Concept designs for a new state-of-the-art community sporting facility and home of the South Sydney Rabbitohs have been unveiled today (Wednesday 26 August 2020) by Randwick City Council.

The design concepts were endorsed by Council at their meeting last night and will now proceed to development application stage and public exhibition.

As part of the project, Randwick City Council and South Sydney Rabbitohs have attracted more than $21m in State and Federal funding to invest in local participation in sport.

The Heffron Centre located in Maroubra’s Heffron Park will deliver more than 200 jobs during construction, and more than 60 ongoing jobs through the operation of the facility.

The Heffron Centre will feature a new indoor multi-purpose facility with sports halls to accommodate community sports, including netball, basketball, badminton, volleyball and futsal, alongside a dedicated gymnastics facility. A café and plaza area are also included.

“The concept designs have been informed by community feedback and are the result of more than four years of hard work, research, consultation and planning,” explains Randwick Mayor Danny Said.

“This is an exciting project that will see grassroots and elite sports co-exist at Heffron Park. It will also see the Rabbitohs move to their supporter heartland in Maroubra,” according to Mayor Said.

Also home to the South Sydney Rabbitohs, the Community and High-Performance Centre will house the team’s headquarters, training facilities, a new showcase NRL training field, merchandise store, and a new base for Souths Cares to double their health, education and employment programs for communities across South Sydney and broader NSW.

Designed by leading architects Co-op Studio, the design was inspired by the landscape, culture and people of Randwick through community consultation which shaped the contemporary and relaxed design. The centre features rooftop solar panels, rain and stormwater collection, bicycle parking and native landscaping to blend in with the surrounding park and reduce the impact on our environment.

Subject to development approval, construction is anticipated to commence in mid-2021 and estimated to be open in late 2022.

There will be opportunities for the community to learn more about the project throughout the DA public exhibition process in late 2020.

The project is a shared vision between Council, its key Project partner the South Sydney District Rugby League Football Club (Rabbitohs) and the NSW State Government (through the Office of Sport).

What you told us

In April 2020, we asked the community about your aspirations for the Heffron Centre - what you'd like to see included in the new design and how best to integrate it into the current park. We heard from you through our Your Say page, letter boxed information and a Facebook live event. We received more than 130 surveys and feedback through our social media channels, website and Facebook live. We collated all of this data to create a picture of the type of centre that will be built.

• The design should reflect the local area, history and culture.
• The building should be multi-purpose to ensure it can be used by the community for a range of social and recreational uses.
• It should be community-focused, accessible, and family friendly.
• A café and areas for children to play and parents to congregate would be beneficial.
• We need to be sensitive to the surrounding neighbours.
• We should incorporate sustainability, native landscaping and vegetation into the design.
• The centre should not be too large or imposing on Heffron Park.
• When building, achieve value for money.
• It should cater for a range of community members and abilities.
• The centre should be affordable and easy to book online.

About the design

With this information in hand, the task of designing the centre was given to award winning architect CO-OP Studio. Their brief was to design a centre that is inspired by the culture and people of Randwick that meet the following requirements:

• A contemporary and relaxed design using sandy colours, inspired by the sand dunes and coastal landscape.
• A low-rise, flat form design to create a seamless extension to the park.
• It should be designed to serve the community for the next 50 years and materials should stand the test of time.
• The design should integrate sustainability to capture and filter natural light, rainwater collection, solar panels.
• The centre should be positioned back from the road to be sensitive to our neighbours.
• Dune-like native landscaping and vegetation should blur the building into the park.

The Centre incorporates best practice environmentally sustainable design and systems to reduce the impact on our city. It is architecturally designed to capture and filter daylight, and utilise natural ventilation. Rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and electric vehicle charging and bicycle parking will be included in the infrastructure. Low-maintenance native plants and materials to regulate temperatures and reduce electricity will be used. Additionally, stormwater collection will take place to reduce water usage.

The Heffron Centre experience

Visiting the Heffron Centre will be an experience that can be enjoyed by all - it will be inclusive and accessible for all ages and abilities. The design includes:

• An open plaza featuring a café, indoor and outdoor seating areas for the community to relax and socialise.
• Two multi-purpose indoor sports halls and storage with spectator seating.
• Separate change and bathroom facilities are proposed for gymnastics and the sport halls to ensure safety for children and guests.
• Community and High-Performance Centre home to the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Souths Cares headquarters, training and operational areas, lecture theatre and classroom, and merchandise shop.
• An internal “street” linking the Community and High-Performance centre, multi-purpose sports facility and gymnastic zones. This connects from the front to the back creating opportunity to showcase community history, awards and memories.
• Fan and visitor areas to view the NRL showcase training field.

Next steps and timeline

August 2020 
Council reviews community feedback and finalises design.

September/October 2020
Development Application lodged and available to view and comment during public exhibition.

Mid 2021
Construction estimated to commence

Late 2022
Heffron Centre estimated completion

Learn more:  www.yoursay.randwick.nsw.gov.au/Heffroncentre