Wanneroo Sports Hub

What happened?

The City checked 52 possible sites across Central Ward. The top three were:

• 11 Leach Road, Wanneroo (preferred) — next to the Wanneroo Sports & Social Club and Perth Pickleball Centre, less than 1km from the Town Centre
• Greenfields Park, Hocking — a large site on Wanneroo Road, but with no parking, and it would take away local open space
• Sheffield Park, Wanneroo — a big site, but the furthest from the Town Centre, and it would also take away open space

What does it mean for you?

A Sports Hub at Leach Road could create a sports and community precinct with the Sports & Social Club and the Wanneroo Showgrounds, instead of building on a local park. The Sports & Social Club has said it is strongly interested. Parking and traffic still need to be worked out.

What happens next?

Council will decide whether to support the site. If it does, a $40,000 study will run from November 2026 to July 2027, including talking with clubs and user groups. Design could follow from late 2027, with building from September 2028.

The State's $5 million is for the existing Recreation Centre, not the Sports Hub. $16.75 million is in the City's long-term budget, but the project is expected to cost more.

What happened?

At its 16 December 2025 meeting, Council voted to stop work on the Sports Hub at Scenic Park. It asked for two buildings instead: a Community Hub on the existing Recreation Centre site, and a new Sports Hub on another site in Central Ward, including looking at 11 Leach Road next to the Wanneroo Sports & Social Club.

The motion was moved by Cr Miles and seconded by Cr Moore. Council also asked the City to keep to the project timelines and design consultants where possible, and to consult the Member for Wanneroo, Sabine Winton MLA, at every stage.

What happened next?

The City assessed 52 sites. The results were presented to councillors in November 2026.

What happened?

Community feedback on the revised design opened on 28 July 2025. Because of strong community interest, the City extended it from 24 August to 14 September 2025, and wrote to 2,272 nearby residents and landowners.

The City paused the design work, about six months in all, until Council could consider what the community said. This was a City decision, not a Council vote, so there are no separate minutes. It is explained in the December 2025 minutes.

What happened next?

In December 2025 Council decided not to build the Sports Hub at Scenic Park.

What happened?

At the 22 July 2025 Council meeting, I moved the motion to endorse the revised design for community feedback and to finish the detailed design. It was seconded by Cr Smith.

The building was moved closer to Scenic Drive, further from the highest bushfire-risk areas and with less impact on the environment. Building was expected from mid-2026 to mid-2027. The cost estimate rose to $21.2 million, and no extra State or Federal funding had been secured, leaving a gap of about $10.4 million.

What happened next?

After community feedback, Council decided in December 2025 not to proceed at Scenic Park.

What happened?

At the 10 December 2024 Council meeting, I moved the motion to accept the State Government's $5 million for the new Sports Hub, as the first stage of redeveloping the Recreation Centre. It was seconded by Cr Huntley.

At the time the Sports Hub was budgeted at about $18.4 million, including the $5 million. This did not include turning the existing Recreation Centre into a Community Hub, estimated in 2021 at $18.7 million.

What happened next?

In 2026 the Member for Wanneroo advised that the money is for the existing Recreation Centre, not a new Sports Hub.

What happened?

At the 12 November 2024 Council meeting, I moved the motion to accept the tender from Hodge Collard Preston Architects for architectural and specialist design services for the new Sports Hub. It was seconded by Cr Huntley.

Council also added $300,000 to this year's budget for the detailed design, and listed $550,000 in 2025/26 and $250,000 in 2026/27 to finish the design work.

What happened next?

Design work on the Sports Hub at Scenic Park continued through 2025.

What happened?

At the 18 June 2024 Council meeting, Council looked at what the community said about the Sports Hub design. The motion was moved by Cr Herridge and seconded by Cr Parker. Council agreed to:

• Endorse the Sports Hub concept design and move to the next stage of design, building it in one stage
• Start planning to redevelop the existing Recreation Centre as a Community Hub
• Seek about $35 million from the State and Federal Governments for both buildings
• Set up a project working group for the Sports Hub and Community Hub (added by Cr Smith, seconded by Cr Miles)

What happened next?

In November 2024 Council hired architects to design the Sports Hub.

What happened?

At the 18 July 2023 Council meeting, Council endorsed the concept design as the guide for the Sports Hub at Scenic Park, and agreed it should go out for community consultation. The plans were based on two separate buildings: a Sports Hub and a Community Centre.

The motion was moved by Cr Cvitan and seconded by Cr Treby. Council also noted the City's plan to seek more funding for the project.

What happened next?

Community feedback on the design was reported to Council in June 2024.

What happened?

On 9 September 2021 the State Government announced a $5 million commitment to upgrade the Wanneroo Recreation Centre.

What does it mean?

In 2026 the Member for Wanneroo confirmed this money is for the existing Recreation Centre, now the Community Hub, not a new Sports Hub.

Who made it happen?

Mayor Tracey Roberts moved the Motion on Notice (MN01-09/18) at the 18 September 2018 Council meeting, and it was seconded by Cr Newton. Every councillor voted for it.

What happened next?

This began the planning that led to the 2020 Precinct Master Plan, the 2021 Feasibility Study, and today's Community Hub and Sports Hub projects.