Hunter Sports Centre, at Glendale, will host the event over four days – from Friday, September 30, to Monday, October 3.

Organisers say the championships will see more than 3000 people from across the state attend the event.

Hunter Sports Centre general manager Colin Southworth said hosting the championships was another opportunity to showcase the Hunter Sports Centre as a major event hub for regional and state events.

“We are looking forward to welcoming all of the clubs and their participants to our facility and Lake Macquarie City this October,” he said.

Gymnastics NSW chief executive officer, Aaron Bloomfield, anticipates another successful event.

“The Hunter Sports Centre is a premier facility and one of the largest in NSW, which is why we are pleased to have them host this year’s event,” Mr Bloomfield said.

The championships will see competitors from across the state participate in trampoline, rhythmic gymnastics, acrobatic gymnastics, and men’s and women’s gymnastics.”

Lake Macquarie mayor Jodie Harrison said while this was an exciting opportunity for the city to host a state-wide event, the Hunter Sports Centre is in need of expansion to meet the growing demands of the region.

“The Hunter Sports Centre is the premier gymnastics and athletics venue for the Lower Hunter, however, the centre, which was built to service 50,000 visitations per year is now at capacity and must grow to support the increasing demand of the area,” Cr Harrison said.

“Last year more than 200,000 visitations were recorded at the venue, and this number is expected to increase substantially in coming years, which is why council has put forward a proposal to expand the facility. 

“We would welcome support from all levels of government to allow the continued growth of this regional facility, which will bring even greater economic benefits to Lake Macquarie City and the Hunter region.”

The expansion proposal incorporates health and fitness facilities, group training rooms, multi-purpose community spaces, a dedicated meet manager’s room, sports therapy rooms, additional car park and traffic management infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Coal Point gymnast Kaylan Moloney, 12, is preparing to compete in the Australian Gymnastics Championships starting on Monday, May 23, at Hisense Arena in Melbourne.

Moloney’s long-time coach, Nance Foster, of Advance Academy of Gymnastics, in Toronto, said competing at the titles was the culmination of Moloney’s 10 years of dedication to her sport.