Rebuilding through Sport: lessons from Shepparton
AFL holds a special place in Australian society. It is our sport, developed in this wide brown land. We start by kicking the footy as kids and grow into lifelong supporters flying team colours proudly. It is also the vehicle by which many of our regional and remote communities come together in good times and bad. The AFL knows the importance of the game and how it can make a community more resilient. It is an ethos and understanding shared by Ausco Modular. And if the players are going to be more resilient then so should the changerooms and clubhouses from which they play.
You watch it on the TV and you see the games downtown and you think it is all about that. But I really don’t see how we would have still been here without these rooms. JARROD SUTHERLAND, CLUB PRESIDENT
When the Victorian club, the Shepparton Swans, were devastated by flooding in 2022, it was to the AFL and Ausco, through our Rapid Deployment Changeroom program, that changed the club’s fate. As the name suggests, the Rapid Deployment Changerooms can quickly be turned around to meet an immediate requirement. In just 13 weeks, the changerooms were manufactured and in place ready for the 2023 pre-season preparation in Shepparton. It was a singular, positive focus for a community rebuilding.
The shelf life of the Ausco Modular facility is around 30 years. It could be placed at up to 15 to 20 grounds as the need arises. BEN KAVENAGH, HEAD OF AFL VICTORIA
The AFL Ausco Rapid Deployment Changerooms will remain in Shepparton for years until the permanent changerooms are constructed, before moving on to the next location in need of support. The unisex design will also be utilised by the local netball teams and, with ramps and level floors, it is fully accessible by wheelchair. A simple five-module structure will be used and appreciated by many regardless of age, gender, ability or preferred sporting code. It is a building that needs to be sturdy and manage the rigour of Australian country sport.
It was with this understanding that Ausco designed and manufactured a building that would stand the test of time (and football) and be easily and quickly deployed over and over and over again, without compromising the players’ experience. The walls and ceiling have been reinforced with impact-resistant properties. That is as much about withstanding the excitement of players as it is about the resilience of the building to multiple truck movements.
Similarly, the building uses modular wiring that allows an electrical plug’n’play deployment. Not only does this facilitate quick installation and demobilisation, it also reduces the waste at the point of manufacture. The flashings were also designed to be installed, removed and reinstalled without having to be replaced, reducing construction waste and speeding up redeployment. Through this design choice, these modules are watertight in a matter of hours. Simply put, the buildings are fit for the purpose of continual and diverse use throughout Australia.
I have got kids who play sport down here and just to see them develop as young adults really that is the most exciting part for me. JARROD SUTHERLAND, CLUB PRESIDENT
Ausco’s partnership with the AFL extends well beyond the spaces we build, to the communities we support. In the case of Shepparton, Ausco worked with the local council and trades to coordinate and maximise the spending in a recovering community. It is a project and a relationship of which we are very proud for its innovation, sustainability and contribution to Australian society.
