How does the City of Joondalup’s Venue Hire Fees and Charges Policy affect WJCC?
On 1st January 2024, the City of Joondalup commenced its new Venue Hire Fees and Charges Policy (VHFCP).
- The VHFCP was in effect for the 2024-25 cricket season and continues for the 2025-26 season onwards.
- Under the previous VHFCP, junior sports clubs typically received a 100% subsidy from the City for:
- Hire of grounds for training and matches, and
- Hire of venues for events (such as Fleur Freame Pavilion Hall, MacDonald, Belrose, Bridgewater, James Cook, and Otago Parks)
- Hire of storage sheds and floodlighting was also free under the previous VHFCP by the City.
- Under the new VHFCP, Whitfords is classed as a “Category C” club & receives a 75% subsidy on new fees from 1st Jan 2024 to 30th Jun 2025. Fees for storage and floodlighting also commenced on the 1st of Jan 2024.
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From 1st July 2025 onwards, the subsidy was scheduled to reduce to 50%. To the credit of the City of Joondalup, a March 2025 Council meeting review of the policy recommended that the 75% subsidy continues from 1st July 2025.
WJCC thanks the City for its review of the policy and this outcome to maintain the current subsidy.
The club thanks the City for listening to the feedback from our club and other community clubs and associations, on the financial and membership impacts of the policy, and acting on that feedback to contribute to keeping sports affordable for all families.
For the 2023-24 season the VHFCP meant a new cost to WJCC of $24.63 per player. This is expected to continue in the 2025-26 season and beyond.
What are WJCC’s Registration Fees in Season 2025/26?
Junior Cricket: $229
- For girls in Years 3-12 and boys in Years 3-11 during the 2025 school year
- The City of Joondalup VHFCP, along with other price increases (detailed below), means Junior Cricket fees will increase from $219 to become $229. This cost sees WJCC remain competitive with or cheaper than other cricket clubs in the North-West corridor and significantly cheaper than other winter or summer junior sports.
- WJCC does not receive the entire $229 fee. The fee is broken down as follows.
- WJCC receives $190.05 per player, used for:
- Cricket Australia charges a National Registration Fee (NRF) of $17.45, providing insurance for players during training and matches.
- WA Cricket charges a Competition Administration Fee of $17.50 per player providing fixturing and competition management.
- Metropolitan Junior Community Cricket (MJCC) is the governing body for all community junior cricket in Metropolitan Perth and Peel. MJCC has introduced a new $4.00 per player per season fee. This is used to cover a variety of costs including:
- Umpire training
- Scorebooks,
- Systems to support junior umpire payments, and
- General MJCC support costs, including those to run the https://www.communityjuniorcricketwa.com website. The website contains competition rules, game day information, policies and procedures for junior cricket.
Woolworths Cricket Blast – ‘Skills Blast’: $99
- For girls & boys in Pre-Primary & Year 1
- This is the same cost as last season, which is excellent value for money for 14 weeks of Cricket Blast. For 2025-26, WJCC’s ‘Skills Blast’ will be led by multiple professional coaches, giving kids a great way to have fun and learn the skills of the game of cricket.
- For 2025-26 the $99 ‘Skills Blast’ fee breakdown is:
- $41 to WJCC, used to provide professional coaching, equipment and pay City of Joondalup VHFCP fees for Blasters.
- $41 to Cricket Australia, providing registration to the Cricket Blast Program for players and your child’s Cricket Blast Participant pack.
- $17 to WA Cricket, to provide Cricket Blast Club support and training for volunteer club coordinators, and Cricket Blast promotional activities such as school visits.
Woolworths Cricket Blast – ‘Game Blast’: $129
- For girls & boys in Year 2
For 2025-26 Cricket Blast for Year 2 Blasters is being set at $129. Year 2 WJCC Blasters will play a mix of Cricket Blast games, and Stage 1 Junior Cricket against other WJCC teams, with all equipment and support provided by WJCC. The WJCC Committee team is super-excited about the new WJCC ‘Game Blast’ program which creates a transition between Cricket Blast and Stage 1 Junior Cricket for our Year 2 players.
- For 2025-26 the ‘Game Blast’ Fee breakdown is:
- $71 to WJCC, to fund equipment for ‘Game Blast’ players to play Stage 1 cricket matches.
- Cricket Australia and WA Cricket fees are the same as for ‘Skills Blast’.
Note please: Cricket Blast is not significantly affected by the City of Joondalup VHFCP. Cricket Blast fees are set independently of Junior Cricket fees.
What other cost pressures are impacting WJCC’s Junior Cricket registration fees for the 2025-26 season?
- The National Registration Fee (NRF) increases by $1.45 in 2025.
- The WA Cricket Competition Administration fee increases by $2.50 per season.
- The MJCC $4.00 fee is a new fee.
- The club also needs to continue to account for price increases in equipment used for matches and training.
Despite cost increases – due to Whitfords’ sound financial governance and planning (driven from our Strategic Plan) – the club can minimise the impact of the above items for our families and junior players.
What is WJCC’s Committee doing to Minimise the Impact of these Cost Increases?
As we move into the 2025-26 season and beyond, the club committee will continue to:
- Lobby the City of Joondalup (Mayor, councillors and administration) to regularly review its VHFCP to keep junior sports affordable for all.
- Regularly check & adjust venue & facility bookings to minimise hire costs of these throughout the season – as we have always done to date.
- Seek support from businesses and private community members to support the club through sponsorships and donations, supporting junior cricket.
- Apply for government grants the club is eligible for, to fund specific initiatives or purchases.
- Keep registration fees and prices charged for uniforms and other items as low as possible to give the best value to our families whilst keeping the club viable for generations of young cricketers to come.
Families should also note that you may be eligible for KidSport funding to assist your junior athlete to play sport. For information, please contact president@wjcc.com.au or head to https://www.dlgsc.wa.gov.au/funding/sport-and-recreation-funding/kidsport.
What else is the club doing to help kids play cricket?
Over the years WJCC has undertaken many initiatives to remove barriers to boys and girls starting their journey playing cricket and maintaining that value as their junior cricket continues through different age groups:
- Free uniform items for all junior cricketers new to WJCC. This policy continues for 2025-26 as we announce the club’s exciting new playing uniform.
- All equipment supplied for players in all age groups – no-one misses out whether they can purchase their own equipment or not.
Cricket in general remains a great-value junior sport for all girls and boys, providing them access to sport and physical activity season-after-season at a low cost compared to many other sports. Cricket is Australia’s sport, and Whitfords JCC also provides access to elite competition pathways for players headed in that direction.
Aligned to the club’s Strategic Plan, WJCC has worked hard to maintain sound fiscal management of club affairs and is committed to ensure the club is a stable, safe, and inclusive place for children 5-18 years old to enjoy playing cricket.
WJCC has recently finished celebrating its first 50 years and the committee team looks forward to the next 50 years supporting Whitfords juniors playing the fun, safe, and inclusive sport of cricket, and making memories and friends that will last a lifetime.
