Harcourt Recreation Reserve Female-Friendly Change Facility Project

The Harcourt Recreation Reserve now has gender-neutral change facilities. This lets female cricket, football, netball, tennis players and umpires to change clothes in appropriate facilities.

Previously, there were no dedicated change rooms for female players or umpires. The two existing change rooms did not have private shower or toilet cubicles and are used predominantly by male AFL football and cricket players.

Female participants previously had to change in the ageing public toilet block or in their cars, with some heading straight home after their game to change and shower. This created an unintentional divide at some clubs with many women not attending the post-match social events.

The project delivered two gender-neutral player change facilities and two gender-neutral umpire change facilities. These facilities consist of private showers and toilet cubicles, with a common area for pre-game team talks.

Designs for the change facilities were developed in consultation with the key stakeholders of the reserve which included:

• Harcourt Football Netball Club
• Harcourt Cricket Club
• Harcourt Tennis Club
• Harcourt & District Leisure Centre Committee

In addition to the $705,198 Council budget allocation, the Harcourt Football Netball Club and Harcourt & District Leisure Centre Inc. have also contributed funding to the project. This demonstrated commitment to better support female participation in sport was key to Council’s success in obtaining $372,131 funding from the Victorian Government through its Local Sports Infrastructure Fund – Female Friendly Facilities stream.