recreation Space and outdoor hardcourts.
