Andrew Hastie (Canning, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to share with the House an exciting project, in my electorate of Canning, that I believe to be deserving of this government's support. The Roleystone/Karragullen Cricket Club has been around since 1950. For almost 75 years they've been an important part of the Hills community. Today, they're one of the biggest clubs in the city of Armadale. They're the only cricket club in the city with a first grade men's team, a junior girls' team and a senior women's team. They've been serious about getting girls involved in the game and now boast more female Junior Blasters than any other club in Western Australia. They're the only club in the state to offer free membership for juniors. This is made possible through the fees of senior players and by additional fundraising. I think they are an absolute credit to the Roleystone and Karragullen community.

The club is also marked by a spirit of independence and self-determination. Recently I met with club president John Lewis for a tour around the grounds and to talk about the issues. They've come a long way since the fifties, when the field wasn't so flat and it paid to be hitting downhill. The improvements are largely thanks to the club's own effort. They recently built their own training nets, paid for through community fundraising and constructed by the members themselves. But the club lacks facilities. There is no canteen and there are no toilets and change rooms. The clubhouse itself, while filled with character, has seen better days. Many of the kids currently get changed in an old nearby public toilet that should have been condemned years ago. This is a problem also shared by the nearby Roleystone Netball Club.

For a long time the Roleystone/Karragullen Cricket Club has been working on a solution. They're not just looking for a handout. Over the past 10 years the club has raised $250,000 towards a new pavilion that would meet the needs of their growing members. They've also reached an agreement with the netball club that would make this a joint facility, capable of meeting both of their needs and available for use by the whole community.

But there's still a long way to go. Despite their outstanding efforts in fundraising, the club still needs $500,000 to make this dream a reality. And so, through the City of Armadale, the cricket and netball clubs have applied for a Community Sport Infrastructure grant, offered by this government. The grant program is designed to help provide new infrastructure to sporting organisations. That will get more people active and improve community participation. It is my view that this project more than qualifies, especially when you consider that they have raised the first $250,000 on their own. It is an incredible effort.

Today I'll be meeting with the Minister for Sport, Senator Bridget McKenzie, to make the case for them. Over the coming weeks I'll be working with the Roleystone community to make this project a reality.