Inside new $3.86m sporting complex for Walkerston club

It has been years in the making but soon a Mackay town rebuilding after a damaging ram raid from failed thieves trying to remove an ATM will be able to walk inside a world-class complex. And there will be a jobs boon to build it.

A world-class sporting hub at Walkerston’s Western Suburbs Leagues Club has been on the cards since 2013 and now, it looks like the dream is coming true.

Capricornia MP Michelle Landry says she will commit $3.86m in funding for the club to build out a premier complex.

The new facility will include fields, netball courts, cricket nets, lighting a men’s shed, covered seating, unisex dressing rooms, a canteen and bar facilities.

“This new facility will provide a first class sporting facility for multi sports here in Walkerston for all of the community to enjoy,” Ms Landry said.

It is understood the money to expand across a 26-hectare parcel of land is a funding commitment and not an election pledge.

Western Suburbs Leagues Club general manager Kingsley Theiber ahead of council meetings to approve development plans. Picture: Matthew Forrest

The acquired land will become mainly new sporting grounds, with the potential to field teams in a variety of codes.

It comes after Harrup Park Country Club last Friday revealed it was seeking federal and state funding for a $20m expansion of its facilities at Great Barrier Reef Arena.

Ms Landry said the Walkerston project was expected to create 160 jobs during construction and then 19 full-time and 30 permanent part-time positions at the club.

Proposed plans, initially lodged in 2013, included 173 extra parking spaces and an extension on the existing clubhouse and gaming room, as well as a newly constructed kids room, gym building, and cricket nets.

Proposed plans for Western Suburbs Leagues Club’s expansion.

A covered bowls green was finished in 2019, while the extra parking spaces were sealed and painted in 2018.

Wests board member Mick Baker said last year his club had drawn inspiration from Harrup Park Country Club in its revised plans to go before Mackay Regional Council.

“We’ve met with Harrup Park and gone through where they’ve been and we’ve tried to get that working advice, because we’re about where they were 10 years ago,” he said.

Wests Tigers first proposed plans to expand its sporting club in 2013.

Mr Baker said the ultimate goal was to create a community hub in Walkerston, rather than just a sporting facility.

“The opportunity for many sports is there, we want to progress the development of the women’s facilities within our club and we’re looking to be more inclusive,” Mr Baker said.

Proposed plans for Western Suburbs Leagues Club’s expansion.

“We’ve got old facilities that need updating so we can service the community more than we currently deal with, we want the whole facility used rather than just being a rugby league field.”

West Leagues Club general manager Kingsley Theiber said the $3.86m commitment was positive news for grassroots sports in the Mackay region.

The new facility will include fields, netball courts, cricket nets, lighting a men’s shed, covered seating, unisex dressing rooms, a canteen and bar facilities.

“This funding commitment will ensure that individuals and families in our community have access to safe, modern facilities and will inspire people to lead a healthy and active lifestyle,” Mr Theiber said.

“This infrastructure will be integral in developing and supporting the champion athletes of tomorrow.”

Money for planned development comes just more than a year after a devastating ram raid on the club’s entrance caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.

Three minutes of chaos and destruction in January 2021 tore the heart out of a community club and reduced its manager to tears.

After a decade at the club, and 25 years in the industry, Mr Theiber said at the time it was the worst break-in he had ever seen.

Wiping away tears, Mr Theiber said the attack on the club “made it very hard” to recover from the devastation of Covid in 2020.

But an overwhelming response from the Walkerston and wider Mackay communities helped the club through.