Adelaide Hills Council, in partnership with four local sporting clubs-Mount Lofty Cricket Club, Mount Lofty Football Club, Heathfield Netball Club, and the Stirling Comets Netball Club-has secured a $490,000 grant to fund the redevelopment of change rooms at Heathfield Oval.
The grant, won as part of the Office for Recreation, Sport & Racing’s Grassroots Football, Cricket and Netball Facility Program, will allow for significant upgrades to be carried out. The upgrade will form part of the Heathfield Oval Masterplan Project which will see the development of a significant sports and recreation precinct, and will include the adjacent Heathfield High School.
The funding will allow for important works to be carried out that will make the overall facilities at Heathfield Oval more accessible and inclusive for male and female sporting teams from various codes.
Heathfield Oval typically accommodates over 1,000 people per week in organised sport and, especially with an increased participation in women’s football and cricket, it was clear that the current facilities were not meeting needs.
The project will include the upgrade of two existing change rooms to meet unisex and accessibility requirements, and the addition of a second story to the existing building structure. The second level will incorporate a further two unisex change rooms and a flexible space that can be purposed for various community uses.
In addition to football and cricket, Heathfield Oval is home to the two largest netball clubs in the region. With no appropriate change room or shower amenities currently available to netball and tennis players, the new facility will be a welcomed addition.
This funding from the State Government will be used in conjunction with funding received from the Federal Government in 2019.
The Council, together with the aforementioned sporting clubs and Heathfield High School, will continue to seek further funding and continue to progress elements of the masterplan.
Photo: Heathfield Oval, Simon Brown
