By Alesha Capone
Wyndham council is calling for tenders to permanently fix the leaking roof at Eagle Stadium, as sports clubs continue to have games called off due to the issue.
The $47 million stadium has been plagued by a leaking roof since its construction in 2015, forcing the cancellation of basketball and netball games on days of heavy rainfall.
The council has set aside $7 million to fix the roof and conducted a trial of “taping” part of the roof in an effort to prevent leaks in March.
However, Wyndham’s director of city operations, Stephen Thorpe, said the final cost of the permanent works to repair the roof would not be known until the tender process was complete.
The tender documents are asking for submissions to conduct roof rectification works at the stadium, including construction of a new roof over existing gutters and downpipes.
Submissions to the tender will close on June 23.
Mr Thorpe said that in the meantime, the council has engaged a contractor to implement “temporary measures to prevent leaks”.
“These temporary measures have been effective at mitigating some but not all leaks and we will continue to monitor the situation throughout winter until a permanent fix has been put in place,” he said.
“Council appreciates the frustrations of the users of the facility and that’s why we have been looking at the best ways to minimise disruptions in the short term, while taking the necessary steps to resolve the issue permanently.”
Wyndham Basketball’s general manager Craig Armstead said players and members were “rightly disappointed when we lose games to court leaks and we as an organisation are frustrated by the ongoing situation too”.
“The Wyndham Basketball Association is constantly monitoring the progress on the roof leaks at Eagle Stadium as, unfortunately, they have continued to impact on our competitions and members since returning to the court in 2021,” Mr Armstead said.
“The WBA appreciates the regular updates on the works from Wyndham City Council and we understand it, alongside stadium management WLS (Western Leisure Services), are continuing to work on a permanent solution.”
The Wyndham Netball Association has also had mixed and junior games cancelled multiple times this month, due to the leaking roof.
