Walkerville celebrates major sport and rec redevelopments

The completion of three major redevelopments – a brand-new recreation centre known as The W, a transformed Walkerville Oval precinct, and a rebuilt Walkerville Bowling & Community Club – have reshaped the heart of the community.

For a council with just 29 full-time staff and a modest average annual capital budget, the scale and speed of these projects show what can be achieved when a small but dedicated team sets a bold vision and works together to deliver it.

The biggest and most talked-about project is The W – a brand-new, $10.5 million recreation centre funded jointly by council and the state government as a replacement for the former YMCA building at Smith Street.

Strategic Projects Coordinator Ross Oates says the old facility had reached the end of its life and it fast became clear that a complete rebuild, rather than refurbish, was the way to go.

“The old YMCA building was built in three separate parts over three decades, so there were all these variances with footings and standards,” Ross says.

“We very quickly came to the conclusion that it was a much better idea to simply tear it down and build a new facility that we could design how we wanted – and that's what we've done.”

The new centre has been brought to life by Hutchinson Builders and includes a multi-purpose, two-court stadium catering for basketball, netball, pickleball, badminton and volleyball, as well as other activities including gymnastics, dance and community events.

Ross says building a recreation centre in the centre of Walkerville isn’t without its challenges, however, early engagement with surrounding residents – and alleviating any concerns about noise or traffic – has been crucial to the project’s success.

“As soon as we got that trust on board, we felt that the relationship with the nearby residents really grew,” Ross said.

“Adding screening and installing noise-reducing fencing were all direct responses to community concerns and now the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.”

Rather than having an external provider manage the day-to-day schedule at The W, council is retaining full operational control with Team Leader Recreation & Community Peter Todd overseeing the program.

It’s a model he knows works well, having previously managed the council-run Lefevre Community and Sports Centre in Osborne during his time working at City of Port Adelaide Enfield, before joining Town of Walkerville.

“You might as well control your own destiny,” Peter says.

“If you’re going to run a centre like this, it’s best to own it instead of leaving it to someone you’ve got no control over – that way you can make changes quickly and adapt to community feedback as needed.

“Council has invested heavily into this facility and having that full control means we can run programs, keep them cost-effective and ensure everyone using the facility is satisfied.”

(Pictured above - Town of Walkerville team members Ross Oates, James Kelly and Peter Todd)

While The W has taken shape, upgrades at the nearby Walkerville Oval – just a short walk away – have been just as dramatic and are a further example of joint local-state funding delivering huge benefits for the community.

The council has led a major $1.5 million open-space redevelopment of the precinct that includes new lighting, cricket nets, outdoor courts and an electronic scoreboard, along with upgraded pathways, shelters and public amenities.

As the home of the Walkerville Cats football, cricket and netball teams, council’s Group Manager Assets & Infrastructure James Kelly says the improvements – rolled out across two stages – were about giving local sportspeople a central place to meet, train and play that is up to modern standards.

“A lot of the facilities were ageing and needed upgrading, and we recognised that we couldn't upgrade the oval clubrooms right away,” James says.

“We started looking at areas that would, in the meantime, improve the clubs’ day-to-day operations – so, training and games – and the infrastructure upgrades, particularly the new oval lighting and practice facilities, have certainly done that.

“It’s really helped transform Walkerville Oval into our central sporting precinct and something the community can be really proud of.”

Next door, the Walkerville Bowling & Community Club – established in 1917 and one of the oldest bowling clubs in the state – has also been completely transformed, futureproofing it for years to come.

Much like The W, the council decided a complete rebuild, rather than revamp, was the best course of action for the clubrooms, which had become rundown after decades of use.

Opened in October, the new facility has already proven a hit with local bowlers and the wider community.

“They're basically booked up for the next six months for functions and events,” James says. “It’s been a huge success.”

All up, these three major projects represent around $18 million worth of works, which is close to nine times the council’s average annual capital budget.

Town of Walkerville Chief Executive Officer Dr Andrew Johnson says the results are a testament to hard work and professionalism of his staff – but also the strong relationship the council has forged with its state partners during the process, including local member the Hon Lucy Hood MP.

“These projects have touched the whole organisation because we are such a small team,” Andrew says.

“It’s great reward for effort for everyone working at the Town of Walkerville. In the past 12 months, we've overseen the completion of these exceptional facilities on a tight budget, with tight resourcing.

“It’s demonstrated to the state government as our funding partners – but also to our community – that investing in Walkerville gives great returns and that our council is more than capable of delivering large-scale and high-quality infrastructure projects.

“We hope this confidence in our council will lead to further state and federal collaboration in future.”

Town of Walkerville is celebrating the opening of The W recreation centre with an official opening planned for 1 March and full details can be found by visiting the council’s website.

This article was originally featured in the LOCAL impact Magazine summer edition.