Geraldton consults on $100 million plans for sport facilities

The City of Greater Geraldton is consulting the local community on a massive program of sport and recreation infrastructure development including a proposal for an indoor stadium, initially costing $39 milion, that would link with the City's Aquarena swimming facility.

The new facility would include six multi-purpose courts, a three-court badminton facility and a fitness centre as well as providing offices for the Western Australian Department of Sport and Recreation and the Mid West Academy of Sport.

The proposal also suggests integrating the new facility's entry, management and services/café with those of the Aquarena with the new centre delivering "a multi-use base" offering membership and event revenue "to create a revenue stream" for the Aquarena, which costs currently the City about $1.4 million per annum to operate.

It is estimated that Stage 1 of the project, including all of the indoor courts and change rooms would cost $39 million while the addition of an arena-style show court in Stage 2 of the project would cost a further $12.6 million.

Plans for the facility are detailed as one of several sport and recreation infrastructure projects in the recently released City of Greater Geraldton's 'Draft Sporting Futures Report Version II'.

The Report has been prepared to provide a comprehensive overview of proposed sporting facilities and details proposed priorities within the overall strategy that will guide the development of facilities over the next 20 years.

However, the Report states the sports centre would not to be considered "without support and integration" of the basketball and netball associations.

The Report also identifies Wonthella Oval as the most likely venue to be redeveloped into a premier open air venue in the City.

The full report can be viewed at http://bit.ly/NfjuMU

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