Tuesday, 5 April 2022

Canterbury Sports Ground

Mr KENNEDY (Hawthorn) (19:18): (6313) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Community Sport. The action I seek is that the minister join me in visiting Canterbury Sports Ground to inspect it and discuss potential improvements. This vital community hub is home to three important local sporting clubs: Canterbury Cricket Club, Canterbury Football Club and Canterbury Junior Football Club. These clubs have a combined membership playing group and supporter base of around 4000 people. While the Canterbury Sports Ground is a key community asset, the outdated design means it is no longer fit to serve the growing and diverse needs of a modern sporting facility. The three clubs have worked hard to increase participation from younger age groups, veterans and women, with clubrooms predominately designed for a smaller and mainly male membership. The current facilities simply are not welcoming for all participants. Inclusive facilities are crucial to encouraging the growth of community sport across all genders and age groups.

The design shortcomings of the current facilities also extend to the location of the clubrooms in relation to the ground. The existing clubrooms sit roughly a metre below the surface of the playing arena; coupled with a fence at eye level for seated spectators, this severely hampers the viewing experience of onlookers. The current sunken location has also made the clubrooms prone to flooding. The non-inclusive nature of the current facilities, compounded by the functional limitations of the clubrooms, undoubtedly impacts the experience of members and visitors alike. A renovation of the current facility would no doubt benefit the three clubs and their many members and patrons, and it would also better serve other sporting clubs and organisations that use the facilities from time to time. It would therefore be a true community investment.

I know the minister is a genuine champion of community sport and has in particular supported many initiatives to encourage greater female participation in different sporting codes. I believe that Canterbury Sports Ground’s challenges and needs will resonate with the minister. I therefore extend a warm invitation for her to join me at Canterbury Sports Ground to see the issues I have described here today firsthand. I look forward to the minister’s visit.