Willunga Recreation Park needs $100k for urgent maintenance as volunteers seek council help

They’ve spent more than half a million dollars and need another $300,000 for this Adelaide oval and clubrooms’ upkeep – but will their council help?

Willunga Recreation Park secretary Brian Dempsey and ex-president Mostyn Hancock on their oval, which desperately needs a new sprinkler system. Picture: Emma Brasier

Volunteers have been forced to fundraise more than $500,000 to keep a critical sporting grounds and clubrooms afloat and urgently need another $100,000 “right now” – but say their local council won’t help enough.

And a severe lack of rain – and broken sprinkler system – has the oval in “terrible state”, with $190,000 needed to replace the oval irrigation system.

Ex-Willunga Recreation Park president Mostyn Hancock said volunteers were struggling with a significant burden to maintain three ageing clubrooms and ovals, despite receiving some Onkaparinga Council and government funding.

“It’s not the new facilities that are a problem, it’s the (funding for) maintenance of the ovals and the facilities that we miss out on, and having to pay for our water when others don’t,” the Willunga local said.

The McLaren Football Club is one of the sporting grounds the group manages. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

Mostyn Hancock with Brian Dempsey at Willunga Recreation Park. Picture: Emma Brasier

The 77-year-old said his group raised funds through events, grants, and club contributions to cover expenses such as insurance, repairs, maintenance, and water for sporting grounds at Cherry Gardens/Ironbank, McLaren Vale and Willunga.

Volunteers often step in for maintenance tasks when council staff are unavailable.

More than $500,000 has been spent the roof and a new airconditioning system, new floors, and court repairs at the Willunga park over the past four years, he said.

The past year’s equipment, maintenance, and administrative costs were more than $100,000, with recycled water costing $16,000 annually.

They need about $300,000 in upcoming repairs, with Mr Hancock worried about keeping up with maintenance.

“We’ll just have to keep fundraising and maybe borrow money, I’m not sure how we’re going to go about it, but we need to fund $100,000 right now,” he said.

“Our oval is in a terrible state because the sprinkler system needs to be replaced.”

“The kitchen in the stadium is not up to standard and that makes it awkward to rent the premises out for weddings and major events, so we’re missing out on that sort of income”.

Mr Hancock wants the council to establish a quicker maintenance system, provide more money and cover annual maintenance and administrative fees.

“It would be awful if we couldn’t keep running it. We’re very proud of what we do and it’s a great social occasion that people put their time and effort into,” he said.

“If you take that away from the community, it will be an awful thing.”

Mr Hancock acknowledged the council’s funding challenges but said, given the substantial contributions they’ve made over the years, extra money is justified.

A council spokesman said they were open to engaging with the management of Onkaparinga’s community-owned multi-use sports facilities and had invested about $67m over the past five years in sport and active recreation-related projects.

“We have a responsibility to balance all the needs of our community in a financially sustainable way, and to balance the competing needs and aspirations of more than 200 sport and active recreation clubs and groups in this city,” the spokesman said.