Images: City of Charles Sturt
After six years of advocacy and planning, a major new community facility has been approved for St Clair, giving the Vipers Football Club a fresh home while creating a new space for the community.
The two storey building will replace the existing change rooms at the St Clair Recreation Centre and will incorporate new clubrooms for the Vipers alongside flexible spaces designed for community use.
Plans include new change rooms on the ground floor, grandstand seating for 200 spectators beneath the main roof, and an upstairs function space featuring a balcony overlooking the main playing pitch. The upper level will also include a bar, kitchen, and areas that can be hired out by the community.
For Vipers Club President Adrian Moore, the approval marks the culmination of years of work.
“From us as a club, we’ve been lobbying for about six years, and it’s probably been about three or four years where there’s been that sort of momentum there,” he said.
Early discussions about upgrading the facilities quickly evolved into something larger following community consultation.
“We went through a little bit of consultation in the early days, and then the feedback came back, not just from us but from the broader community, to say if we’re going to build something there, then we need to build something that’s a bit more long-term and for the whole community,” Moore said.
The club worked closely with the City of Charles Sturt, the State Government and nearby Woodville High School, which shares the sporting precinct, to develop a facility that would meet the needs of a growing region.
“We’ve almost spent four years working with everyone to come up with what’s possible, then the concept designs, and then the funding from there,” Moore said.
He added that the building has been intentionally designed as a community hub that can be used throughout the week.
“It gives community groups a place to meet, people can hold events there, and it’s been designed in a way that can have that multi-use.
For the club, the new facility is expected to support the club’s rapidly growing membership, especially for the women’s and girls’ side of the club.
“In the last four or five years, we’ve grown from probably just over 100 kids to over 300 now,” Moore said.
“This facility gives us that opportunity to start growing the girls’ and women’s side of the club as well,” he added.
The City of Charles Sturt said that the facility will provide a place for the community to enjoy for years to come, with works expected to commence in 2027.
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