The Hunter Sports Centre, kaiyu nungkiliko, is back on track to open its doors to the public in March 2025.
A sneak peek of the $52 million expansion on Tuesday 17 December revealed a new three-storey building at the western end of the site, housing a state-of-the-art fitness centre, creche, health food café and meeting rooms, while the Australian-first Trampoline Centre of Excellence east of the original building is also nearing completion.
Lake Macquarie Mayor Adam Shultz said he was thrilled to see the expansion on schedule for a March opening despite a recent third-party industrial dispute.
The Hunter Sport Centre expansion began in May 2023, but an Electrical Trades Union pay dispute led to a delay in connecting the new facility's electricity, pushing it back from September 2024 to Monday 16 December.
"While we were disappointed by the initial delay, we are pleased that an agreement has been reached, allowing us to resume work and complete this vital project," Mayor Adam said.
"I would like to extend thanks to the Electrical Trades Union and Ausgrid for coming to a solution, as well as our contractor, Grindley Construction, and electrical contractor Tyden, who have successfully reprogrammed their work schedule to ensure the facility will still be ready in March 2025."
"While we've been able to reprogram our works to deliver on time, the delay unfortunately forced the cancellation of some Hunter Sports Centre programming between September and December."
Hunter Sports Centre General Manager Brendan Barrett said the electricity connection delays and consequent program cancellations had created "financial challenges".
"We're therefore actively seeking sponsorship opportunities to complement our upcoming sport and wellbeing offerings," he said.
Mayor Adam said Council would be asked to consider how it could provide the Hunter Sports Centre board with financial assistance to recover from the unexpected loss in revenue.
"We are committed to delivering a world-class sporting facility that benefits the entire community," Mayor Adam said.
"The expanded Hunter Sports Centre will significantly improve local sports infrastructure and inspire our next generation of athletes."
Minister for the Hunter and Swansea MP Yasmin Catley said sport played an important role in shaping the community's physical and mental health, as well as creating social connections.
"In order to perform at our best, our athletes and community need an environment that allows them to thrive and that's exactly what the Hunter Sports Centre will do," she said.
"This has been a great collaboration between all three levels of government and I look forward to regional sporting events being held at this world-class facility in the years to come."
Member for Shortland Pat Conroy said the Federal Government had committed $10 million to the project through its Building Better Regions Fund.
"This project is another example of all three levels of Government working together for the betterment of our region and underscores our commitment to delivering for our local community," he said.
The expansion is funded by the Australian Government, NSW Government, Hunter Region Sports Centre Inc. and Lake Macquarie City Council.
