City of Playford has begun upgrading a popular local sports hub, adding more parking and modern changerooms to enhance the experience of the much-loved precinct.
Widely regarded as the headquarters of netball in Playford, Argana Park features 22 outdoor netball courts, along with cricket nets, two football ovals and five soccer pitches.
The Elizabeth Downs venue has been a pillar of the city’s sporting culture since the early days of Elizabeth, hosting a variety of local teams and large-scale competitions.
Community concerns about limited parking led to a key component of the upgrade focussing on the addition of 300 extra spaces. The upgrade includes expanding car parking around the main football oval and their clubrooms as well as near the soccer clubrooms, reducing the walking distance to these facilities, beneficial for weeknight training.
These enhancements aim to ease parking pressures and traffic flow issues on weeknights and weekends, as Playford’s residential growth places further demand on its assets and facilities.
Argana Park, located at the intersection of Midway and Main North Road, is home to four sporting clubs/organisations, the Elizabeth Downs Soccer Club, Elizabeth Football Club, Elizabeth Netball Association and Craigmore Cricket Club.
The installation of modern changerooms will replace the original facilities, which have received minor updates over the years to keep up with the growing needs of the soccer and netball club. The original changerooms will be converted into much-needed storage space for clubs’ use.
These unisex changerooms will be freestanding and purpose-built to accommodate multiple teams, with a strong emphasis on accessibility, user privacy and functionality.
Further upgrades to adjoining footpaths, oval lighting and widening an internal road to cope with traffic needs and signage are also planned, enhancing the overall experience for players, spectators and visitors alike.
The $6-million project is jointly funded with $4.6 million from the City of Playford and a $1.5 million contribution from the State Government.
This upgrade project is expected to be complete in late 2025
