Willetton Sports Precinct

The $19 million Willetton Sports Precinct and Burrendah Boulevard upgrade, which incorporates a new community plaza and street-style skate facility, is now complete and open to the public.

The City of Canning has invested almost $8 million into the four-year transformation of the sporting and recreational precinct, which now boasts an integrated skate plaza and forecourt to the Willetton Stadium, street art, murals and state-of-the-art sports lighting.

The upgraded adjacent boulevard also provides a pedestrian-friendly road environment for the sports precinct users.

To mark the completion of these works, the sporting facility was officially unveiled at a formal ceremony on 26 October, providing an opportunity to showcase the revamped precinct to key project stakeholders and local sporting club representatives.

City of Canning Mayor, Patrick Hall, said the completion of the Willetton Sports Precinct firmly placed Canning on the map as a major sporting and recreational hub in the south-eastern corridor.

“The completion of the Willetton Sports Precinct upgrade is a significant milestone for the City, as we continue to create recreational spaces that enhance the wellbeing and lifestyles of our residents and visitors to Canning,” Mayor Hall said.

“The new integrated skate plaza, which is the first of its kind - not only for Canning, but Western Australia - blends passive and active spaces together and is suitable for pedestrians, skaters and scooter and BMX riders.”

“The project team has worked extremely hard on this project - they collaborated closely with local community organisations, skating and sporting groups - and liaised with landscape architects, and building and construction companies to deliver for the community,” Mayor Hall said.

“The result is something that is truly exceptional, impressive and unique, that caters to a broad spectrum of sporting enthusiasts, recreational users and pedestrians alike.”

Visual artist, Chris Nixon, applied his artistic talents to create the striking mural on Willetton Stadium, running a series of workshops with Year 6 students of Burrendah Primary School to develop their understanding of public art, and the creative thought that goes into the design.

“Growing up in the area - and playing such a big role in shaping who I am - the Willetton Sports Precinct artwork was significant to me, Mr Nixon said, “It was particularly important to me to be able to connect young people to the project and engage with the wider community.”

“The students assisted me in installing the large mural facing the oval, which was a great opportunity to share my experience, and hopefully inspire the next generation of artists from Willetton.”

Nixon also designed and coordinated the installation of artistic sculptural elements within the skate plaza as well as artwork on the pavement that forms the central spine in the piazza.

“This was such a great project to be able to connect with the community, offer a deeper level of understanding about the natural state of the site - and hopefully - a greater connection and respect for it going forward.”