No. 27 
Sport and Recreation facilities boost for Gungahlin 

The Gungahlin community will benefit from the 2010-11 ACT Budget with $8.655 million for several large-scale sport and recreation projects, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Andrew Barr, announced today.

“Gungahlin is one of the fastest growing regions in Australia so it is imperative that this community is provided with adequate sporting facilities and recreation opportunities to keep our communities healthy and encourage participation in community activities,” Mr Barr said. 

“The Budget provides a further $6.5 million for the construction of complementary infrastructure works to support the Gungahlin well-being precinct which includes the enclosed oval, recreation centre, college and town park. The oval, funded in last year’s Budget, will cater for all major football codes to a senior level, and will provide grandstand seating for 580 people and open seating for a further 850 people. There will also be two officials’ change rooms, public toilets, a first aid room, a kiosk, a function room and storage. 

“This new oval will provide a high quality competition venue and be comparable to similar facilities in other regions of Canberra.  

“The Budget also provides $1.460 million for the design of the Gungahlin Leisure Centre component of the precinct. It is envisaged that the Centre will include aquatic facilities, courts, a gymnasium, an aerobics room, meeting rooms, café, crèche, and usual amenities such as change rooms and toilets.  

“This project will provide a significant boost to recreational opportunities in the Gungahlin region for both organised and non-organised sport and delivers on a key election promise from the Government.”

To ensure the Government continues to plan for the future expansion of Gungahlin, the Budget provides $500,000 to progress the design of the Throsby multi-sports complex.  

“The multi-sport complex will cater for numerous different sports. It is proposed to feature irrigated sporting fields with training lights, a pavilion, netball courts, tennis courts and a central amenities building with squash courts, change rooms, toilets, meeting and office space, a café and a child minding centre,” Mr Barr concluded.

4 May 2010
Media contact:		Paul Kindermann	6205 1690 (w)	0403 600 955 (m)
			paul.kindermann@act.gov.au