Important Update on the SEC to all EWA Members and SEC supporters - 16/02/2021

Important Update on the SEC to all EWA Members and SEC supporters

Dear EWA Members and Supporters of the State Equestrian Centre,

Firstly, the EWA Board would like to thank you for your support and encouragement for the work done so far to ensure the future of the State Equestrian Centre for all equestrians. There have been some recent developments, and so we would like a moment of your time with this important update.

In December 2020, it appeared that at a council meeting held in December 2020 the council was going to vote to support a motion to cede the entire property to the State Government. This was announced suddenly and without warning or consultation with the EWA Board, and after years of negotiations and difficult discussions with the City of Swan over funding of ongoing maintenance of the SEC (which legally is a City of Swan asset).

The general feeling was that this may be a good outcome for the centre, as finally we get a firm answer from the CoS on their position, and it would make negotiations with stakeholders a little simpler when it came to negotiating funding requirements.

On Jan 20th, 2021 this all changed very suddenly once again. Cr Rod Henderson and other supporters on the council had worked very hard on our behalf to convince the council of the importance of the centre to the CoS and the wider community. They also voted to support a motion to grant operational funding of $180,000 for the 2021/2022 calendar year. This amount will cover the insurance costs on the facility and land, basic ground maintenance such as mowing costs, and the music license to ensure that background and performance music can be played at the centre.

The council is now fully supportive of the Redevelopment Proposal (Read the Proposal in full here: https://www.wa.equestrian.org.au/sec-facility-funding-proposal) and will be lobbying state and federal governments on our behalf to seek the required funding for the redevelopment and ongoing maintenance costs.

The lease between CoS and EWA for the SEC expired in Dec 2020, and has been renewed for 1 year to allow work to continue in securing the future of the centre. For the moment, the centre remains under EWA management.

To ensure that you are kept updated and informed of the progress of our campaign to save the SEC, we will be sending regular stand- alone emails with SEC updates. Follow the EWA and SEC Facebook pages for more information.

If you haven’t already, please do download and read the FAQ document here (https://indd.adobe.com/view/1d4e07a8-f606-4139-9aa4-1a2055bed3a0) created last year in response to member and SEC patron’s questions. This document covers a lot- from the history of the centre, to specific questions around how much the centre costs to run, and why.

What can you do to help?

The EWA Board will be meeting with the CoS councillors and CEO, and also Senator Dean Smith, Hon Christian Porter MP, Hon Jessica Shaw MLA, and Hon Lisa Baker MLA and representatives from the Department of Local Government Sport and Cultural Industries. This was scheduled for 05 Feb 2021, however COVID restrictions lead to a reschedule with a date yet to be finalised.

The goal of this meeting is to seek a solid commitment from both State and Federal Government to complete the $15million redevelopment work required to bring the centre up to the standards our users expect.

• $6.41 million to improve the indoor arena and associated infrastructure;

• $3.74 million to create international standard competition areas

• $2.12 million for electrical, communications and IT to improve safety and security

• $1.35 million required to repair and improve stables, yards and camping facilities

• $1.10 million for traffic, parking and septic systems improvements to meet current standards;

You can help us gain this support by writing to the people invited and voicing your support for the centre.

If you require contact details and a template letter please contact [email protected]

This is an important next step. Stay tuned for future updates on the progress of the campaign and be sure to follow the SEC and EWA Facebook pages for updates and information.

Should you have any queries about the SEC, please read the FAQ document to be found here (https://indd.adobe.com/view/1d4e07a8-f606-4139-9aa4-1a2055bed3a0) the Redevelopment Proposal in full here (https://www.wa.equestrian.org.au/sec-facility-funding-proposal). If your question is not answered in those documents, please contact [email protected].

Thank you again for your support so far, we look forward to a bright future for the centre for all West Australian equestrians.

Yours Sincerely,

The EWA Board