Dubbo City Council and local clubs have begun to dig for the maximum benefit from a $3.47 million sporting gift.
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A new recruitment and a multitude of state titles are in their sights for a promised drawcard that came out of the blocks yesterday. The first sod was turned to officially mark the start of construction of the Barden Park Regional Centre of Excellence for Athletics.
Payton Smede, a 14-year-old from Dubbo who has already claimed medals at state titles, joined representatives from three levels of government and sports administrators yesterday to do the honours.
A 500-seat undercover grandstand and the region's first international-standard synthetic track are set to take shape by June 2014 near the small patch of upturned soil.
Minister for Regional Development Sharon Bird inspected the plans for the project, successful in the second round of the Regional Development Australia Fund (RDAF) after missing out in the first.
While in town the minister, who recently came to the portfolio, also officially opened the renovated kitchen and function room at the Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre, completed with a $1.2 million grant from the federal government.
While yesterday’s focus was on physical changes about to take place at the oval in North Dubbo, council officers and the sporting fraternity have more work to make the centre realise the full potential suggested in its name.
The RDAF application had been a package, of which the built assets were only one of three parts, parks and landcare services director Murray Wood said. Hosting big competitions and setting up an athletics development officer at Barden Park were also part of the endeavour.
Mr Wood reported the council, in cooperation with local clubs, was driving discussions with Athletics NSW and Little Athletics NSW about both goals.
It was too early to say what may have been committed but the talks about hosting rights had been positive, the director said.
Events of the scale of the NSW Country Championships, which drew about 600 competitors, had been a topic of conversation, Mr Wood said.
The three organisations were working on the development officer role and once set, they would begin to “chase funding”.
Mr Wood anticipated the recruit would both facilitate events at Barden Park and go out into western NSW to encourage young people to try the sport. Talent discovered could then be nurtured at Dubbo rather than Sydney or Newcastle.
“We have the ability to grow athletes from very junior participation to someone like Payton Smede, a medal-winning athlete at the national level,” Mr Wood said.
The federal funding of more than $3.47 million was boosted by a commitment of $1.175 million from the state government.
Ms Bird said regional development was about working with state and local governments to find local solutions to local challenges.
“To have the local committee involved in the design of (the centre of excellence), to have the council actually be able to utilize it as not only a sporting facility but also an economic driver because they’ll be able to have people come to town for competitions, stay, shop, do all sorts of things as well, was really good,” Ms Bird said.
