Media Release from Leader of the Opposition Lia Finocchiaro MLA, Shadow Minister for Youth Josh Burgoyne and Shadow Minister for Health Bill Yan MLA:
The CLP will deliver $15 million to kick-start a new multi-sports precinct in Alice Springs to help rebuild the town’s reputation and restore its lifestyle, which has been decimated by Labor.
The new multi-sports precinct will span more than 1500sqm of unused land at Centralian Middle School and include 5 new playing fields, a new grandstand, new children’s playground, new areas for dining and entertainment and more off-street car parks.
“Our plan for a new multi-sports sports precinct for Alice Springs will deliver a suite of sporting infrastructure the town can enjoy for generations to come,” said Leader of the Opposition, Lia Finocchiaro.
“The CLP will rebuild Alice Springs’ reputation after Labor took a wrecking ball to the town when they weakened our laws and ensure there are no consequences for youth offenders.
“Getting kids into sport is one of the best ways to keep them from turning to a life of crime.
“Our new multi-sports sports precinct will help restore liveability for families, keeping them in Alice Springs while attracting new families and essential workers to the town.
“We are determined to make Alice Springs once again a great place to live, work and invest.”
Shadow Minister for Youth, Joshua Burgoyne, said Labor’s bungled handling of the proposed National Aboriginal Art Gallery, still not delivered after 8 years, had created a logistical nightmare for local sports.
“After Labor shut down the 90 year old home of rugby league and rugby union, Anzac Oval, with their art gallery mess, our sporting codes have been left scrambling,” he said.
“We now have three different sporting codes sharing Jim McConville Oval, which doesn’t even have lights. Sports have had to change their entire seasons around to fit in.”
Shadow Minister for Health, Bill Yan, said Alice Springs was in drastic need of sporting infrastructure that met current and future needs of the town.
“The CLP’s new sports precinct is more than double the size of the two short-sighted ovals promised and yet to be delivered by Labor at Kilgariff,” she he said.
“The CLP’s plan will ensure our sporting infrastructure can meet demand now and into the future. The new precinct will also keep these sports close to the CBD, which will benefit local businesses, and mean even more kids in Alice Springs can enjoy the fantastic health benefits sport provides.”
The new Multi-Sports Precinct will run from Rosenbaum Street along the length of Memorial Avenue encompassing Jim McConville oval.
The Centralian Middle School section will have four square fields for training and games with a fifth square field suitable to host first grade competition.
All five fields will be able to host soccer, rugby union and rugby league with the smaller fields expected to be utilised by junior grades. The main oval will feature a grandstand and lights for night games.
The Precinct will see the existing underutilised Bus Depot become multi-purpose, acting as a depot during peak times on weekdays, and a car park at other times.
The Masterplan for the Precinct includes the addition of green space that could host food trucks and events as well as a new children’s playground plus future expansion of existing facilities at the nearby baseball and softball fields and ongoing consultation with neighbouring residents.
