The Tasmanian Government has indicated their support for a shift in plans that would move the location of a new JackJumpers high-performance training facility.
Acting Minister for Sport and Events Nick Duigan confirmed the JackJumpers’ preference for a Kingston-based location will likely come to fruition, adding the government remains “100% committed” to increasing the number of community basketball courts in Glenorchy.
“The Tasmanian Government is willing to progress the JackJumpers preference to build the high-performance centre in Kingston, with the absolute proviso that our commitment to building community courts in the northern suburbs is also delivered,” he said.
“The high-performance centre was going to be connected to the indoor multi-sport facility at Wilkinson Point, however, the two projects can stand alone.”
The JackJumpers feel their current facilities don’t meet professional standards and that a centre in Kingston could be constructed faster than the proposed facility in Glenorchy.
A development application for the Wilkinson Point project was submitted nearly a year ago but has encountered significant delays and complications.
The planned high-performance centre will include two courts, a gym, recovery rooms, changing rooms and administrative areas.
Acting Glenorchy mayor Sue Hickey said the council was “disappointed” in the decision to relocate the team’s base and called for the government to pursue the indoor multi-sport facility “as a priority”.
“These community courts without a high-performance facility were promised to Glenorchy by the state government at the 2018 election,” she said.
“It is regrettable that toing-and-froing over a high-performance training centre has seemingly overshadowed the delivery of sports infrastructure that gives our young people recreational opportunities.”
“We can’t claim to be genuinely focused on the future of sport, or young people, if we’re only worried about elite training facilities without also investing in just giving kids somewhere to play.”
Hickey said council was open to discussing another location within Glenorchy if Wilkinsons Point was no longer the preferred site.
“The facility must go ahead and it must go ahead in Glenorchy. That is what the Government committed to, and that is what it must deliver,” she said.
