Hunter Sports Centre expansion

The Trevor Height Athlete Testing Facility was officially opened by Lake Macquarie Mayor Kay Fraser, Member for the Hunter Dan Repacholi MP, Member for Wallsend Sonia Hornery MP, University of Newcastle Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alex Zelinsky AO and Dr Trevor Height on Tuesday 23 January 2024. 

The project was funded by the Australian and NSW Government, as well as Council.

Stage 2 will deliver a 4,505m² expansion adding community, meeting and function rooms, a commercial kitchen and cafe lounge, and delivering new health and fitness facilities. The delivery of the Community Centre Expansion will also include improvements to the Hunter Sports Centre’s site access, traffic flow, pedestrian safety, car and bus parking and electrical services.

The Australian Government has committed $10 million to the sports and community centre expansion, with Council funding the remainder of the works.

Key benefits

• Attract 570,000 visitors a year
• $16 million in flow on benefits to the local economy
• 100 direct and indirect jobs during the construction phase

Features

The three-storey sport and community centre will feature:

• Creche area
• Open foyer
• Multi-purpose rooms
• Function room
• 24-hour gymnasium
• Office spaces
• Board room
• Meet management room
• Storage areas
• Commercial kitchen with cafe dining
• Communal kitchen for employees
• New amenities
• Entry improvements including a new driveway and signalised pedestrian crossing at Stockland Drive
• Undercover areas and walkways
• Reconfiguration and expansion of the car park

With a total project cost of $12.5 million, The NSW Trampoline Centre of Excellence will deliver Australia’s only dedicated Trampoline Centre of Excellence.

The project includes:

• Trampoline hall with a 1300m2 arena
• Grandstand seating for 400 spectators
• Front of house and management rooms
• Amenities and storage provision

The NSW Government has committed $12.5 million to deliver Stage 3 through the Centre of Excellence Fund.

Features

The state-of-the-art centre will feature:

• 12-metre ceiling height
• seating for 400 spectators
• audio visual equipment for training purposes
• a 1300m2 arena equipped with 12 trampolines and a foam pit and warm-up area.

• February 2023 – Warm-up track completed
• April 2023 – Hunter Sports Centre expansion begins
• January 2024 - Trevor Height Athlete Testing Facility completed
• Late 2024 – Stage 2: Expanded sport and community centre and Stage 3: Trampoline Centre of Excellence complete

Why is Council expanding the Hunter Sports Centre? 

Council is committed to meeting the needs of our growing population and delivering a state-of-the-art sporting facility that will nurture the talents of athletes from regional Australia. Empowering them to compete in national and international events.

What's planned for the facility? 

Council is planning a major expansion of the Hunter Sports Centre over three stages. The expansion will see the construction of new athletics warm-up facilities, athlete testing facilities, a three-storey sport and community centre, and the NSW Trampoline Centre of Excellence.

What's the estimated cost of the project? How will it be funded? 

• Stage 1: the contract cost for the sport and community centre is $28.4 million. The Australian Government has committed $10 million towards the project. The remainder will be funded by Council through development contributions and other funding sources.
• Stage 2: the warm-up facility and athlete testing building is anticipated to cost $2.6 million. This stage is funded through the Federal Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, the NSW Government’s Regional Sport Facility Fund and Council.
• Stage 3: the NSW Trampoline Centre of Excellence is anticipated to cost $12.5 million. The NSW Government has committed to fund the project through the Centre of Excellence Fund.

My business is located near the Hunter Sports Centre expansion site, how will I be impacted? 

Businesses near the project site may experience:

• increased noise from general construction activity
• increased truck movements
• low levels of vibration and dust

We will make every effort to minimise impacts on the local community and will provide advance notification of extra ordinary or out of hours construction works.

Who will be able to use the facility? 

The facility will be used by the local community, as well as sporting and community groups from across NSW and the Hunter for major sporting events, schools for sporting activities and events, and the local community.

What about car parking? 

A section of the eastern side of the existing car park will be reconfigured and expanded to allow for additional parking spaces and improved traffic flow. In total there will be:

• 250 formal car parking spaces with 60 overflow spaces
• 8 accessible car parking spaces
• 4 bus parking spaces
• a dedicated bus lane to manage drop-off and pick-up.

Will the facility be accessible? 

Council is committed to providing accessible recreation and sport opportunities to the community. This facility will be built in line with all relevant Australian Standards to ensure it is accessible and welcoming to all.

Who will manage the facility? 

The Hunter Sports Centre is managed by an external board with a proven track record in financial sustainability, facility management and service provision.

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