Asbestos found at Auburn Basketball Centre of Excellence site

Asbestos and old fuel tanks have been uncovered on the site of the new $25m Sydney Kings high-performance training facility in Sydney’s west.

Joanne Vella

@Parramatta_News

less than 2 min read

November 17, 2025 - 5:32PM

Parramatta Advertiser

Construction began on Auburn Basketball Centre at Lidcombe in August.

NSW

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Asbestos and old fuel tanks have been uncovered during the construction of the $25m Auburn Basketball Centre of Excellence which the Sydney Kings will use as a training facility.

Construction of the high-performance centre at Wyatt Park, Lidcombe, began in August and will house two basketball courts, a gym, sports science and sports medicine spaces for athletes, recovery zones a film room, offices and meeting rooms to cater for the Kings and the WNBL’s Sydney Flames.

Cumberland Council and the NSW Government are joint funding the facility, for which Grindley Construction is managing the construction.

A council report tabled on this week’s agenda said the project was facing “ground contamination and site challenges, including asbestos fragments, buried concrete, glass, metal, soft spots, old fuel tanks and other contaminants”.

A Cumberland Council spokeswoman said there were no reports of exposure to staff or individuals from contaminants.

The site of the basketball facility is contaminated.

“Council has air monitoring stations established on site and all results have continued to return negative,’’ she said.

“All works are being undertaken in accordance with relevant regulations, approvals and safety requirements.

Cumberland Mayor Ola Hamed with players at the start of construction.

“Testing was undertaken before works commenced and identified inground contamination and a remediation action plan was produced and approved as part of the project approval.

“As earthworks continue, the final quantity (of contaminants) is still to be established.’’

The project was due to be completed in the third quarter of 2026 but the council spokeswoman said it was on track to open the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to weather conditions.

Basketball is one of Australia’s fastest-growing sports with 7.1 per cent participation rate and the new centre supported elite development for men’s and women’s professional basketball.