Wally Hagan Stadium Redevelopment

The Wally Hagan Basketball Stadium, built in 1979, is a four-court facility currently leased to the Cockburn Basketball Association. The stadium and its amenities are outdated and no longer fit for purpose.
 
The redevelopment of the Wally Hagan Stadium is a proposal. It’s important to note that not all proposals proceed to construction phase. This can be due to various factors such as environmental constraints, heritage constraints, financial capacity, or feasibility. 

At the City's Ordinary Council Meeting (OCM) on 8 October 2024, Council adopted the following:

1. Notes the Needs Analysis, Site Assessment, Concept Plan and Feasibility Study for the proposed Wally Hagan Recreation Centre (Redevelopment (Attachments 1-4), presented in accordance with part 4.1 of Council’s resolution on item 14.4.3 at the Ordinary Council Meeting held in April 2024
2. Defers any further expenditure on the proposed Wally Hagan Recreation Centre Redevelopment until such time as the outcome of advocacy discussions with State and Federal Governments is known, and whether the various grant applications have been successful
3. Requests the City submit a funding and resources request at the next meeting of the Expenditure Review Committee to investigate alternative accomodation and location options (not restricted to the former Roe 9 land) for an eight-court facility with supporting amenities, including a health club, and the potential expansion to 10-12 courts. It will also consider the benefits of two or more six-court facilities at two or more locations across the City.
4. Requests the City to immediately investigate short to mid-term infrastructure improvements to the Wally Hagan building and list for consideration in the FY26 annual budget to ensure the Cockburn Basketball Club can continue to operate in a functional building whilst redevelopment options continue to be explored.

What happens now?

The City will continue to advocate for State and Federal funding. Before proceeding with items 3 and 4 listed above, a review of internal resources, capacity, and timelines is necessary to determine when we can implement these recommendations.

Background

In 2018, the City’s Western Suburbs Sporting Precinct Study (WSSPS) identified the need for:

• 4-6 indoor basketball courts
• Additional parking
• Clubroom/function space, changerooms, storage, office space
• Public gym
• Café, creche, and meeting rooms
• Additional public open space

The Council initially endorsed a $36.5M redevelopment option, which was included in the City’s Community, Sport and Recreation Facilities Plan 2018–2033. However, in 2019, an Aboriginal and Early European Heritage Study led to the site being listed as an official Aboriginal Heritage site in December 2020.
 
In February 2021, the Council revoked the initial redevelopment option due to heritage constraints and endorsed an alternative option pending stakeholder engagement and necessary approvals, including a Section 18 process under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972. This engagement has been ongoing, but the process has been complex due to changes in heritage legislation.
 
In April 2024, Council endorsed a number of actions relating to the Wally Hagan Redevelopment proposal. These included:

• The CEO to progress advocacy for an 8 court centre and supporting amenities, including a gym, with the potential for expansion to 10 or 12 courts at an estimated cost of $60m
• Receiving a future report that includes needs analysis, site analysis, concept plan, feasibility study and outcomes from advocacy
• The delivery of the project is subject to securing $40m external funding
• Endorses site 1 and 2 combined (existing expanded site), followed by site 3 (see documents below):
  • Site 1: Dixon Park – existing site Wally Hagan Recreation Centre site
  • Site 2: Area bound by Rockingham Road, Leda Street and Starling Street
  • Site 3: Carrington Street – area north of Memorial Hall.

The City completed the Needs Analysis, Site Analysis, Concept Plan and Feasibility Study and presented these to Council at the 8 October 2024 OCM.