The South Australian mid-north town of Snowtown will benefit from a new $620,000 sporting facility as a result of a game-changing collaboration between SANFL and national modular builder Ausco Modular.
SANFL and Ausco Modular today signed off on the contract for the delivery of the first high-specification modular changerooms facility for Snowtown Oval, to be installed and completed by December 2018.
L-R: Simon Manser (Ausco), Casey Grice (SANFL), Derryn Stringer (BSNFC), Peter Lindner (SANFL) and Chris White (Ausco) pictured at Ausco Modular's Edinburgh manufacturing facility.
Blyth-Snowtown Football and Netball Club (BSFNC) has already secured funding from the State Government, Wakefield District Council and the AFL for the project.
“This whole of community project will provide quality change facilities for players and umpires involved in football and netball, as well as users of the caravan park,’’ BSFNC Committee Member Derryn Stringer said.
‘’The support provided by SANFL and Ausco throughout the project delivery has saved cost and reduced the burden on our volunteers.‘’
Included in the project, to start from July at Ausco’s Edinburgh manufacturing facility, will be two unisex football change rooms, a netball change room, an AFL-standard umpires’ facility, storage, public toilets and a canteen.
An illustration of the new Blyth-Snowtown Football and Netball Club facilities due for completion in December.
With the popularity of Australian Football accelerated among women since the inception of the AFLW and SANFL Statewide Super Women’s League, the requirement for female-friendly facilities has become paramount.
SANFL Community Infrastructure and Planning Manager Casey Grice said the partnership between SANFL and Ausco Modular would have a swift impact at grassroots level by producing purpose-built facilities for the needs of the local community from a design, quality and cost perspective.
“This new building innovation is proven to provide sporting facilities 60 per cent faster at 30 per cent less cost,’’ Mr Grice said.
“The efficiency of the building method is expected to be a game-changer across the industry in providing unisex facilities to service the rapid growth in female football across South Australia.”
Along with saving time during the planning and construction phases, another significant benefit was to assist the many volunteers who run community football clubs across South Australia.
“Through SANFL’s cooperative arrangement with Ausco, clubs now have access to free design and project management services,” Mr Grice said.
“This ensures the project will meet the need of their community while reducing the project management burden on volunteers.”
Importantly, with less site disruption in terms of area and timeline – due to 90 per cent of the building being completed prior to delivery and installation – the modular building method also significantly reduces the impact on local football and sports clubs continuing to function during the construction phase.
“We’ve been innovators in modular construction for many years and it’s been very rewarding to work alongside SANFL and contribute to the growth in grassroots sport,” said South Australian Regional Manager for Ausco Simon Manser.
“The fit between the benefits modular construction offers in terms of less time, cost, disruption and high quality, and what’s needed to meet the facilities requirements for local and regional clubs, couldn’t be stronger.”
Article courtesy of SANFL.
Watch the Snowtown Sports Broadcast video series here.
