IRON ARENA DEVELOPMENT TO COMMENCE
Federal Member for Lyne, The Hon Dr David Gillespie MP will participate with members of Taree Basketball in a “sod-turning” ceremony to mark the beginning of construction of the long-planned Iron Arena project.
In 2020, Federal Member for Lyne Dr David Gillespie and the former State Member for Myall Lakes, the late Stephen Bromhead MP, announced funding under the Bushfire local Economic Recovery Fund to deliver the new project replacing the Taree Indoor Sports Stadium formerly known as Saxby’s Stadium.
“Initially we announced $8.251-million towards the project, however due to several delays with the planning process and access to building materials and resources the project cost has escalated and I’m delighted the funding has increased to $12.9-million to ensure the project can now proceed,” Dr Gillespie said.
Dr Gillespie said that when complete, the Iron Arena would provide a transformative change for the region’s economy attracting a range of high-profile events at the local, regional, state and national level.
“Iron Arena will cater for a range of activities including increased participation in sport, by meeting latent demand, especially in Basketball and Futsal and a range of new sports such as volleyball and indoor hockey, as well as hosting trade shows and concerts.
“This new regional facility will not only deliver significant sporting and social benefits, but also broader economic benefits to the Manning Valley.”
“For every $1 invested in regional sporting infrastructure there is about a $3 return so for this project, that’s a substantial injection to our economy.”
Dr Gillespie said the new state-of-art facility would see expansion and refurbishment of the existing facility, catering for four multi-purpose courts.
“This new facility will have the capacity to host major indoor sporting and entertainment events providing a real boost for our region.”
“With construction now underway, we can look forward to this long-held vision of The Iron Arena being realised,” he added.
Completion of the project is expected in 2025.