Lions Richlands Football Club has lodged a development application for significant extensions to its Pine Road premises, seeking to enhance facilities for the club and the broader community.
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The proposal, designed by architecture firm Cayas + Ward, involves extensions to both ground floor and basement levels at the existing venue located at 133-139 Pine Road, Richlands. The application represents Stage 2 of an ongoing development program, with Stage 1 works already completed.
Expansion Plans and Facility Improvements
The proposed extensions will add a substantial 1,315sqm of gross floor area to the club, split between a 472sqm ground floor expansion and an 858sqm basement extension. The development focuses on creating improved spaces for administration, entertainment, and member amenities across the 49,950sqm site.
Key features of the expansion include a new boardroom to replace the previous ground floor meeting space, enhanced administrative areas designed for staff amenity and comfort, and significant upgrades to the gaming area and lounge facilities. Members and guests will also benefit from improved outdoor dining spaces, whilst the external façade will receive contemporary design upgrades to create a more attractive streetscape presence on Pine Road.
The development will be staged in collaboration with the club to ensure appropriate access is maintained throughout construction. Stage 2 comprises four sub-stages, beginning with modifications to create a dual access road (Stage 2A), followed by a new extension to the existing on-grade car parking and subterranean tank room (Stage 2B).
Stage 2C will see the main northwest corner extension and gaming layout modifications, whilst Stage 2D focuses on car park modifications and site works. A future Stage 3 is also planned, involving extensions on the northern side with further car park and driveway reconfigurations.
To accommodate the new extensions, 20 car parking spaces will be removed, with minor alterations planned to the existing northwest car parking layout. The club’s current access arrangements will be retained, ensuring delivery and refuse vehicles can continue operating as required throughout the staged construction process.
Community Benefits
Place Design Group, the planning consultants managing the application, highlighted the community value of the project in their submission. The planners noted that the extension works represent an important contribution to the club’s ongoing capacity to deliver sporting, recreation, club and function services across local and wider communities. According to Place Design Group, the upgrade works are anticipated to provide significant public benefit.
The venue currently provides gaming and function facilities to the local and wider communities. The proposed extensions build upon Stage 1 works that included a new club extension on the eastern side, modifications to the club layout, a new entry extension on the southern side with a drop-off area, and a two-storey car park in the southeast corner.
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With the development application now lodged, the community awaits the outcome of the approval process. If approved, the extensions will enable the club to continue providing sporting, recreation, and function services with enhanced facilities for Richlands and surrounding suburbs including Forest Lake.
Published 7-January-2026
