Background
The Waikerie Riverfront Community Hub is a project born from the need to either renovate or completely rebuild the Waikerie Football Club's clubhouse (built 1977) after more than 40 years of celebrations and community gatherings. Recognising the need for a modern and sustainable space, the Waikerie Riverfront Community Hub offers a solution that will meet the evolving demands of the club that will benefit its members, the riverfront, and the community more broadly.
The project, jointly owned by Council and the Waikerie Football Club, is set to provide the Waikerie community with improved access to activities and programs, sport and exercise sessions, committee meetings, cultural events, social gatherings, speaker events and workshops in a high quality and modern facility. The Hub will serve as a major visitor attraction in Waikerie and will act as a regional centre for agribusiness and sport tourism, as well as large community, corporate and private functions.
Various streams of funding and support have been sourced and provided to the Waikerie Football Club and Council to bring the $4.6m project to completion:
Building Better Regions Fund
The Waikerie Football Club was successful in sourcing $1.5 million towards the project from the Australian Government's Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources under the Building Better Regions Fund (BBRF) - Infrastructure Projects Stream - Round 5.
Local Government Infrastructure Partnership Program
The District Council of Loxton Waikerie was successful in obtaining a further $1.5 million from the Treasurer of South Australia under the Local Government Infrastructure Partnership Program.
Council Support
At its meeting on Friday September 18 2020, Council unanimously agreed to enter into an interest-free loan for $1 million with the Waikerie Football Club (subject to success in receiving BBRF grant funding), to be repaid over 30 years.
Further to this, Council agreed to provide an additional $600,000 to support the completion of the project, as well as assistance with landscaping budgeted at $80,000, at a Special Council Meeting held Monday 7 July 2023.
Construction of a new clubroom facility and function space for the Waikerie Football Club and greater Waikerie community to replace the currently inadequate facility on the opposing side of the oval.
Key elements of the project include:
- Seating in the football club area
- Seating in outdoor area (facing river)
- Seating in the function area
- Terraced seating / viewing to the main oval
- Commercial kitchen and bar facilities to service internal and external (river-side) patrons
- Toilet facilities
- Internal views of both oval and the riverfront
- Substantial wall and display space for football club and wider sporting community memorabilia
- Storage space for sporting equipment and function area
- New & improved 'steak hut' facility
Additional requirements:
- Building design must comply with relevant design standards and codes, and DDA compliance for accessibility
- Acoustic considerations to respect adjacent caravan park with noise from the new facility
- State and Federal grant funding requirements
