Beale Park is one of Cockburn’s major soccer facilities and plays an important role in growing community sport. The site is home to the Cockburn City Soccer Club, who has outgrown the current amenities. Upgrades are needed to keep up with the community’s growing needs.

The City commenced planning in 2018 for a site upgrade. The $20m budget includes a $1 million grant from the State Government. To design the upgrades, the City engaged with community and key stakeholders between 2018 and 2021.

What upgrades are proposed?

The proposed park upgrades will support the needs of sporting users and the wider community, and will include:

• Additional car parking;
• Improved access and egress;
• A new multi-purpose sporting and community facility;
• Re-orientation of sporting fields;
• Accessible toilets
• Lighting upgrades.

What our community said

• Prior to draft design development, feedback was sought on the playground, public artwork, and park furniture. Key findings included:
  • Preference for a nature themed playground and public artwork.
  • Mixed views on the playground’s location, however, many agree that fencing and shade are important.
  • Preference for BBQs, picnic settings and drinking fountains.
  • Carnaby’s Cockatoos have been sighted at the park, which indicates a potential for roosting sites.
• A draft design was developed, guided by community feedback, trees surveys, Carnaby's Black Cockatoo habitat assessment, project budget and site constraints.
• Community feedback was sought on the draft design as part of a third and final round of consultation. Most respondents said they believe the plan meets their needs, and the needs of the wider community who use Beale Park.
• Where feasible, additional suggestions will be considered in the detailed design process.

Community consultation on the design is now complete. The City thanks community members and key stakeholders for helping to shape the future of Beale Park.

Next Steps

In response to feedback from the Department of Climate Change, Energy the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), the City has rescoped the project to strike a balance between infrastructure needs and environmental considerations.

The updated plans retain the significant Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo roosting trees by shifting the building south, significantly reducing the number of trees to be removed. The six trees identified for removal are non-significant and not used by Black Cockatoos for roosting. Additionally, the City will be replanting 35 new trees.

This is considered a successful outcome for all involved, and the updated plans ensure the needs of the Cockburn City Soccer Club and other stakeholders are met.

A development application is being advertised for public comment in February/March 2025. This application was submitted by the City for planning assessment. Feedback on the Development Application can be accessed here.

The Tender for this project has been released, with a closing date of 3 April 2025. Once the tender process is completed, the City aims to seek Council endorsement in May 2025 to proceed with the successful tenderer. Construction is expected to begin in late 2025, with the goal of completing the project in time for the 2027 soccer season.

Background

Beale Park is one of Cockburn's major soccer facilities. The park is classified as an active sporting reserve, servicing the community's formal and informal recreation needs.

The City commenced planning in 2018 for a $9 million (2018 costings) upgrade of Beale Park to meet user needs. Community feedback was sought from site users and residents to inform a design for the upgrades.

What we heard so far

Priorities include:

• Replacement club-house
• Improved drainage
• Sports standard lighting
• More playing space
• More off-road parking
• New nature themed playground with fencing
• Retention of the existing playground in the north east
  
• Nature themed artwork
  
• Drinking fountains
• Shade
• Barbeques and picnic tables
• Minimising impact on trees and cockatoo roosting habitat

A draft design has been prepared considering tree surveys, a Carnaby's Black Cockatoo habitat assessment and feedback from site users and local residents.

The City's external environmental consultants are in the process of preparing a subsequent Black Cockatoo Significance Assessment based on the revised site plan which will help to determine further steps/actions and the need to refer our proposal to the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment (ADAWE) under the EPBC Act for feedback.

The City is also inviting community feedback on the updated draft design until 8 December 2021. Community feedback will be considered, alongside recommendations from our environmental consultants and ADAWE, project commitments and constraints, to inform the final design outcomes.

View the draft design

Online: View the Site Plan - Concept and Clubrooms floorplan. Documents can be found in the Document Library.

Hard copy: Available at City of Cockburn Administration (9 Coleville Crescent, Spearwood)

In-person: Visit us at a drop-in session

Community drop-in sessions

Visit us to see the draft design and chat to a project team member.

Where: Beale Park, Spearwood (outside of clubrooms overlooking soccer pitches)

When: Wednesday 24 November 2021 from 4.30pm to 6.30pm.