The world class water sports facilities at the heart of LandCorp’s Champion Lakes estate are helping give some of Perth’s top young lifesavers the edge in their preparations for one of Australia’s premier surf lifesaving events – the ‘Coolangatta Gold’.

City of Perth Surf Lifesaving Club coach Rick Turner has been putting his City Beach-based crew through their paces at the Champion Lakes regatta centre near Armadale with a challenging full iron man course of surf ski, board and running.
“The facilities are excellent for time trials,” Mr Turner said. “There is nothing like it in WA to set the same conditions time after time to get a consistent result.”

Mr Turner, who is Surf Lifesaving WA’s coach of the year for 2009, has coached many past
WA Olympic and Commonwealth Games swimmers and top State triathletes.
He said that in addition to training at the excellent facilities at Champion Lakes, the team had received a $1,000 contribution from LandCorp for travel to the Coolangatta Gold event at Surfers Paradise in October.

LandCorp General Manager Operations Mike Moloney welcomed the team to Champion
Lakes, including Coolangatta Gold hopefuls Jade Whitehead (17) of Scarborough, David
Graham (19 of Marmion) and Tom Dowling (18) of Wembley Downs.

“An increasing number of young sportspeople are using the excellent facilities for their training programs, including local athletes with an eye on London 2012 and beyond,” Mr Moloney said.

The Champion Lakes Regatta Centre, the only large scale purpose built rowing and paddling facility in WA, has been developed by the Armadale Redevelopment Authority (ARA) and features a 55ha lake and 2,000m international-standard rowing course surrounded by extensively landscaped public open spaces and a wildlife conservation area. In 2010 it will host the Australian Masters Rowing Regatta, drawing thousands of spectators and competitors from around Australia.

In May this year, the centre received a $3.4million Federal grant for further development. This follows previous investment of around $24million by the State Government.

LandCorp’s 26ha Champion Lakes residential estate will deliver a waterfront lifestyle not seen before in Perth’s south-east. Residents will enjoy picnic and barbecue facilities plus a sand beach at the lake, with cycle-ways and walking paths connecting the area. A function centre, tavern and restaurant are also planned.

A six home display village has recently opened at the estate - follow the signs off Tonkin Highway onto Champion Drive to Lake Road. For further information visit the on-site sales office or go to www.championlakesresidential.com.au