Excellent: $20 million sport centre on the way

Campbelltown Council is pressing ahead with plans to establish a $20 million Sport Centre of Excellence within the next four years.

It has voted to contribute $5 million towards such a centre, most likely on land at UWS Campbelltown.

The council is keen to stop the loss of elite sport stars and organisations to areas with better facilities.

A recent report to council said that Campbelltown and the wider Macarthur region has provided facilities for a number of local elite sports stars, sports administrators and support staff over a number of years.

“Unfortunately, due to the standard of facilities, many have left the Macarthur region to access higher level training facilities and professional careers elsewhere. This has occurred to the detriment of the local and regional community in both social and economic terms,’’ the report said.

However, council says while it would like the Wests Tigers to become the major tenant at such a centre of excellence, it is not essential for its success.

The footy club itself says it has an open mind on the issue.

[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“The club is considering a number of sites and Campbelltown is one of them,” Phil Moss, the interim CEO of the Wests Tigers told the South West Voice last week.[/social_quote]

The report to council said: “Councillors would be aware that Wests Tigers Rugby League Football Club is currently investigating a number of locations for its elite training facility and administration base, as it has been well documented by the club that their current facilities located at Concord are no longer appropriate to their needs.

“Although having an elite professional sporting team as an anchor tenant would be advantageous to the ongoing success of a Sport Centre of Excellence, it is not specifically material nor necessary to ensure the potential for success.

“Notwithstanding, council will continue to pursue the Wests Tigers, whilst still assessing interest from other peak sporting organisations and those potential partnerships to participate in the Sports Centre of Excellence project at the Macarthur site,’’ the report said.

Council officers have met a number of interested organisations within sporting and educational facilities, including South West Sydney Academy of Sport, NSW Cricket and UWS (Campbelltown Campus) to investigate the extent of partnership that could be available for the project.

When council made the decision to press at its last meeting it declined to choose a site for the proposed sport centre of excellence.

The choice will be between Campbelltown Sport Stadium precinct at Leumeah or on land council will soon own at the Campbelltown campus of University of Western Sydney.

“The sporting precinct within UWS site would offer a more strategic location for a regional level Sport Centre of Excellence as it would be positioned close to the UWS, TAFE and Macarthur Square while also having exceptional access to railway, road and cycleway infrastructure,’’ the report to council said.

A Sport Centre of Excellence combines elite sports training facilities, administration and operational spaces with community spaces and programs. These facilities are used in a collaborative and shared arrangement to promote sporting participation, education and health and wellbeing in a ‘community hub’ model.

“Sport in Campbelltown and the Macarthur represents a major platform upon which governments could work collaboratively to grow the value of the local and regional economy, ‘’ the report to Campbelltown Council said.

“As some councillors may be aware, the Australian Football League has been active in the development of elite training facilities for many years, with well-established facilities and programs located in Melbourne, Adelaide and Western Australia.

“In recent times Greater Western Sydney has established a site within Olympic Park at Homebush.

“In late 2014 the National Rugby League became active in investigating opportunities to establish elite training facilities throughout Sydney for their member clubs.

“The A League are also investigating avenues to develop facilities of this nature.

“As a Regional City Centre, an investment into the establishment of a Sport Centre of Excellence would provide many social and economic benefits to the local and regional community reaching far beyond elite sport,’’ the report said.

Council will apply to the Federal Government for funding up to $10m on a dollar for dollar basis. It will find out at the end of this year if its application has been successful.

It will also ask the State Government to chip in the other $5 million required to complete the $20 million project.