Council has endorsed a significant precinct plan for the Waverley Women’s Sports Centre (WWSC).
The sports centre at Jells Park supports women’s participation and development in sports, in particular netball and softball and is home to the Waverley Night Netball Association and Waverley Softball Association.
At the March meeting Council gave its support to the precinct plan for the centre that outlines an aspirational design to enhance the appeal, community use and functionality of the site. The Precinct Plan will guide the future planning, sport facility and infrastructure provision at the WWSC over the next 10-15 years.
The development of the Precinct Plan was fully funded through a State Government grant. It is recommended that future improvements to WWSC be undertaken in six stages.
Mayor Brian Little said the centre was a significant location for providing pathways for girls and women to participate in sport, from the grassroots level to state representation.
“The plans for this precinct are important to show our commitment to opportunities and facilities for women,” Cr Little said.
“There’s still a way to go to before we fully realise full upgrades to the Waverley Women’s Sports Centre and there will need to be more community consultation and budget considerations but this is a great start.”
Council has already received $2 million from the State Government for stage 1, an upgrade of the outdoor netball courts, currently underway.
All other remaining works (stages 2-6) are subject to Council budget approval and/or external funding, detailed design and community consultation.
The community was invited to have their say on the draft precinct plan last year with almost three quarters of respondents being people who use the facilities, including players and spectators.
The feedback showed that almost half (46%) the responses in support of the draft precinct plan wanted to see general improvements to the overall amenity of the area, followed by specific improvements to sporting facilities (21%), safety (16%) and aspects like lighting (11%) and car parking/paths (5%).
The sports centre is in Jells Park, located on Council-owned land. The broader part of Jells Park falls under Parks Victoria.
