New sports complex creates jobs and benefits local community

Great Southern Grammar in Western Australia has recently completed their new multipurpose sports complex and the entire community is reaping the benefits.

The independent K-12 Christian school is located approximately 16 kilometres east of the city of Albany, on the state's south coast.

The school received $2 million under the Primary Schools for the 21st Century element of the Building the Education Revolution (BER) program for construction of a multipurpose sports complex, which is believed to be the only school facility of its size in the Great Southern region.
Comprising two full size courts, the sports complex will be able to accommodate many sports for students of all ages including basketball, netball, volleyball, badminton, indoor soccer, cricket and hockey, as well as dance and gym classes. The complex is also available to local sporting clubs and associations.

Principal Stuart Marquardt said they were thrilled with the program.

“We only started using the building at the end of May and already the local Volleyball Association has expressed interest in using it. We also anticipate enquiries from community basketball, netball and badminton clubs,” Mr Marquardt said.

“We will also use the complex for functions, speech nights and ceremonies, and now have a venue large enough for assemblies to hold all students and their parents.”

Mr Marquardt said the building program came at the right time for both the school and the community.
“This program was certainly delivered at a time it was desperately needed. It provided a great deal of employment for the area, and the local contractor we used really appreciated the opportunity. The region had recently suffered from the collapse of two major companies involved in the plantation timber industry and this program has impacted positively on the local economy.

“This facility was so desperately needed. We get so much wet weather it would be impossible to deliver our curriculum if we cancelled lessons every time we had inclement conditions. We can now improve the quality of teaching and programs on offer, especially in those wet months.

Mr Marquardt said students and teachers are able to benefit now from facilities they would otherwise have waited several years for.

“This facility will be of lasting benefit to current and future students, as well as the Albany and wider community. The contribution of the BER funds bought our building program forward considerably, possibly by ten years. The school now has valuable educational assets to continue into the future with.”

Staff and students will also have more time on campus playing sport, rather than losing time travelling to and from sporting engagements in town.

The school also received $200,000 under the National School Pride program for extension to their Art and Design Centre.

Both new facilities will be officially opened during the School Foundation Day celebrations on the 18th June 2010.

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