The Mayor of Lake Macquarie, Cr Jodie Harrison, Northern NSW Football (NNSWF) Chairman, Bill Walker and NNSWF Chief Executive Officer, David Eland, joined Member for Swansea, Garry Edwards, and Member for Lake Macquarie, Greg Piper, to celebrate the official commencement of construction of Lake Macquarie’s state-of-the-art football facility, at a turning of the sod ceremony on 28 March.

Member for Swansea, Garry Edwards said the project is a partnership between the NSW Government, Lake Macquarie City Council and Northern NSW Football.

“The NSW Government has provided $7.3 million of funding under the Hunter Infrastructure and Investment Fund with the remaining funds provided by Northern NSW Football,” Mr Edwards said.

“The facility will be a major football event centre for the Hunter, bringing in teams from around the region to compete on ten five-a-side synthetic football courts and two international-size synthetic football fields,” Mr Edwards said.

NNSWF Chief Executive Officer, David Eland said breaking ground at Speers Point has been highly anticipated.

“At no time in this process did we lose sight of our goal, to establish a ‘Home of Football’ for this region that would provide a first-class facility for the continued development of male and female players from across Northern NSW,” Mr Eland said.

“The Hunter Region is recognised as one of the most significant ‘heartland’s’ of Australian football, dating back to the formation of the Minmi Rangers in 1884. I’m extremely proud to say today that this facility will now ensure that as well as this rich history, we will now boast a facility that will foster a vibrant, exciting future for football in this region.”

Mayor of Lake Macquarie, Cr Jodie Harrison, said the construction of the football facility would bring many great benefits to the entire region. “A new football facility of this standard in our region will boost our opportunity to nurture local talent as well as worldclass players, stimulate the local economy and provide endless sporting prospects for the community,” Cr Harrison said. NNSWF’s member zones and associated clubs, schools, sports groups and people with disabilities will have opportunities to promote team sports on some of the best playing surfaces and five-a-side courts, available for full community participation.

This state-of-the-art training facility will cater for elite, amateur and recreational football players both locally and on the global map.