Work is about to start on the upgrade and expansion of a sports facility used by more than 550 athletes a week.
A revamp of the Cooroy Gymnastics Club is expected to get underway in July.
Noosa Council awarded the contract for the project to Murphy Builders, who will finalise the design, build and fit out the extension and a new multi-purpose indoor training space to give a range of outdoor sports a place to train during bad weather.
Noosa mayor Frank Wilkie said the work formed part of the Cooroy Sports Complex Master Plan, which the council endorsed in 2020 to support growing sports participation.
“The Cooroy Gymnastics Club is the shire’s only competitive gymnastics facility and currently has more than 550 athletes accessing the venue each week, with waiting lists for many programs,” he said.
“This investment will help the club meet growing demand while creating additional indoor training opportunities for other sporting groups,” he said.
Council considered five tenders with an eight-person evaluation panel selecting Murphy Builders as the preferred candidate on criteria such as price, capability and experience.
“Council is confident Murphy Builders has the expertise and experience needed to deliver this important project,” the mayor said.
The extension and new multi-use areas will be built and later integrated into the existing facility to help minimise disruption to the clubs that use the facility.
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The upgraded facility will support the gymnastics club’s recreational and competitive programs and inclusive activities delivered with local schools, home-school groups and community organisations, including disability service providers.
The new multi-purpose indoor training area will be available to other clubs based at the complex, including cricket, soccer and rugby league.
“These sports often experience interruptions during wet weather or flood events, which can render fields unusable for extended periods,” Mayor Wilkie said.
“Council will work closely with clubs and users of the complex to minimise disruption during construction and keep the community informed of key milestones.”
Cooroy Gymnastics Club president Rachel Smith said the club was excited to see the long-planned expansion gain momentum.
“This expansion will give our gymnasts and other local sporting groups access to a modern, all-weather training space and allow our club to continue growing,” she said.
The $4.18 million project is funded in partnership with the Queensland Government through the South-East Queensland Liveability Fund and the South-East Queensland Community Stimulus Program, with additional support from the Australian Cricket Infrastructure Fund, the Cooroy Gymnastics Club through a federal government PlayWell Grant, and Noosa Council.
Member for Nicklin Marty Hunt said the partnership between the council, the state government and the community was key to delivering lasting local infrastructure.
“This is a fantastic investment in local sport and community wellbeing,” he said.
“Through projects like this, the Crisafulli Government is backing infrastructure that strengthens community sport and creates more opportunities for people of all ages to stay involved and active.”
Queensland Cricket state infrastructure manager Tom Gibson said the Australian Cricket Infrastructure Fund was proud to support the project.
“Support from national and state sporting bodies helps ensure more young athletes can access high-quality training spaces and community sporting facilities,” he said.
