Perth Hockey Stadium $135m redevelopment given the go-ahead by state planning officials
State planning officials have given the go-ahead for the $135 million redevelopment of Perth Hockey Stadium, revealing detailed plans of what the future home of national hockey in Australia will look like.
The development application for the upgrade, submitted by the State Government, was approved by the WA Planning Commission on Wednesday after being endorsed by the Town of Victoria Park.
The major transformation of the Hockey Centre at Curtin University in Bentley will involve the demolition of the Perth Hockey Stadium to make way for a new three-storey stadium, featuring 1000 fixed seats and facilities including changing rooms, a kitchen, a bar, and function rooms for club and community competitions and events.
The stadium will also house Australia's High Performance Hockey Program.
Three new pitches will be built, bringing the total to four, two of which will meet international standards and be capable of hosting major events such as the Hockey World Cup.
The centre's northern pitch and its grandstand will be retained.
The site's maximum capacity is expected to increase from 6000 to 10,000 spectators for major events, positioning Perth as a potential contender to host future Hockey World Cups, supported by the addition of upgraded broadcast facilities.
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The entire Hockey Centre, which is located in Bentley, is set to be completely transformed.
Credit: Supplied
A state-of-the-art two-storey indoor centre featuring two courts and administration spaces will also be built as part of the redevelopment, serving as the new headquarters for Hockey Australia and Hockey WA.
Hockey WA has been based at Curtin University for more than 40 years and it's hoped the redevelopment will ensure the high performance hockey program will remain in Perth for another four decades.
'The proposed works have been designed to a high specification and of international standard that will secure a high performance hockey program in Perth for the next 40-plus years and complement its existing use,' the application report said.
'Hockey WA also has a strategic partnership with Curtin University to identify research and improve competitiveness that is expected to continue through existing and additional hockey facilities at the university.'
During the project's public consultation period, 15 submissions objected to the proposal, with concerns primarily focused on tree loss as 107 trees will make way for the development.
The application said the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions had acknowledged the expected loss of mature pine trees but said the clearing was relatively small and not significant enough to warrant referral to Federal agencies.
The project will be completed in two stages, with stage one covering the bulk of the work. Stage two will involve the new south and east pitches, and its associated landscaping, and pedestrian connections being completed.
A ground lease between Curtin University and VenuesWest, which also manages Optus Stadium, RAC Arena and HBF Park, has been finalised.
VenuesWest will own the facility on behalf of the State once it is built, with the lease set to start in 2028.
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