Just nine months after the first sods were turned at the South Lake site, Cockburn’s $6.53m purpose-built hockey facility will host its first official games on Friday, 30 August.
The Lakeland Hockey and Sporting Facility boasts an elite synthetic turf playing surface lit with 500 lux LED flood lighting, just the third in Australia to utilise the superior energy-saving technology afforded by this level of lighting.
Grass practice fields are lit with 250 lux LED lighting, enabling Fremantle Hockey Club – rebadged Fremantle Cockburn Hockey Club from the 2020 season – to expand its membership at the Lakelands Reserve facility.
The project utilised $4.78m from the City of Cockburn, a $1.25m State Government Community Sporting and Recreation Facilities Fund grant, and $500,000 from Fremantle Hockey Club.
City of Cockburn Recreation Manager Travis Moore said the state of the art facility would provide a fantastic opportunity for the community to access specialist hockey turf facilities and allow for future growth of the game within the City.
“The new clubroom facility will also allow community members and groups to hire meeting room and function spaces for a variety of activities,” Mr Moore said.
“The facility is another example of the City’s commitment to providing community sport and recreation facilities to cater for all major sporting codes.”
Mr Moore said the turf, made from recycled products and requiring reduced irrigation, was the same used for elite competitions around the world.
He said the opportunity for a summer sporting club to use the facility and grass oval will soon be available, and the City of Cockburn will undertake a formal expression of interest process in 2020.
Fremantle Hockey Club President Rob McPherson said relocating the 86-year-old club from Swanbourne Street, Fremantle to South Lake would facilitate its future growth to around 900 members within five years, with 80 per cent of growth predicted within the junior ranks.
Mr McPherson said the Lakelands turf surface had been tested to comply with full International Hockey Federation accreditation which would help the club host state competitions and potentially international games.
Members of the public are welcome to attend the facility from 6.30pm on Friday, 30 August to see the first official games, a Year 11/12 boys match between Fremantle Hockey Club and NC Raiders at 7pm, followed by the girls match at 8.30pm.
The Club welcomes members of the public to an open day at the new South Lake Drive facility on Sunday, 1 September from 9am to 3pm. For more information, visit the club’s
webpage.
Image courtesy of Photographer: Andrew Ritchie – Community News