Torquay netball team forced to change in cars as council delays facilities

The Surf Coast Suns in Torquay lack proper changing rooms and toilets, leaving players to use cars or distant shared facilities while council plans a 12-year wait for dedicated spaces.

At Torquay’s Banyul-Warri Fields, the Surf Coast Suns netball club has no permanent changing rooms or toilets, relying on temporary gazebos and, for some, changing inside their cars. Players such as Codi Emery and co-captain Elisa Hall stress the privacy issues for adolescent girls managing periods, warning the situation could cause drop-outs. The Surf Coast Shire Council’s social infrastructure plan proposes extending a nearby basketball stadium to include netball facilities, but estimates a 10-12-year delivery window.

Meanwhile, officials suggest using Grant Pavilion’s shared change rooms, a 70-metre walk that players describe as unsafe, particularly after dark. Club president Jay Williams notes that other local sports have received new amenities while netball has been overlooked. Experts like Deakin University’s Helen Brown point out that outdated, male-centric facility design hampers female sport participation across Australia.