The Kawana Dolphins Senior and Junior Rugby League club recently welcomed me for a meeting. They’ve been caught off guard by news their club will be shut down to make way for a new Olympic indoor sports facility.
Despite the government claiming it consulted the community, the club only became aware of it the night before consultation closed. A council-proposed alternative site is 15 minutes’ drive away, outside of peak hour traffic.
While many parents currently let their children walk or bike to training, that won’t be possible to the alternative site with a route that includes a section of 100km/h road. The club would cease to exist.
Despite better viable alternatives and previous recommendations from the International Olympic Committee favouring the indoor centre at Maroochydore instead of Kawana, the 38-year-old club is still battling to have some common sense applied to safeguard its youth.
With no consultation, consideration, or regard for community impact, the Kawana Dolphins must remain where they are.
I urge the Queensland Government and Sunshine Coast Council to guarantee funding will be available for the centre at another site, reverse this decision, and support junior rugby league by allowing the Kawana Dolphins to remain in their current location.
