Move to four-court facility allows Council to invest $3M in PCYC Youth Hub concept

Wagga Wagga City Council will contribute a total of $3M to the PCYC’s proposed Youth Hub concept.

Council has had a number of positive discussions with PCYC representatives over the past week to work towards the best outcome for the community.

The initial design was for a three-court facility, but after discussions PCYC have agreed to consider expanding the scope of the project to four courts, which would provide additional community access to the facility.

Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Councillor Greg Conkey OAM said a four-court Youth Hub would provide an opportunity for other sporting groups such as Wagga Wagga Basketball to operate from the facility.

“A four-court facility allows Council to reallocate borrowings of $2.36M from funding identified for the Bolton Park Stadium redevelopment project and invest it in the proposed Youth Hub,” he said.

“If Wagga Wagga Basketball and other user groups are able to utilise the four courts at the proposed PCYC facility, we can rethink the Bolton Park Stadium redevelopment and look at a much broader range of options.”

The investment is subject to the State and Federal Governments confirming their contributions to make the concept a reality.

“With PCYC and Council’s investment in this project locked in, the State and Federal Governments are now the final pieces of the funding puzzle,” Cr Conkey said.

Along with the cash contribution of $2.36M, the one-off $3M investment includes allowing PCYC to sell Council-owned land in Spring Street and the Council-owned former laneway in Gurwood Street (estimate worth $483,333) as a package with their existing site, and waiving Section 94A developer contributions of $152,420.

A formal funding partnership agreement will now be developed between the two organisations.