Media Release - Multipurpose Sports Arena set to be a huge attraction for community

The construction of Ingham’s Multipurpose Sports Arena is due to begin in May this year. At its General Meeting on 20 January 2018, Council awarded the contract of $940,170 (exc GST) to Blueprint Engineered Sheds.

Councillor Marc Tack said ‘Council is committed to offering year round facilities to all sporting endeavours within the Shire. The Multipurpose Sports Arena is an exciting project for our community and once complete will provide a large covered venue for community groups or other organisations to hold events in the Shire’.

The arena, located at the Ingham Showgrounds will be 88.1m long, 48.9m wide and 9m high and will be able to facilitate a number of different types of sports, including those with animals.

Cr Tack said that the arena would be a significant benefit to the Hinchinbrook economy through the construction phase and in the longer term with opportunities to attract events from around the State.

‘The Multipurpose Sports Arena will be a first class facility that will put Hinchinbrook on the map for touring sport and recreational events.’

‘The arena will provide opportunities for regional sporting events such as equestrian events to be held in our Shire year round, bringing with it the significant economic benefit of visitors to our Shire.’

Furthermore Cr Tack said having a dedicated, covered area will reduce Council’s ongoing maintenance and remediation costs at the showgrounds, ‘Council currently incurs significant costs associated with the remediation of the oval surface for the current mix of horse and human sports, which are taking place on the oval. The construction of the new facility will go a long way to reducing Council’s operating costs in that regard and also free up the showgrounds oval for other non-horse sporting activity’.

Construction of the facility is scheduled to begin May 2018.

Image: Aerial view of the Ingham Showgrounds with Multipurpose Sports Arena location indicated in red.