A $65 million proposal to revamp Bolton Park has been revealed as the centrepiece of a plan to transform Wagga into a regional hub for elite sports.
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Wagga City Council will decide on Monday about publicly exhibiting the draft Bolton Park master plan.
It follows consultation with numerous user groups and sports administrators about the precinct, with a key theme that Wagga is the ideal Riverina location for first-class sports and infrastructure.
The overall project will involve improvements to the following:
- Robertson Oval
- Oasis Aquatic Centre
- Jim Elphick Tennis Centre
- Geoff Lawson Oval
- Bolton Park amenities
- Gymnastics facilities
- Car parking
- Integration with PCYC
- Skate plaza
- Croquet
- Bolton Park lane
As well, the Bolton Park Stadium would be demolished following the construction of the PCYC facilities and the Bolton Park Sports Hub.
In her report for the Monday meeting, the council’s director of finance Natalie Te Pohe said the draft plan aligns with other council and state government plans.
Currently, only $2.2 million of funding has been identified within the council’s long-term financial plan.
However, those willing to fund the project include Wagga Tigers, Wagga netball club, Cricket NSW, AFL NSW and Tennis NSW.
Ultimately, the vision is to not only to create a holistic approach to improving regional sports and health-related activities, but it is to also meet future growth as the city is expected to hit 100,000 people by 2038.
That vision has been applauded by Mark Calverley, chief executive of the Southern Sports Academy based in the Jim Elphick Tennis Centre, who said it “creates efficiencies across sports to work together in an aligned manner”.
Elite level aimed for top oval
Robertson Oval, a major centre for the Riverina’s Australian Rules football and cricket leagues, is proposed to have various infrastructure upgraded to align with the elite standard of its field surface.
These include the scoreboard, lighting, grandstand, landscaped seating, change rooms, hospitality and corporate boxes.
A second netball court would also be constructed in addition to indoor cricket training facilities.
The news has been welcomed by Steven Mahar, regional manager of AFL Southern NSW and ACT.
“The master plan looks very exciting and it’s something we’re very supportive of,” Mr Mahar said.
“It’s only going to mean good things for the region as it’d bring elite contests and the improvements would also benefit fans and community members, like volunteers.”
Mr Mahar said that should the plan goes on exhibition, the AFL may seek to submit requests for additional items, including increased accessibility for vehicles within the precinct.
“To make it better for vehicles taking things in and out during events," he said.
“As well, the option of having offices there for AFL, cricket and other sports would really create a hub that would be fantastic for the industry in general.”
Asked if the upgrades would boost the city’s chances of hosting more AFL games, he said “without a doubt”.
“The change rooms and other sections are ageing, so to have those upgrades would mean better chances in bringing AFL and AFLW games here,” Mr Mahar said.
Stopping the Oasis bleeding
The Oasis Aquatic Centre, which opened in 2003, is proposed to have a raft of additions, including the conversion of the 25-metre indoor pool into a 50-metre one.
Other recreational and health facilities are also part of the plan, as well as relocating the Oasis cafe to cater more people.
The upgrades would also aim to reverse the dwindling visitor and revenue numbers as indicated in the 2017–18 council annual report.
Wagga mayor Greg Conkey said the upgrades would “make Oasis more appealing to more people that what it is at the moment”.
Paul Gianniotis, president of the Wagga Swimming Club, said the increased pool length would be welcomed.
"Some of the kids are nearing national times so the extra space would help them get that extra 100th of a second,” he said.
Mr Gianniotis said the notion of Wagga being a regional leader in swimming was already present by drawing participants from all over the Riverina.
“We’ve got lots of kids from out of town – Tumut, Junee, Temora,” he said.
“They get up at 4am and these are really dedicated kids and families who do it five days a week.”
Mr Gianniotis said the club would seek to provide additional requests should the plan go on exhibition.
Creating a bigger ecosystem
Ease of flow for users between the proposed PCYC building and sporting facilities at the precinct was paramount during discussions.
PCYC regional manager Brett Summerville said the aim was to “create a bigger ecosystem around our building”.
“The discussions mainly centered around how the proposals may impact us and how we can come to an understanding,” Mr Summerville said.
“While there’s no real direct effect on PCYC, it’d build us a bigger community area simply because of the improved services and access from the sporting precinct.
It’d build us a bigger community area simply because of the improved services and access from the sporting precinct.
- PCYC regional manager Brett Summerville
“We’ve been supportive of it and engaged in the process.”
Mayor calls it ‘visionary’
Cr Conkey has labelled the draft master plan as “visionary” for the entire southern region.
“Bolton Park is a valuable asset for the city and we need to look at its long term,” Cr Conkey said.
“The project involves a massive amount of money, but we need to start planning for these things with Wagga going to 100,000 people in the next 20 years.”
Cr Conkey said Robertson Oval’s upgrades would increase the chances of more national fixtures. Should the master plan be approved, it will need a business case to confirm feasibility and costs.
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