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State-of-the-art athletics stadium ushers in a new era of sporting excellence

Elite and junior athletes, local sporting groups, schools and spectators will benefit from the new state-of-the-art athletics stadium officially opened today (26 May 2009) by Premier Colin Barnett and Sport and Recreation Minister Terry Waldron.

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27 May 2009

WA Athletics Stadium

 

"The WA Athletics Stadium will provide our sportsmen and women with world-class conditions. It also pays tribute to Western Australia's past sporting greats with the naming of the Shirley Strickland Grandstand and the Herb Elliott Drive," Mr Barnett said.

 "Wally Foreman's contribution to sports media and dedication to the Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS) has been acknowledged with the naming of the Wally Foreman Walk."

The Premier said the WA Athletics Stadium had already been recognised as a high performance venue by Athletics Australia and would host the Commonwealth team selections and National Athletics championships in April 2010.

In opening the facility today, the Premier acknowledged the previous government's role in the project.

Mr Waldron said the new stadium would be WA's competition venue for elite athletes at major meets and home to the wider athletics community in the State.

"It will also be a great venue for State championships, club competition, inter-school meets as well as for Little Athletics," he said.

"The athletics stadium is just one of a suite of new facilities being built by the State Government, including basketball, rugby and gymnastics facilities, along with those recently completed such as the world-class rowing facility at Champion Lakes."

The stadium features:

  • A 2,000 seat grandstand with capacity for a further 8,000 on grass banking.
  • Duplicated event sites on the front and back straights (pole vault, long jump, triple jump, javelin, discus, shot put).
  • Stadium and grandstand orientation to take advantage of the prevailing wind conditions.
  • The Mondo track surface used at the Beijing Olympics and twelve-lane front and back straights with nine lanes on the bends.
  • The incorporation of energy-efficient stadium lighting to allow twilight and evening training and events.
  • A grassed internal arena that has been designed to accommodate soccer (i.e. stadium is multi-purpose).
  • A suite of energy and water saving devices and equipment such as waterless urinals, solar panels on the roof, flow controllers and timers on all taps.
  • Recycled water from the Subiaco Waste Water Treatment Plant will be used for irrigation purposes with bore water used for flushing and back-up purposes as well as a huge supply of rainwater, harvested from the roof of the grandstand.

"This is a great example of a facility that has been designed in close consultation with the target users," the Minister said.

"Both the WAIS and Athletics WA have been close collaborators with the team from the Department of Sport and Recreation."

The WA Athletics Stadium will be managed by Venues West (formerly the Western Australian Sports Centre Trust).

 

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Highlights of the WA Athletics Stadium official opening: 

  Indigenous dancers perform in the midst of a traditional smoking ceremony

A traditional smoking ceremony, Welcome to Country and performance by Indigenous dancers recognised the significance of the land to local Nyoongar people. 

  Premier Colin Barnett accepts a message stick from an Indigenous leader, as MC Neralda Jacobs looks on

An Indigenous leader presents Premier Colin Barnett with a message stick, watched on by MC Neralda Jacobs. 

The very first sprint to take place at the new athletics stadium

WA elite sprinters take part in a women's invitational 100m event, the very first sprint on the stadium track. Premier Colin Barnett fired the starter's gun.

Jody Henry

The invitational race was won by Jody Henry. 

Sport and Recreation Minister Terry Waldron accepts the baton from Director General Ron Alexander

Sport and Recreation Minister Terry Waldron passes the baton to Department of Sport and Recreation Director General Ron Alexander, who then passed the baton on to Graham Partridge, Manager of VenuesWest, who will run the facility.

Kim Mickle got to make the first javelin throw

Kim Mickle got to make the first javelin throw into the grassed area at the centre of the stadium.

The Shirley Strickland Grandstand

The stadium pays tribute to Western Australia's past sporting greats with the naming of the Shirley Strickland Grandstand, Herb Elliott Drive and the Wally Foreman Walk.

WA Athletics Stadium

The view of the athletics track from the Shirley Strickland Grandstand.