Morisset Sports Facility

Late last year, alongside the Minister for Sport, I had the pleasure of announcing that the Office of Sport has finally secured land to build a state-of-the-art sports facility at Morisset. The seven-hectare site is at the northern end of the Morisset Hospital complex and takes in the existing bowling club and sports fields. It is ideally situated on the shores of Lake Macquarie, and water sports enthusiasts will enjoy easy access to the lake. This announcement comes five long years after Myuna Bay Sport and Recreation Centre closed. I have spoken six times before in this place about the unexpected closure of the Myuna Bay Sport and Recreation Centre and how this affected the Lake Macquarie community.

On 29 March 2019 locals were blindsided when the Myuna Bay Sport and Recreation Centre was suddenly evacuated and closed. The Office of Sport had been advised by Origin Energy that, in the event of a major earthquake, the ash dam wall at the nearby Eraring Power Station posed a significant risk to the centre. International visitors, school students and staff were bundled out within the day. It is no secret that I was frustrated with the decision, and this was a sentiment shared by many in Lake Macquarie. However, the community and I have since had to accept events and focus on engaging with Office of Sport to develop a vision for a new sports centre.

Finding the right location for this new centre has been complex. Locations earmarked for the new facility have included land in Earing and in the Lake Macquarie State Conservation Area. Ultimately, both sites were left wanting. The Eraring location faced local opposition, and the State Conservation Area site, while the best available public land at the time, had challenging topography and was not situated right on the lake. An opportunity came about when, in October 2023, Minister Rose Jackson announced an intention to close Morisset Hospital mental health facilities and transfer services to a new facility in Metford. I immediately recognised the opportunity to secure a site like no other for the new sport centre.

Many may not be aware that sport has a long history at Morisset Hospital. Sport was a part of patient therapy, and there were many combined patient and staff sporting teams as well as intra-hospital competitions. Local schools also used the hospital sporting facilities, and many kids learned to swim there in the 1950s and 1960s. Morisset Hospital Bowling Club was built in 1955 for patients and staff and is still used by local residents. It will be incorporated into the new facility, which will give it life for years to come. That Lake Macquarie's new sport hub will find its home on the old hospital grounds is fitting and continues the long tradition of sport bringing the community together.

I need to acknowledge the disappointment of some locals that the new sports facility will not have accommodation like the Myuna Bay Sport and Recreation Centre did. I understand this is linked in large part to the fond memories many have of the camps that they or their loved ones attended at Myuna Bay, which had been a much-loved community asset since 1944. However, the new facility is being designed to suit the needs of the community today. The Office of Sport is not planning a facility with accommodation like the former Myuna Bay Sport and Recreation Centre, nor has that ever been its stated intention. Doing so would mean the facility could not open to the public, who are now set to benefit from indoor multi-sports facilities, an outdoor multi-sports oval and courts.

Rather, schools and other groups can continue to take advantage of accommodation at the nearby Point Wolstoncroft Sport and Recreation Centre for camps, while the Morisset Sports Facility will be geared towards the wider community. I also highlight that the part of Morisset Hospital remaining with NSW Health has enormous cultural and historical value. In particular, the recreation hall and chapel, situated near the new sports facility site, are perhaps the most significant heritage buildings in Lake Macquarie. I hope that a valuable public use may similarly be found for those beautiful buildings so the New South Wales public can enjoy them for generations to come.

I thank those who worked towards securing the site for the Morisset Sports Facility, particularly CEO Karen Jones and her former team at the Office of Sport and NSW Health. I also thank the Premier, the Minister for Sport, the Minister for Health, the Minister for the Hunter and the Treasurer for their support. Finally, I thank the people of Lake Macquarie for their ongoing patience and their engagement with the Office of Sport about what they want from the new facility. The closure of the Myuna Bay centre deeply affected our community. I am sure that the new facility will provide an innovative space for us to come together, generate local employment opportunities and serve all of Lake Macquarie and the region for generations to come.