By Jenel Hunt
The Southern Downs Regional Council is to help the Stanthorpe Sports Association kick off improvements to turn its secondary clubhouse into changing rooms with the promise of up to $15,000 worth of plumbing and drainage work.
Two groups within the association had each been promised $40,000 but a third club’s grant application had not been successful, putting the project in jeopardy. A plan for new toilets had already been sidelined for the moment, but the association needed help to be able to afford plumbing required for the changing rooms.
Mayor Vic Pennisi said the project had been a long time coming and was a part of a process to change the facilities to cater for women in sport. He said it first came to his notice more than 25 years ago when he saw a 16-year-old girl walk past the urinals to get to the change rooms.
“We shouldn’t have that,” he said.
“We could consider it in the budget but I’m going to urge councillors to make a decision [now]. From my point of view I think it’s one of the most important projects in sport at this current time. We’re talking about women in sport. It has been a long outstanding project,” he said.
Cr Stephen Tancred, who is the council-appointed representative for the Stanthorpe Sports Association, said the project would be a quantum leap for the venue.
“The facility has one change room. What happens now is that males use it and the females come dressed. Or the older girls go and get dressed in their cars, which is not suitable. The referees need a space. It’s quite unsuitable for young and female referees to have to go into the clubhouse.”
He said the plan was to have four rooms – two for males and two for females – which would give teams their own changing space.
Cr Cynthia McDonald said if the council made the decision to assist in Stanthorpe it would probably have to make the same commitment for sporting clubs in Warwick.
“There is a similar situation, I believe, in Warwick that they are putting up with. Truthfully I was quite surprised. It’s quite Draconian. I didn’t know what era I’d gone back to.”
Cr Sheryl Windle said the situation had come about because many of the sports were predominantly male sports when the clubhouses were built.
“There’s a lot of sporting clubs around the whole region that may be in the same position. Maybe we need to do an audit of our facilities across the region,” she said.
Cr McNally said even elite women’s sporting group like the Matildas had experienced a similar issue. She moved the motion for the council to support the association’s request for in-kind help.
“It’s not about supporting women in sport. It’s about basic human rights,” Cr McNally said.
“You should be able to feel safe when you go to a change room in particular. Women have increased in numbers in sports that were traditionally male. We need to acknowledge that.”
