The development of sport in Airlie Beach has two main roadblocks, the first is a lack of available land and the second is a lack of available money as the local council is operating under severe budget constraints.

Unfortunately we have had to not accept some junior sports as we simply don’t have anywhere they can play.  Discussions with Parks & Leisure Australia (PLA) confirm that our rectangular field is currently running at over 150% of its ‘carrying capacity’.  This is based on three senior soccer teams, one senior rugby team and 15 senior touch teams.  This doesn’t account for the junior rugby and junior touch teams which would take this over 200% of ‘carrying capacity’.  As a result towards the end of the winter playing season the field has degraded well past the ‘safe’ level set out by PLA and has significant bare areas.

Mission Statement

‘To develop the Whitsunday Sportspark into a national class multi sports facility and sportsclub leveraging off our unique position within walking distance to the iconic tourism township of Airlie Beach.’

Short Term Strategic Vision

1. To realign the rectangular field allowing a new smaller field to be built alongside Shute Harbour Road.  This will involve relocating the blue clubhouse over to the hill under the fig trees, rearranging a portion of the carpark, additional fencing, relocating and upgrading lighting and irrigation.  See concept plans attached.

2. Relocate Netball Whitsunday to new grounds.  Due to the unstable nature of the ground under the existing netball courts they require regular expensive relaying of bitumen.  Land at Galbraith park has been identified as a possible new home for netball and possibly to develop a basketball club.

3. Migrate one of the three sports currently using the rectangular oval up onto the AFL oval to better distribute usage.  Touch is probably the most sensible option here as they’ve grown to require three fields rather than the two available on a rectangular field and three fields can be laid out across the AFL oval. Ideally a second smaller canteen for the AFL field is required which will ultimately become the Junior AFL and touch canteen.

This will give us the ability to develop the main rectangular field as the premium surface for all senior competition matches and utilise the smaller new field for training and juniors.  The main field will be multi use for rugby, soccer and any premium games and the surface can be prepared accordingly with the associated grandstands and clubhouse facilities. The development of a canteen for the oval field will develop the sale of drinks and food, provide an easily accessible base for staging sport on this field and also a facility to continue trading whilst the main clubhouse is redeveloped.

Benefits should flow to the community through increased sports participation and the ability to attract high class sporting events to leverage the significant tourism infrastructure of Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays.

Click Here to see our Vision