Finding a compromise for local sport venues
Whyalla City Council was faced with a difficult decision last night regarding where the Whyalla Cricket Association (WCA) and the Whyalla Women’s Football League (WWFL) would play games for their upcoming 2024/25 season.
The recent introduction of the WWFL conflicts with the existing cricket season. This has resulted in council being unable to accommodate both sports at their favoured locations, as providing the required facilities to cater for both codes simultaneously would come at an additional, unbudgeted cost to ratepayers.
After taking into consideration the requests made by both associations, council has made the decision to allow the WCA to continue to play at Memorial Oval and the WWFL at Bennett Oval. The WCA can also use Bennett Oval once the WWFL season concludes in early December.
Mayor Phill Stone said council was in a challenging position, with the associations unable to compromise and negotiate to find a middle ground.
“Council members and staff have spent significant time and effort on this issue, trying to find the most equitable, short-term solution that gives both codes an equal chance at success,” Mayor Stone said.
“We acknowledge and accept that Memorial Oval better meets the WWFL’s needs; and that the WCA has a preference to use the only two turf wickets in the city, which are at Memorial and Bennett ovals.
“However, given the impact football games have on the turf wickets, it was not possible to meet both codes’ requests, so we believe this is the most appropriate compromise that caters for aspects of each code’s requirements.
“I must stress that this is not about favouring one code over another and is only for the upcoming season. We’ll be actively working to secure government funding for new and upgraded facilities to support the growth of women’s sport in Whyalla and ensure we can have better long-term solutions for a broader range of sports going forward.
“We want to find a place for all sports in Whyalla, but will need to consider a financial model for facilities that can provide appropriate support, while requiring more self-sufficiency from the sports and less impact on ratepayers.”
