Cockburn ARC fitness and wellness facilities to be revamped over 2024/25   

Fitness and wellness facilities at Perth’s Cockburn ARC will undergo a major revamp over 2024-2025 benefitting both the community and AFL’s Fremantle Dockers.

The transformation will result in significant changes to the spin studio, gym, group fitness areas, and more.   

A recent report showed that Cockburn ARC saved the community almost $30 million in health costs across the 2021-22 and 2022-23 financial years.   

This substantial reduction in health costs is attributed to the facility's role in drastically reducing the risk of 10 major acute and chronic health conditions and diseases, including mental health conditions, cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, breast and bowel cancer, and dementia.    

City of Cockburn officially approved a tender in mid-November 2023 from Shelford Constructions Pty Ltd to work on the evolution.    

City of Cockburn Mayor Logan Howlett said the project was not just about expanding the facility, but about enhancing lives – with considerable social and health benefits.   

Mayor Howlett shares "The City provides world-class recreation facilities to our residents, so they can enjoy places to exercise, socialise, and have fun.    

“Cockburn ARC is the crown jewel of these facilities. This evolution will expand opportunities for residents and visitors to join exercise classes, participate in mind, body, and wellness sessions, and work-out in an award-winning gym.”  

 Mayor Howlett also said it was exciting to embark on another partnership project with the Fremantle Football Club.

“We signed a Memorandum of Understanding in June in a partnership designed to help expand successful community-focused opportunities and to enhance the lives of local families. This project will do just that,” he said.  

Fremantle Football Club Chief Executive Simon Garlick said the project was an acknowledgment of the exciting growth in the area and added “this expansion is more than just scaling up infrastructure to meet the growing demands of our current facility; it’s about building a legacy for community engagement and sports participation.

“With new AFLW changerooms, the local community will gain access to state-of-the-art sports facilities, promoting greater participation in our great game among women and girls.

“While the grandstand will provide greater access for our dedicated fans to watch both our teams train and play at this stunning facility.  

“Working together with our close partners in the City of Cockburn, this project will add significant value to the local area, which we feel is the most exciting growth area of Perth for young families.”  

It is proposed that the expansion be implemented in a phased approach, ideally ensuring that all Health Club facilities remain open and accessible throughout construction to minimise any inconvenience for members.   

The expansion project will give the community better access to the Dockers training oval and enable the expansion of community football opportunities.

State government funding will help build new changerooms for Fremantle’s AFL Women’s team, which can also be used by female football and sporting teams as part of community sporting programs accessing the facility.   

The City’s funding component will provide a contribution towards community accessible areas including gender-neutral changerooms to support the growth of female participation.

An official timeline for works has not yet been finalised, but the City will update the community as soon as details become available.   

For more information, please visit: www.cockburnarc.com.au/evolution