Lilac Hill Park redevelopment supporting women's sport boom
Community cricket ground Lilac Hill Park is undergoing a revitalisation to support the huge recent growth in the women's game — with a $2.1 million upgrade underway to give the facility a new lease of life and offer unisex facilities for the first time.
- $2.1 million project to revitalise City of Swan cricket and hockey facility
- New unisex change rooms, clubrooms and pavilion upgrades
- Women's cricket participation in WA has grown by more than 200 per cent in three years
- McGowan Government's female-friendly facilities initiative has allocated more than $3 million in support of women's sport in its first year
- Redevelopment joint funded by the City of Swan ($1,750,000) and the State Government ($350,000)
The new unisex facilities will allow Lilac Hill to properly cater for the four Perth Scorchers Women games it will host this season, as well as a big calendar of club cricket.
Sport and Recreation Minister Mick Murray joined Perth Scorchers Women players Taneale Peschel and Mathilda Carmichael today to inspect the progress of works at the ground.
The improvements will support the massive recent growth in women's cricket in Western Australia — where participation is up 202 per cent for adults and 118 per cent for girls in just three years.
The project is supported with a $350,000 grant from the State Government's female‑friendly facilities initiative — which has delivered more than $3 million in support of women's sporting facilities in its first year.
Demand has been so high for new women's facilities that the State Government has spent more than a quarter of its annual sporting infrastructure funding on projects focused on improving on lack of unisex or female-appropriate change rooms in community sport.
The $2.1 million Lilac Hill project will also refurbish the park's ageing pavilion which was built in 1983 and is in need of a major renovation.
Lilac Hill Park's grounds and sporting pavilion are used at community level by Midland Guildford Cricket Club in the summer and Old Guildfordians Mundaring Hockey Club over winter.
The facilities are also used for Sunset Scorchers matches — modified cricket games for women and families over 18 years.
The redevelopment includes:
- refurbishing and extending four unisex change rooms;
- constructing an umpires' change room, first aid room and match room office; and
- upgrading the existing clubroom, toilets and kitchen in the pavilion.
The redevelopment is due to be completed in December 2019.