ACT has 'a way to go' on female friendly facility upgrades at sports grounds

Canberra sports clubs have been pushing the ACT government to deliver venue upgrades as women's sport sees a rapid rise in participation numbers in recent years.

A total of $8.8 million has been allocated from the 2022-23 ACT budget for investment upgrades into sport facilities around Canberra.

This week work commenced on pavilions at Nicholls, Rivett and Kambah for female friendly upgrades, cricket, irrigation and drainage upgrades, as well as new LED lighting. Holt District Playing Fields have also begun upgrades, with the pavilion set for a female friendly revamp in early to mid-2023.

Next year Kingston Oval will also receive much-needed upgrades as part of a pre-election promise from the ACT government, which will finally allow the Eastlake Demons to host senior footy for men and women at the ground once again.

"It's in desperate need of an upgrade to be classified as our true home and play games there, so everyone's pretty excited," Eastlake general manager Shaun Young told The Canberra Times.

"It's got two very small change rooms, but we'd like to see four change rooms that can cater for males and females, so they don't have to share change rooms and amenities.

"The growth in women's football has been enormous, so it's paramount that we are able to provide facilities for our female players that are adequate.

"We'd like to see extended and further developments occur at the venue, but this is a good first step.

"A lot of facilities in Canberra could be upgraded, particularly for females."

Minister Berry was pleased with the progress the ACT government had made to date, but said there was plenty still on the to-do list.

"We've got a bit of a way to go," she said.

"About 40 per cent of our pavilions have been revitalised and made more female friendly.

"There's about 65 pavilions across the city that we need to upgrade so we'll continue to work through them prioritising based on participation and on the state of the actual pavilion itself.

"These facilities were built by men, for men, 30 or 40 years ago, so we're spending the time over the next few years to upgrade and make sure that they are inclusive."

For female players that have had to deal with the uncomfortable feeling of using pavilions with open showers, urinals, limited cubicles and small change rooms, the upgrades are a game-changer.

"There is a bit of a dance to do with teams coming in to get ready at half-time or when someone's lost a mouthguard and comes in - it gets a little bit awkward," Belconnen Magpies player Emma Zouch said.

"It'll be nice to reduce the awkwardness.

"Having stalls with doors, showering with a bit more privacy and having a safe space knowing that someone's not going to come in who shouldn't be there, we'll be much more comfortable."

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