The Burrendah Reserve in Willetton has taken a significant step forward in shaping the future of grassroots sport in Western Australia, with the completion of $49,051 in changeroom upgrades designed to enhance inclusivity, accessibility, and functionality for players and umpires. Delivered under the umbrella of PlayOn WA—a $2 million Community Sporting Venues Retrofitting Project—these improvements reflect a bold commitment from the Cook Government to make sport more welcoming and equitable for all, particularly women and girls whose participation in Australian football continues to surge.
This project is not an isolated effort. It is part of a statewide strategy to bring outdated sporting infrastructure up to modern standards, ensuring facilities keep pace with the evolving needs of a diverse community. With funding contributions from the State Government’s Community Sporting and Recreation Facilities Fund, the WA Football Facilities Fund, and the West Coast Eagles Royalty Reserve, the project represents a model of collaboration across government, sport, and local communities.
A Targeted Upgrade for Modern Needs
The upgrades at Burrendah Reserve were purpose-driven and detail-focused. Completed works included the installation of new shower partitions across home, away, and umpire changerooms; the removal of outdated urinals, replaced by more accessible facilities; and the addition of new toilet partitions in the away changeroom. While modest in cost, the changes deliver a substantial impact, transforming the reserve’s amenities into a space that is welcoming, inclusive, and compliant with contemporary expectations for gender-neutral sporting facilities.
The emphasis on accessibility underscores the government’s understanding that physical infrastructure can be a barrier to participation. By addressing these issues, Burrendah Reserve is now equipped to host growing player numbers, particularly in women’s competitions, where participation rates are climbing rapidly.
Government Commitment to Grassroots Sport
Sport and Recreation Minister Rita Saffioti described the project as an example of how collaborative investments in grassroots facilities yield lasting benefits for communities. “Football is at the heart of so many communities, and facilities like these make a real difference in ensuring the game is welcoming and open to everyone,” she stated. The Minister emphasized the Cook Government’s vision of creating “safe, inclusive, and future-ready” changerooms across WA.
Local representative Jags Krishnan, MLA for Riverton, echoed these sentiments, noting that participation begins with fit-for-purpose infrastructure. “We want to see more women and girls getting involved in local sport in our community and this starts with having facilities that are accessible and inclusive,” Krishnan said. He added that investing in grassroots sport builds “healthier, stronger, and more connected communities”—a point that aligns with broader public health objectives.
Driving Change Through Strategic Partnerships
The Burrendah Reserve project is one of several sites revitalized under WA Football’s Community Sporting Venues Retrofitting Project. According to WA Football CEO Michael Roberts, the initiative is making measurable progress, with eight venues already completed and five more scheduled for upgrades. The long-term goal is to bring the Perth Football League network to nearly 100 percent gender-neutral changeroom amenities.
Roberts highlighted the significance of this shift, particularly for women’s football, which reached a record-high of 16,790 participants in WA programs in 2025. “Women and girls’ football is our fastest-growing area in the State,” Roberts said, adding that infrastructure must reflect and support this reality. The upgrades at Burrendah Reserve were visibly impactful during the Perth Football League women’s grand finals, where the improved facilities allowed players and officials to feel fully included in the celebration of the sport.
Building Communities Through Inclusive Design
The Burrendah Reserve project exemplifies how modest but well-targeted investments can create a ripple effect in communities. By prioritizing inclusivity and accessibility, the upgrades remove long-standing barriers that have disproportionately affected women and younger players. Research consistently shows that the availability of safe, inclusive, and modern facilities boosts participation rates, retention, and community engagement.
These upgrades also contribute to broader social outcomes. Inclusive facilities encourage diversity, foster a sense of belonging, and help to reduce attrition among underrepresented groups in community sport. They also enable volunteers, coaches, and umpires—who are essential to the sustainability of grassroots competitions—to work in environments that reflect respect and equality.
Aligning With Broader Policy Goals
The Cook Government’s PlayOn WA initiative aims to guide investment in community sporting infrastructure through to 2030. By aligning local projects like Burrendah Reserve’s upgrades with state-level policy goals, the government is creating a pipeline of inclusive, future-ready facilities. This approach ensures that rapid growth in grassroots sport, particularly football, is met with infrastructure that can sustain participation and support the health and wellbeing of communities.
The $49,051 invested in Burrendah Reserve may seem modest in the context of state infrastructure budgets, but the symbolic and practical impacts are profound. It sets a precedent for how relatively small, strategic investments can create environments that are accessible to all, while reinforcing the social fabric of local communities.
Looking Ahead: A Model for Community Sport Development
The Burrendah Reserve changeroom project offers a blueprint for other communities across Australia grappling with similar challenges. As participation in women’s and junior sport grows, outdated facilities that were once designed with limited user groups in mind are no longer fit for purpose. Inclusive infrastructure is not a luxury—it is a necessity that ensures all participants can engage in sport without facing structural barriers.
With the Perth Football League on track to achieve near-universal gender-neutral changerooms, WA Football is setting a benchmark for other sports codes and jurisdictions. The project demonstrates how a collaborative funding model—pooling resources from government, sporting bodies, and local clubs—can deliver substantial outcomes without requiring prohibitively high investments.
Conclusion
The upgrades at Burrendah Reserve are more than a local infrastructure project. They represent a tangible commitment to inclusivity, gender equity, and community development in Western Australian sport. Through collaboration, foresight, and a recognition of the changing face of grassroots participation, the Cook Government and its partners have delivered a project that will benefit players, umpires, volunteers, and families for years to come.
As WA Football CEO Michael Roberts noted, the retrofitting project is not just about bricks and mortar. It is about reshaping the sporting landscape to ensure that the game remains relevant, inclusive, and reflective of the diverse communities it serves. Burrendah Reserve now stands as a case study in how targeted investments can unlock wider benefits—supporting not just sport, but the health, cohesion, and vibrancy of the community at large.
