Developing Dixon Reserve into a district level recreation space is the City of Cockburn’s focus as a member of new local government lobby group, Growth Areas Perth and Peel (GAPP).
GAPP is campaigning for a $350m Federal Government allocation to a billion dollar special purpose account that will provide outer metropolitan communities with high quality sporting facilities like those in Perth’s inner city suburbs.
The City of Cockburn has joined 10 other Perth outer metropolitan councils to lobby the Federal Government and Opposition in the lead up to the next Federal election.
The special purpose fund will leverage a complementary investment of up to $700m from State Government, outer metropolitan local governments, and development contribution schemes.
The fund will create more liveable communities by building 12 major sporting precincts over the next six years in the fast growing Cities of Armadale, Canning, Cockburn, Gosnells, Kalamunda, Kwinana, Mandurah, Rockingham, Swan and Wanneroo and the Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale.
Mayor Logan Howlett said the GAPP campaign was about giving kids a sporting chance at leading active, healthy lives.
Cockburn is seeking $15m from a future fund to develop Dixon Reserve into an integrated sport and recreation hub, including replacement of the Wally Hagan Recreation Centre with a new six-court indoor multipurpose sports stadium.
The 4ha reserve is a former landfill site and needs extensive remediation before it can be re-turfed for active sports and other community related activities including an AFL-size oval and two new rectangular playing fields with lighting.
Other attractions would include a bike pump track, skate park, seating and pathways.
“A new stadium could host a wide variety of sporting codes like basketball, netball, volleyball and indoor soccer while the reserve could be used by sporting codes such as soccer, rugby, lacrosse, AFL and cricket,” Mayor Howlett said.
“Seventy five per cent of Perth’s population growth is occurring in the outer metropolitan communities, and yet these communities have very few major sports facilities.
“Our families often face long commutes to and from major sporting precincts and many will simply forgo the active recreation opportunity in the face of these travel costs.
“Residents are then further disadvantaged by higher rates of obesity.”
The campaign will run for the length of the Federal election campaign and early into the next Government’s first term.
More information about the campaign is available at the Growth Area Perth and Peel
website.