It’s been several years in the making, but the Nepean Hockey Association will officially open their new state-of-the-art clubhouse and amenities building this Saturday morning.
The local association is inviting members of the public – including current and former players and friends – to attend Saturday’s grand opening celebration at the Western Sydney Hockey Centre in Kingswood.
Penrith MP Stuart Ayres will officially declare the new building open at 11am on June 19 before a huge day of hockey gets underway at the O’Connell Street facility.
Last June, the Nepean Hockey Association received $975,000 in funding from the NSW Government’s Greater Sydney Sports Facility Fund to construct the new clubhouse and complete the transformation of the facility, located at Western Sydney University’s Kingswood Campus.
Following major field, seating and scoreboard upgrades in 2019, the new clubhouse – which includes amenities, change rooms, canteen and a meeting room – is regarded as the final piece of the puzzle.
Chairman of the Turf Committee Patrick Hurley said the new clubhouse and amenities building, which was built off-site by Ausco in Queensland, will be a game-changer for hockey in the local area.
“The building was only completed a couple of weeks ago, but the feedback so far has been tremendous,” he said.
“When we signed the lease with Western Sydney University three years ago, we had a wish list of things we wanted to complete, and we managed to tick all those boxes.
“As a result of the new facilities, we’re now able to host State Championships and those sorts of activities.”
The new clubhouse and amenities building boasts a unique design and build compared to other sporting facilities across the state.
“The association have chosen to use a modular design, which will allow them to develop the facility relatively quickly compared to traditional construction techniques,” Mr Ayres said last year.
Nathan Taylor
Nathan Taylor is the Weekender's Deputy Editor and Senior Sports Writer. He also compiles the weekly Chatter on the Box TV column. Nathan is an award-winning journalist, who has worked at the Weekender for a decade.