THREE sporting clubs and Cardijn College have joined forces to tackle a shortage of sports grounds and infrastructure in the south. Representatives from South Adelaide Football Club (SAFC), the Southern Districts Cricket Club, Noarlunga Little Athletics and Cardijn met for the first time last month to explore developing a shared sports complex on vacant land between Hickinbotham Oval and the college at Noarlunga.
“What is a pretty ugly piece of land could become a vibrant sporting hub that thousands of people could enjoy,” SAFC chief executive Ben Kavenagh told the Southern Times Messenger.
“We’re all looking for the same thing and we are looking at ways of sharing it.”
Each club has either a shortage of training and playing space at their headquarters, or inadequate facilities such as single-sex changerooms.
Mr Kavenagh said it was envisaged the complex would feature new ovals or courts suitable for each sport, plus new buildings such as changerooms.
However, clubs could also tap into existing infrastructure at SAFC or the college.
Cardijn College business manager Johnny Ioannou said the school wanted the oval at the back of its campus to be incorporated into the complex to open it up to the community.
SAFC initiated the talks after it was approached by Onkaparinga Council about its future land needs in planning for the transport-oriented development (TOD) at Noarlunga Centre.
The council wants to develop a hub with 10,000 residents living and working around the centre.
The proposed complex land is owned by Recreation, Sport and Racing Minister Michael Wright. Last month, the Southern Times reported that the State Government had flagged a new sports complex in the south as part of its draft Plan for Greater Adelaide.
Minister Wright’s spokeswoman Emma Cox said the Office for Recreation and Sport would be meeting with group representatives in the coming weeks to discuss options for a sporting complex.
Potential sites for a complex would be identified in plans to be developed by the council in partnership with the State Government, she said.
The group will meet later this month to discuss a feasibility study and concept plans.
The Southern Football League and O’Sullivan Beach/Lonsdale Football Club will also join in talks, while SAFC has also had informal discussions with the Ladybirds Netball Club about a possible relocation.
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