Barossa United Football Club gets green light for $4m pitch and clubroom upgrades at Centennial Park
A huge $4m upgrade for a Barossa Valley soccer club – including brand new clubrooms and an artificial pitch – has been given the green light.
Barossa, Clare & Gawler
Don't miss out on the headlines from Barossa, Clare & Gawler. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A $4m redevelopment is set to make a Nuriootpa-based soccer club the envy of Barossa Valley sport.
The upgrade of the Barossa United Football Club at Centennial Park – including a new artificial pitch, clubrooms, change rooms and lighting – was announced on Wednesday night.
Barossa Council will fund the majority of the project through a $3m commitment, while the Federal Government will chip in $1m.
Barossa United president George Triandafyllidis said the upgrade would allow the club so satisfy growing demand for soccer in the area.
“We have 20 teams currently, but we’ve hit absolute full capacity at the club and have had to be turning players away in the past few weeks,” Mr Triandafyllidis said.
“We haven’t advertised this year because the demand for kids to play has just been so massive, the new facilities will open the doors for us to expand.”
Mr Triandafyllidis hoped the redevelopment would entice talented local players to stay at home rather than look for opportunities at Adelaide clubs.
New lighting at the club’s Nuriootpa base would also allow it to host night games and train later.
Barossa United secretary Lisa Ognjanovic said the development would allow players to play in state-of-the art facilities and also help the club reach out to local schools as another sporting option for kids.
“We won’t just be the poor country kids operating out of a shed,” Ms Ognjanovic said.
The $1m Federal Government funding was made possible through the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Grant Program.
Barker MP Tony Pasin said the social and community benefits which would stem from these upgrade were recognised in the decision for funding.
This development forms part of the Barossa Council’s “big project” which spans multiple projects and developments, all aimed at elevating the Barossa to become the best sustainable regional sports event tourism destination in the state.
Barossa Mayor Michael ‘Bim’ Lange said the council had been looking to develop Nuriootpa’s Centennial Park precinct for a number of years.
“We bought additional land previously so we could eventually grow these facilities, while the Barossa has traditionally been known for Australian rules football, we’ve recognised the emergence and growth of soccer,” Mr Lange said.
“It’s a generational investment for the future, this club has also stepped up to the next level by participating in the Adelaide competition, so it's important we support that.”
Construction of the artificial pitch is expected to be finished by the end of the year, with a completion date for the new building yet to be determined.
School dismissed death threats as ‘part of a game’, mum claims
A “heartbroken” mum says a sickening threat was made against her son – but when she told the school, it was fobbed off as “mucking around”.
Elite college’s record-breaking price hike revealed
The skyrocketing cost of private education in South Australia has hit a staggering new high with the state’s most expensive surpassing $33k. Search the fees.