Roller skating rink and arcade open on George St, Nanango

A deserted entertainment hub which sat empty for five years in the heart of Nanango has been brought back to life thanks to a spectacular overhaul.

Mr Thompson said Nanango residents were clearly in desperate need of something like this.

An entertainment hub in Nanango once used for Queensland Police Bluelight events has undergone a major revamp and been transformed into a large roller skating rink, video game arcade and cafeteria.

The Nanango community has been in dire need of an entertainment complex for young adults and families since 2016 when the building became vacant.

Peter Thompson, moved to Nanango from Brisbane in December 2021, in search of a new project and became instantly excited when he became aware of the hub.

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Mr Thompson said he was looking for something to do and was exploring his options in Nanango.

“Our real estate agent and councillor Jane Erkens told us of the old roller skating rink and I thought this would be cool,” Mr Thompson said.

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“I have been in the computer industry for 30 years and spent the last 12 years manufacturing old game machines.

The building underwent huge renovations with half of the building requiring high pressure cleaning to remove mud and adding many coats of colourful paint.

“I love playing music, DJ-ing and have a passion for video arcades,” he said.

The building underwent huge renovations across a 12-month period, with half of the building requiring high pressure cleaning to remove mud and adding many coats of colourful paint.

Councillor Jane Erkens said during her election campaign there was a lot of feedback that Nanango needed something for young people and families to do.

“Finding people to dedicate time to community organisations was a challenge as people are so busy with their families and jobs.

“The facility had been sitting there with no committee to run it so I suggested to Peter than he contact the Blue light organisation and then with assistance from the council they now have it running.

“I went down there to their first session last Friday and it was absolutely so busy, red faces everywhere with kids skating and playing arcade games,” she said.

The Nanango Hub has had a major revamp over the past ten months.

Mr Thompson said Nanango residents were clearly in desperate need of something like this.

“There are a lot of options for us to expand, we are exploring the options of a movie theatre and dances,” Mr Thompson said.

“Over the weekend we received very good feedback and it went better than expected,” he said.

The Nanango Hub will be open everyday for the rest of the school holidays, with a permanent schedule still to be determined.

Standard entry is available for $10 and skate hire is $5.

Originally published as Roller skating rink and arcade open on George St, Nanango