JackJumpers’ Kingston base and Wilkinsons Point courts both get green light

The Tasmanian Government has issued a response to the JackJumpers desire for a High Performance Centre in Kingston. And there’s good news for the general public.

The JackJumpers want a move to Kingston. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images).

Premier Jeremy Rockliff confirmed on Friday that both a high performance centre for NBL champions the Tasmania JackJumpers would be built at Kingston and a community courts complex connected to the Indoor Multi-Sport Facility at Wilkinsons Point would go ahead.

Mr Rockliff said on Friday the JackJumpers had made clear their desire to continue training at Kingston and have the high-performance centre built there.

“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.

“We remain 100 per cent committed to increasing community courts in the Glenorchy municipality.

“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.

JackJumpers chief executive Christine Finnegan had implored the state government to back the club’s desire for its high performance centre to be located in Kingston after years of delays at the original site at Wilkinsons Point in Glenorchy.

Fresh off a championship win in March, the JackJumpers are intent on locking in a concrete location and construction date for their long-awaited facility with the side currently training out of the Kingborough Sports Centre.

While the initial plan was for their home base to be built at Wilkinsons Point given the proximity to MyState Bank Arena, constant delays means the club has had to assess other locations.

With the area being a familiar one for players and staff – and it also flagged as a potential site for the Tasmania Devils home-base – Finnegan said it made sense to look at the option of being based in Kingston full-time.

“Our players love living in that community,” Finnegan said.

“It is where they all live, reside, go to school and train currently so it made perfect sense for us to explore that opportunity.

JackJumpers CEO Christine Finnegan has urged the Tasmanian government to back it’s desire to be based in Kingston after years of delays at their planned high performance centre in Glenorchy. (Photo by Simon Sturzaker/Getty Images)

“It’s a beautiful place to live, we know that. We have a winning program, we know that, but we do not have a facility that we can offer both our national and international players and that absolutely is the highest priority for this club.

“We can’t go around for another three seasons without a high performance facility. It is a basic entitlement and requirement for a professional sporting club and I implore the government to understand that this has become such a major issue for us that we need an announcement ASAP.”

Finnegan said there were two possible locations in Kingston that the club had identified and that they are hoping to hear back from the government around the proposal early next week.

With initial plans for the Wilkinsons Point site to also be home to community courts, Finnegan stressed that the club was still pushing for these to remain in Glenorchy.

“By no means do we want this to affect in any way the four courts that have been promised to Glenorchy and I understand that that won’t be the case,” she said.

“Those four courts are paramount to the growth of basketball. We understand that we’ve created some of this problem in terms of the need for more infrastructure, the amount of kids playing the game, so by no means is this discarding that at all. I’m very vocal about the fact those four courts need to go ahead.”

Government funding for the JackJumpers high performance centre was confirmed when the team was first announced with the plans to include two courts, a gym, recovery rooms, change rooms and administration facilities.

Premier Rockliff said both the Wilkinsons Point and Kingston projects can go ahead.

“The impact of the Jackies on the Tasmanian basketball scene has been incredible, and I want to assure our aspiring JackJumpers and the Glenorchy community that the Government will deliver courts in Hobart’s northern suburbs,” he said.

In an interview with this masthead in April, NBL and JackJumpers owner Larry Kestelman said he was confident the works would soon start.

“We have commitment from the government to kick off construction within 90 days for the high performance centre. That’s our number one priority because it’s super desperate,” he said.

“Its best location is what we are assessing – where will it happen faster. Wherever it can happen quicker, I’m all for it. I truly don’t mind and I think the coaching staff are at the same point.”

Originally published as JackJumpers’ Kingston base and Wilkinsons Point courts both get green light