While the Covid-19 crisis has greatly impacted everyone’s lives and certainly disrupted the sporting world,
the Noosa Pirates Rugby League Football Club have seen it as the perfect opportunity to embark on an
innovative new community project, that is set to transform the way Noosa, and potentially many other
regions look at how they can better utilise their sporting facilities.
“It’s bold, innovative, sustainable … and it’s community,” Noosa Pirates general manager Brett Winkler said as he launched the community hub aimed at transforming the Noosa District Sports Complex at Tewantin into an integrated active health hub and recreation lifestyle precinct.
“It’s more than just sport. It is about delivering a diverse range of health, wellness and recreation offerings
that will bring huge benefits and positive outcomes to our community.
“As a successful local community organisation that has been around for over 45 years, we see our role as
more than just playing Rugby League. This club has helped shape the lives of many for the better, on so many
levels other than just sport. Therefore, it’s only natural that we encompass the wider benefits of having an
integrated health, wellness and recreation focus, as part of our facility and community space.”
This latest move comes as the Pirates move forward in a working relationship with Noosa Council in order to
find a better model that seeks to optimise and maximise the community benefits of this hidden Tewantin
gem. Within the precinct there are nine sporting, recreation and community groups that this project plans to directly assist.
The Noosa Pirates have been working with Noosa Council for some time after recognising their vision for the
Precinct, as the new Masterplan for the site was developed and adopted earlier in the year by Council. The
Masterplan looks at a significant upgrade that includes new roads, integrated pathways and bikeways, a
specialised play area along with better parking and access to the overall site.
“It was great that as part of Council’s consultation process that we were asked by them to contribute and
submit our ideas, next to theirs,“ Brett said. “It was pretty clear to us that there was an opportunity for someone to step
up and that is just what we did. Maybe that’s part of our culture and DNA as a rugby league club but we saw
it as much more than just about footy.
“While we will never move out of our core Rugby League operations and business, we clearly see the need to
diversify our services and now focus on being a much more, holistic community partner.”
The project will see the current clubhouse transformed into suites for permanent onsite allied health
professionals who will service people of all ages in the community. The specialist areas will include the likes
of exercise physiology, physiotherapy, social work, podiatry and mental health.
Next door will be a new, multi-purpose community hub building that will house modern changeroom
facilities (for men, women and people with disabilities), a canteen and kiosk that will replace the current
outdated 35-year-old facilities. In addition there will be much needed public toilets to service the
precinct as well as community and training rooms that will be made available to the precinct users
and other community groups.
An onsite gym and wellness area will be able to accommodate many of the Noosa Council, State and Federal
Government programs and initiatives that are specifically designed to deliver and help support those in our
community to recover and rehabilitate from a wide range of ailments and conditions.
“This won’t be your standard gym. It will be run primarily to serve these great programs and provide better
access to those that will directly benefit people on a whole range of fronts from senior citizens, to new
mums, to young children and families and others,” Brett said.
While the project relies on significant government funding, the signs are promising of getting the required
support to make this project happen in the short term. With Noosa Council continuing to work in progressing
key aspects of the Masterplan that will add greatly to the Precinct’s ‘shovel ready’ viability. Brett said Noosa
MP Sandy Bolton had also thrown her support behind the planned project and would recommend it for funding
consideration.
There are existing Federal Government program options available, with the
potential for more as part of the Government’s Covid recovery assistance.
“Yes, there is still a bit to do but things are progressing well and are on-track. There are real opportunities
emerging right now for us to make this great project a reality, for the whole of the Noosa community in the
very near future,” Brett said.
