Whitsunday Sportspark Inc Precinct Redevelopment Plans What Stage 1 – Pivot bottom rectangular field 90 degrees to allow a second rectangular field to be constructed between the PCYC skate bowl and the mangroves. Includes earthworks, irrigation, moving existing light poles and installing 2 new light poles, moving existing bottom clubhouse over under fig trees and cutting into existing carpark. Also involves knocking down existing two storey (AFL) clubhouse and replacing with a much larger (bottom storey only) building containing change rooms, storage rooms, toilets and showers along with permanent grandstand seating. Remedial work to extend existing carpark. Projected cost $2,250,000.
Stage 2 – Complete the top storey of the clubhouse with a modern sports club including trading bar, bistro, coffee shop, kids club, verandas etc. Projected cost a further $2,250,000.
Why Increase sport participation and provide safer facilities – With our one rectangle field and one oval field we are the only non-school fields for the whole of Jubilee Pocket, Airlie Beach and Cannonvale with a 2011 census population of 7,868. Between rugby, soccer, AFL, Touch and Netball there were 298 Senior and 471 junior players registered in 2015. All sports have developed junior comps as well as increased female participation but the lack of field space and acceptable change rooms has stalled this growth. Based on a matrix developed by Centennial Parklands in Sydney the top oval runs at 120% and the bottom field at 210% of carrying capacity. This means the fields are overused, there are regular clashes between sports and the field quality becomes very poor and unsafe late in winter. Realigning the bottom field to fit another field in will effectively double playing space and allow for 5 to 7 years more growth in participation. Provide a community hub for Airlie Beach – Airlie lacks a community hub and the development of a quality, modern all-inclusive bar and bistro facility will allow sporting, recreational and community groups to have a home for meetings and functions. This in turn will lead to the development of more clubs and societies and provide a broader range of leisure options to the population. Profits from the clubhouse will be used to improve the facility and develop sport and community organisations thoroughout the Whitsunday shire Increase sports tourism – With the iconic main street of Airlie Beach walking distance from the Sportspark there is considerable opportunity to host more regional, state and national sporting codes. Interest has been shown by national soccer, NRL, AFL, rugby and netball teams in playing exhibition matches in Airlie Beach. Whilst we host various significant carnivals and games annually now, better facilities will attract bigger name events with flow on benefits to tourism in the town.
How In conjunction with specialist consultants we are in the process of putting together a fully costed Precinct Redevelopment Plan to be completed by 31st March 2016. This will encompass thorough stakeholder engagement, design, costing and management plans. With the total cost of the two stages projected at $4,500,000 our ideal funding scenario would be a commitment of; 1. $750,000 from the WRC, spread over the next 3 financial years, as seed capital; 2. $1,500,000 from Qld Govt Get Playing Plus Grant, applications closing 1st April 2016 on a $2 per $1 basis; 3. $2,250,000 from federal Govt National Stronger Regions Fund due later in 2016 on a $1 per $1 basis. If successful we would envisage construction works would start no earlier than 2018.