New facilities for players, officials and spectators officially opened at the home of Coffs City United today in what Mayor Denise Knight called another step in making Coffs Harbour the regional sports capital of NSW.
Mayor Knight officially opened a new canteen and gender-neutral change rooms at Forsyth Park in McLean Street, Coffs Harbour, at the cost of nearly $350,000. These are in addition to the $300,000 new public toilet facilities opened earlier this year.
The new facilities at Forsyth Park were built with $149,000 from the Northern NSW Football and NSW Government Asian Cup Legacy Fund as well as $182,000 from Coffs Harbour City Council.
Coffs City United Football Club also contributed $10,000, with club stalwart Frank Maione also contributing in-kind building work.
Mayor Knight said the gender-neutral change rooms would make the environment much more welcoming for girls and women.
“We’ll support women already in sport and more women coming into sport,” she said.
“We’re fast becoming the regional sports capital of NSW.
Coffs United president Jodi Wood praised the work of volunteers who turned the new facilities from a dream into reality.
“The committee and volunteers have dedicated hundreds of hours over the years to this club. This year, we survived and prospered,” Wood said.
The opening of the facilities capped off a big year for sports infrastructure in the North Coast Football Member Zone.
The three levels of government either announced new work, started new work or opened a significant number of projects throughout the year, in addition to the project opened today.
These projects included:
- Work commencing on the $12.5 million Stage 2 development of the Coffs Coast Sport and Leisure Park, which contains two synthetic pitches
- The opening of the $1.6 million amenities building at Rushforth Park in Grafton
- $300,000 upgrade to facilities at Toormina Oval
- $232,056 upgrade to lighting at Dorrigo FC’s ground
- $150,000 grant for improved parking at Rushforth Park
- $100,000 upgrade to amenities at Woolgoolga United FC’s ground
- Lighting upgrades at Toormina Fields (Sawtell FC) and Polwarth Drive (Coffs Tigers FC)
North Coast Football said much work remained to be done on football infrastructure across the Zone.
NNSWF have recently completed an infrastructure strategy for football. The Premier of NSW launched the plan at the Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility in October. A strategy for the North Coast Football Zone will follow and be put to government in 2021.
