The City of Rockingham has officially opened the new $39 million Baldivis Sports Complex, a new home for the White Knights Baldivis Cricket Club in summer and Baldivis Brumbies Football Club in winter.
Construction on the first stage of the BSC 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 (BISC).
The BISC features four indoor courts that cater for basketball, netball, badminton, volleyball, indoor soccer and floorball, plus a variety of multipurpose rooms, as well as an alfresco café.
City of Rockingham Mayor Deb Hamblin was joined by WA Premier Mark McGowan, Baldivis MLA Reece Whitby, and several representatives from both the cricket and Australian football clubs at the opening last week.
Mayor 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.
“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,” she said.
The City also acknowledged the State Government’s $12.5m 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 Baldivis District Sporting Complex is a significant infrastructure project for the City of Rockingham.
“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, 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,” he 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.”
The next phase of the BSC includes the Southern Pavilion, Baldivis Outdoor Recreation Space and outdoor hardcourts.