Richmond Oval gets $25m rebuild after storm hit grandstand

Why it matters

Koutsantonis described West Adelaide as “an intrinsic part of the fabric of the western suburbs”, per InDaily.

InDaily reports the 1950s-built grandstand was severely damaged by flooding, and that the club had to play home games away from the oval for several rounds. The club had also called for funding for upgrades.

The rebuild goes beyond replacing the grandstand. Both outlets describe a broader community precinct, with a function room available for public use. InDaily adds public toilets and improved pedestrian connectivity to the design.

The numbers

InDaily reports the City of West Torrens will carry the largest share, with $15 million towards the development. The state and federal governments have each committed $4.5 million, and the SANFL has committed $1 million.

Those four contributions add up to the full $25 million announced. Council funding therefore covers roughly 60 per cent of the project, a share we calculated from the figures InDaily reports.

The scope reported by InDaily includes:

• a replacement for the Brian K Faehse Grandstand
• new player and umpire change rooms
• medical rooms and a gymnasium
• upgraded coaches’ boxes

Glam Adelaide also lists dedicated media boxes among the new facilities. For another state-funded South Australian sporting project, see our report on the MotoGP circuit environmental clearance.

What’s next

Neither outlet reports a construction start date, a builder, a design release or a completion target.

City of West Torrens Mayor Michael Coxon told InDaily the funding lets the council go beyond essential maintenance in support of local footy clubs and create a precinct the whole community can use.

SANFL chief executive Darren Chandler called the announcement a landmark moment for the club, per InDaily.