Works have kicked off on Western Australia's $32.5 million State Football Centre, marking a major milestone for the thriving local football community.
The new facility is being built in Queens Park in the City of Canning and is set for completion in 2023, in time for it to be used as a training facility for the FIFA 2023 Women's World Cup hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
The Australian and State governments have contributed $16.25 million each in funding to the State Football Centre training facilities, including two pitches to support junior and high-performance development and grassroots community football programs. The facility will also include administration accommodation for Football West.
The new State Football Centre will be able to house up to 700 spectators through permanent seating with the ability to expand its capacity up to 2,000 spectators through temporary seating for occasional special events.
International and A-League football matches will continue to be held at HBF Park or Optus Stadium.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Barnaby Joyce said the State Football Centre would serve as a centre-of-excellence for Australia and the Indian Ocean rim.
"The State Football Centre will be a game-changer for Western Australia as participation in football continues to expand," Mr Joyce said.
"The Australian Government is committed to providing modern, equitable and long-lasting facilities for grassroots sporting clubs through to the elite level."
Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan said local civil engineering contractor Tracc Civil had been appointed to carry out the forward works which began in early May.
"In addition to supporting the next generation of footballers, the State Football Centre is part of the State Government's pipeline of infrastructure works to help support WA jobs and the COVID-19 economic recovery," Mr McGowan said.
"We are supporting projects like this all across the State to create stronger communities, and to generate ongoing jobs for Western Australians."
WA Sport and Recreation Minister Tony Buti said the State Football Centre would create a dedicated home for football development in Western Australia.
"Football has enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity in recent years as young Western Australians participate in record numbers across our communities," Dr Buti said.
"The creation of such a facility will ensure WA is well-placed to nurture the future stars of the world game, right here in WA.
"As an integrated facility it will be a home for Football West's day-to-day administration and include training facilities and playing fields to support grassroots, community and high performance football programs.
"The design and footprint of the facility will also enable future expansion to meet the growth requirements of the sport."
Federal Member for Swan Steve Irons said he was extremely excited to see the project come to life.
"I look forward to the development of the site which will provide the community with new and improved recreation and sporting opportunities," Mr Irons said.
"We know that football is one of the popular sports in WA with more than 230,000 West Australians playing the world game, and this project has been a key goal of the West Australian football community for the better part of the last decade."
