Field Goal: LNP’s $1.9m scores for sports and jobs

JUNE 21, 2016: Sporting families in the Whitsundays are the big winners today with the announcement that a re-elected Coalition Government will provide $1.9 million for the Whitsunday Sportspark Precinct Redevelopment at Airlie Beach.The entire redevelopment project will create a myriad of construction jobs and it also has the potential to provide ongoing hospitality jobs at a new sports dining facility and bar.Considerable time and effort has been put into a plan to enhance the sporting offering of the Whitsundays by creating a precinct to cater for rugby, soccer, AFL, touch football and netball.The committee working on this have plans to provide additional playing field space through field realignment, and they also aim to build a new clubhouse building with change rooms, storage rooms, and amenities, as well as provide dining and bar facilities.This new precinct will benefit the Whitsunday community by creating local construction jobs and ongoing hospitality jobs once a new clubhouse is built and more people are attracted to a new sporting community hub.An upgraded facility would not only cater for the existing 800 junior and senior players and their families from various codes; it would allow these sporting codes to grow and host bigger carnivals and games.I’ve had a number of meetings with Whitsunday Sportspark Inc president Justin Butler on the clear need for such a facility and I’m pleased to announce that a re-elected Coalition Government will provide $1.9 million towards this project to benefit the families of Airlie Beach, Jubilee Pocket, Cannonvale and further afield throughout the Whitsundays.The Whitsunday Sportspark Precinct Redevelopment will involve the following:

• The reorientation of the existing rugby field to create space for an additional field to increase capacity and improve quality of playing fields
• The demolition/relocation of the existing club house structure
• The development of a modern clubhouse of either one or two storeys

To achieve their ultimate goal of a two storey clubhouse facility complete with dining and bar facilities could cost in the vicinity of $6.8 million.Whitsunday Sportspark Inc has a Whitsunday Regional Council commitment of $750,000 over three years, and the group is also seeking a State Government Get Playing Plus grant of $1.5 million.