The McGowan Government has contributed $100,000 to the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) to help build new unisex change rooms in the lead up to the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup.
The WACA currently only has one set of change rooms – constraining the venue’s ability to host women’s and men’s cricket double headers and community events.
The unisex facilities will ensure a more inclusive environment at the venue and support the booming uptake of the women’s game in Western Australia.
The WACA is set to host the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup in March, including two double headers.
The $100,000 was provided through the Community Sporting and Recreation Facilities Fund (CSRFF) – the McGowan Government’s flagship sporting infrastructure fund. The total project cost is $300,000.
The State Government has made upgrading the poor state of Western Australia’s women’s sporting facilities a priority in recent years.
The last round of the CSRFF saw one quarter of the total $12 million funding pool allocated to projects which support women’s sport, including upgrading change rooms to make them unisex.
As stated by Sport and Recreation Minister Mick Murray:
“We can’t wait to welcome the world’s best T20 players to Perth early next year – and as part of that we need to ensure our facilities are up to scratch.
“Women’s cricket has never been in better shape in Western Australia, and we need to make sure that is supported with decent facilities.
“Over the past two years, the State Government has focused on supporting the huge growth in women’s sport, and we are proud to extend that help to the historic WACA Ground.
“These new facilities will not only help us put on a great World Cup – they will continue to support the women’s game at a community, State and international level for many years to come.”
