Gungahlin oval at last looks a reality
Apr 28, 2009
Gungahlin will get its promised $6 million enclosed oval in next week’s ACT budget, the Government says.The new oval will be built over the next two years and will have seating for 1,100 people, change rooms and kiosks. Final designs for the oval are expected to include an irrigated playing surface that can accommodate all the major football codes at senior level. The complex will include covered seating for 500 people and open-air seating for 600 and the oval will be enclosed with a 2m-high fence.
The ACT Government has been promising for several years to build an enclosed sporting facility at Gungahlin, most recently during the election campaign in October last year. The Minister for Sport, Andrew Barr, said the oval would be ‘”a major sporting and community hub”. “The Gungahlin enclosed oval will complement these facilities to help ensure the Gungahlin community, along with the rest of the Canberra community, remains the most active in Australia,” Mr Barr said.
The Gungahlin Bulls Rugby League Club has been lobbying for an oval for five years. Club president Andy Sell said the news was welcome, but remained sceptical. “It’s just got to the stage now where I’ll believe it when I see it. It’s something that’s been overdue out here for years,” he said. The club has been forced to travel to Ainslie on game days, and Mr Sell said the tyranny of distance sidelined sports fans in Canberra’s fastest-growing suburb. “Little Johnny wants to watch someone who plays first-grade play footy, and it’s just too far away,” he said. “Whereas if it was just down the road, mum and dad wouldn’t mind taking him.”
The Government funded a $400,000 forward design study for the proposed new oval near Gungahlin College in the 2008 budget.
Shadow sports minister Steve Doszpot said the Opposition supported the proposal, but was concerned the details of the feasibility study had not yet been made public. “That’s the missing piece of the jigsaw,” he said. Gungahlin has been neglected, and any initiatives in this regard we obviously welcome. “But based on the Stanhope Government’s past record of delivery on promises, we are sceptical of them actually fulfilling the new promises and delivering something on time and on budget.
Mr Sell said he had received many assurances in the past. “I’ve had meetings with (former Opposition leader Bill) Stefaniak, (Chief Minister Jon) Stanhope and all those guys. Everyone’s put their hand on their heart and said next period, next period, next period. And every year it just keeps getting put off. Nothing ever happens. It’s nice to hear something may finally happen.”
Source: The Canberra Times – 27 April 2009.
The Canberra Times is published by The Federal Capital Press Pty Ltd - 9 Pirie Street, Fyshwick.
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