IT sometimes gets so hot in the PCYC Morisset centre that club manager Rosmairi Dawson is forced to cancel activities.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
“When the forecast tells us that it’s going to get above 38 degrees, we have to cancel,” Ms Dawson said.
““We hit 44.5 degrees inside here one day last summer.”
She doesn’t like to have to pull the pin, and the cancellations always come as a blow to the children who use the popular centre.
“It’s really disappointing for everyone,” she said.
So there was no hiding Ms Dawson’s smile this week when Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper announced that he had gained state government funding to address the problem.
Mr Piper secured $140,312 in funding for the Kahibah Street centre, enabling it to install state-of-the-art insulation and fans.
The project has been funded through round two of the state government’s Stronger Country Communities Fund.
“Sport and other activities have been almost impossible at the peak of recent summers, so this will go a long way towards improving things for everyone who uses this great facility,” Mr Piper said.
The insulation will use the same technology featured in refrigerators, Ms Dawson said.
Making news: Bid to rename oval after Robert ‘Dutchy’ Holland
“This grant will allow us to install a special type of ceiling insulation which is like refrigerator panels. It will drastically improve conditions inside for sporting teams and other activities.
“Large fans will also be installed to keep the air circulating.”
Ms Dawson said membership at PCYC had grown from 100 to 600 in five years.
The installation of a full-sized basketball court at the centre had been a drawcard, she said. The centre previously had half-sized courts.
“We currently host basketball and futsal competitions, some wheelchair sports, and we’ll soon be hosting a new netball comp, so this will really benefit all of the centre’s users,” Ms Dawson said of the funding.
The grant application required endorsement from Lake Macquarie City Council, and mayor Kay Fraser commended PCYC Morisset on its work.
Commander of the Lake Macquarie Police District, Superintendent Danny Sullivan, also welcomed the funding – and not just because he’s planning to spend a lot more time in the centre.
“Starting on October 23 we’re running ‘Fit for Life’ and I will be here personally training with young people, the PCYC staff, and youth police in the area,” he said.
The fitness training is part of the RISEUP program to give at-risk youths the life skills to gain employment.
“This investment announced today will translate into positive benefits for young people,” he said.
