Colleen Miller petitions Qld Government for Gympie sports stadium

The president of one of Gympie’s most popular sporting clubs is renewing efforts to bring an end to five years of ‘frustration’ and finally deliver a much-demanded facility to the region.

Gympie Netball president Colleen Miller is renewing efforts to bring an end to five years of “frustration” and finally deliver a much-demanded facility to the region.

The president of a popular sporting club left homeless after the devastating 2022 floods is leading a renewed charge to secure a long-demanded multisports complex in Gympie.

Gympie Netball president Colleen Miller is petitioning the state government to help develop indoor and outdoor sporting facilities within the region in the latest push to relieve pressure on clubs struggling to meet growing demand.

In her petition lodged on August 9, Mrs Miller said the need for the new facilities was “urgent”.

She said the region was “home to a thriving network of sporting groups” providing for a “diverse and growing population”.

“Despite this, the region lacks adequate facilities to meet the current and future demands of these groups and the broader community,” Mrs Miller’s petition says.

Gympie Netball president Colleen Miller is renewing efforts to bring an end to five years of “frustration” and finally deliver a much-demanded facility to the region.

Speaking Thursday, Mrs Miller, who has been a vocal supporter of the need for a complex in past years, said she was “very frustrated” by the lack of movement on the centre over the years.

She was unsurprised by the level of support already garnered by the petition within only a week.

More than 440 signatures had already been added to the petition within its first six days of being listed on the parliamentary website.

“It’s a good reflection of people’s views of what’s needed in the region,” Mrs Miller said.

Her own netball club had still not returned to its previous Hyne St home, with rebuilding of the courts still underway.

Mrs Miller’s petition says the need for a multisport centre was confirmed five years ago in a Gympie Regional Council feasibility study.

“The study recommended the development of an indoor sports facility in the Gympie township to service the majority of the region’s population,” Mrs Miller’s petition says.

“However, this recommendation has yet to be implemented, leaving a significant gap in the community’s sporting infrastructure.”

Without one, there remained a “significant gap in the community’s sporting infrastructure” which had several impacts including limiting clubs’ ability to grow, or for new sports to start up in the region.

“As the population of the Gympie region continues to grow, the demand for quality sporting facilities will only increase, exacerbating the current shortfall,” Mrs Miller’s petition says.

The petition, which closes on September 6, can be found here.