Western Australia Minister for Sport and Recreation Mick Murray

McGowan Government Levels The Playing Field For Women’s Sport In Nollamara

Victor P Taffa

• Des Penman Memorial Reserve receives $400,000 to build unisex change rooms
• $1.6 Million project being led by the City of Stirling with support from the State Government
• McGowan Government launched dedicated funds in 2018 to support booming participation levels in women’s sport 

McGowan Government has provided $400,000 to help build unisex change rooms at Des Penman Memorial Reserve, giving women and girls from the Nollamara football and cricket clubs proper match day facilities for the first time.

“Female cricketers and footy players will no longer be treated as lesser sportspeople when they pull the boots on for a match at Des Penman Memorial Reserve.” Minister for Sport and Recreation Mick Murray said.

 

“Upgraded facilities will provide women and girls with a decent place to prepare for a match, and we expect it will encourage more local people to participate in community sport at the facility.”

Funding will see the reserve’s clubrooms refurbished, including the establishment of four unisex change rooms which will cater for both men and women’s teams to use the facility.

State Government’s $400,000 contribution, allocated from the Community Sporting and Recreation Facilities Fund (CSRFF), forms part of the funding pool for the $1.6 Million project, which is being led by the City of Stirling.

“These upgrades are desperately overdue; I am really pleased we can support the club in accommodating women players.” Morley MLA Amber-Jade Sanderson said.

“This is a great grassroots club and important hub for local families. We want them to continue their great work.”

Upgrades follow the McGowan Government’s allocation of specific funds last year to build and retrofit outdated, male-only change rooms to cater for both men and women.

“These upgrades will not only increase community participation at the football club but ensure that the facility fully accommodates women’s sporting teams, which is vital given the growing popularity of women’s sport in our local area.” City of Stirling Mayor Mark Irwin said.

Western Australia, like the rest of the country, struggles with outdated sporting infrastructure which only caters for men’s teams. The lack of adequate female facilities regularly forces women to use public toilets, cars, bushes or the sidelines to change clothes in lieu of adequate change rooms.

Des Penman Memorial Reserve houses both the Nollamara cricket and football clubs.

CSRFF has 2 rounds of small grants each year that open in February and July, and one larger grant round that opens in June.