Parliamentary Committees

Public Works Committee: SANFL West Lakes Talent and Community Facility

Mr BROWN (Florey) (11:17): I move:

That the 104^th report of the committee, entitled SANFL West Lakes Talent and Community Facility, be noted.

The submission from the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing, and the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) proposes to build a facility that will provide a modern, inclusive and responsive environment to support coaching and develop athletes for SANFL and other state and national teams. Additionally, the facility will provide individual and community athletic programs.

Following the sale of Football Park to Commercial and General, the SANFL moved its operations to Thebarton Oval in the City of West Torrens. Receiving the head lease, SANFL plan to build a new high-performance and community facility at this location and had commenced negotiations to replace the current lease which was due to expire in 2031. However, in early 2022, the City of West Torrens council decided against a new long-term lease, instead prioritising the Adelaide Football Club's plans to build its headquarters at the oval. Following these events, SANFL engaged the City of Charles Sturt and Commercial and General to investigate options for the organisation to return to the old Football Park location at West Lakes.

The site is on land owned by SANFL and fronts onto Turner Drive, Philip Street and Troubridge Drive. Planning approval is in process to separate a new eight and a half thousand square-metre allotment for the project. SANFL has also obtained a non-exclusive licence from the City of Charles Sturt to use the adjacent football oval. The project will deliver a fit-for-purpose training and development environment, including change rooms, gymnasium, strength and conditioning, athlete recovery and health and wellbeing infrastructure. The facilities will also complement existing council and community assets in the precinct.

Expected outcomes from the project are: helping young athletes realise their potential and reach their AFL, AFLW and SANFL careers; enhancing the wellbeing of athletes and officials by enabling a balance between sport and studies; effective injury prevention and support for injury management; access to allied health services; and community access to the facility for functions and private events. The project will construct a two-storey building with athletic performance infrastructure on the ground floor and administrative and social facilities on the upper floor. An adjoining on-ground car park will accommodate 133 vehicles and service the training facility as well as the neighbouring SANFL-owned Mosaic Hotel.

The architectural design provides a fresh, modern and functional space comprised of sandblasted concrete, floor-to-ceiling glass windows and off-form finished panels. The ground-floor layout contains two large change rooms with amenities and hot and cold baths; a double-height gym and training area; strength and conditioning spaces; sports science, medical and physiotherapy rooms; as well as storage areas and laundry. The upper floor will be comprised of SANFL administration; a players' lounge; coaches, media and statistics boxes; and a 100-person function room with a balcony overlooking the oval.

The total cost of the project is estimated at $25.3 million, with a $5 million contribution from the state government. The remaining $20.3 million is funded through an Australian government Community Development Grants Programme, including accrued interest and contributions from the SANFL and the AFL. Upon completion, the project anticipates annual operating costs of $150,000, which will be borne by the SANFL. The project is expected to provide 103 jobs throughout construction, as well as three ongoing support roles at the precinct.

The SANFL has appointed a project manager and a lead professional consultant. Tandem Building have been engaged for construction due to its significant knowledge of the site and surrounding development from its previous work in the West Lakes' location. Since the schematic design was produced, several contractors have been engaged through a tender process, including landscape architects, urban planning, an arborist consultant, a certification consultant and civil, consulting, traffic, acoustic and facade engineers. The SANFL has created a project control group that is responsible for the delivery of the project, as well as overseeing the project team, and states that additional expertise will be drawn upon as required.

A project steering committee has been established to set policy, ensure special interest group requirements are met and to alleviate any barriers for progression between the control group and SANFL. Early works construction has commenced, with the facility anticipated to be complete by October next year. The project team will be responsible for managing technical risks in conjunction with the control group, which is responsible for coordinating and signing off on the project team's recommendations. Key risks identified include:

the appointment of a sole builder without undertaking a tender process for which mitigation strategies include quantifying the cost of the builder's preliminaries and margin prior to the appointment of the contractor;

challenges with constructing a two-storey, three-hour, fire-rated wall, for which the solutions include the use of precast concrete and lightweight structures; and

the considerable drop in earth levels from Phillips Street, for which a retaining wall will be constructed, and the hole backfilled with compacted layers.

The building design incorporates a number of ecological and sustainable initiatives, including high-performance double glazing; the maximisation of natural light; low-energy, heat-recovery air conditioning systems; efficient LED lighting, water-efficient tapware and wet spaces; durable materials; and a roof structure designed to accommodate solar panels. Greening initiatives on the plaza and car park areas will also reduce heat load as well as improve water drainage and stormwater management.

The Register of Aboriginal Sites and Objects confirms there are no entries for Aboriginal heritage associated within the project site. The project team has also discovered no record of state heritage places at this location.

The SANFL has been in thorough consultation with key stakeholders and the community, and confirms the dialogue is ongoing. The project has been through well-publicised conversations with the City of Charles Sturt regarding the use of the oval next to the proposed facility and, in June this year, the council voted in favour of granting a non-exclusive licence to Football Park at West Lakes. This follows two rounds of extensive community consultation in November last year and May of this year.

The committee examined written and oral evidence in relation to the SANFL West Lakes Talent and Community Facility. Witnesses who appeared before the committee were Darren Chandler, Chief Executive Officer, SANFL; Ian Hore, Consultant, Walter Brooke and Associates; John Kantilaftas, Project Manager, Australian Construction Services; and Tim Nicholas, Director, Corporate Strategy and Investment, Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the member for Lee for his written statement in support of this project in his electorate.

Based upon the evidence considered and pursuant to section 12C of the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991, the Public Works Committee reports to parliament that it recommends the proposed public work.

Motion carried.