January 18, 2010
The development application for the new $9.5million Tamworth indoor sports centre at the Longyard sporting precinct has gone on display for public comment.
The plans for the Tamworth Regional Council project are on exhibition until February 1 and include reports into traffic and parking, environmental effects, acoustics, salinity, contamination, archeological, flora and fauna impacts assessments, site plans, floor plans and perspectives.
The new centre is being built for Council by Hines Constructions and will give the city the biggest and most multi-functional indoor sports centre in regional NSW, catering for basketball, netball, and other indoor sports like futsal (soccer), hockey and volleyball.
The design concept for the new centre has been expanded since the original plans were done 12 months ago and adds two more indoor courts but importantly pulls in an additional 12 outdoor hard courts and six grass courts to accommodate future requirements for netball.
The new concept provides for the eventual full move by the city’s netball association from the present Carter Street sporting precinct to the new sports centre and outdoor grounds.
The plans show architectural and design lines of a concrete, steel and glass structure with dome-shaped roofing lines that are similar to the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre next door to where the complex will be built. It will be built of concrete tilt-up panels with steel cladding and colorbond roof with outside sails and a glassed entry foyer. The total building area is 6,828 square metres – about half the total size of No I Oval.
The plans provide for four full sized timber courts and two synthetic courts indoors on a ground floor L-shape.
Outside will be 12 hard courts and six grass courts for netball. Three of the 12 asphalt courts will have a synthetic surface to make them more multi purpose.
Indoors there is seating for 500 over the main court, an amenities area, multipurpose areas for crèches or exercise, offices for netball and basketball, a café that services indoor and outdoor areas, 23 toilets, 19 showers, and four unisex changerooms. There are treatment rooms, a ref’s changeroom and scorers’ office. Upstairs, a mezzanine level provides space for a gymnasium, and viewing and corporate areas over the courts.
Because of new planning laws, the consent authority for the application is the NSW Joint Regional Planning Panel. They are expected to consider the application in March.
TRC sought a $5 million grant from the federal government under its economic stimulus program to underwrite the project and will put in $4.5 million in council funds under an agreement that basketball and netball will contribute $1 million over 20 years. TRC hopes the complex will be ready for play in December.