Team effort praised at official opening of Port Macquarie-Hastings Hockey Association Clubhouse

The new $1.85 million upgrade includes significant landscaping works, 74 new carparking spaces, (including four disabled spaces) and a new clubhouse complete with disabled access, new toilet and changerooms (including uni-sex and ambulant toilets), meeting and board rooms, seating, kiosk, bar and all-weather covered viewing areas.

The original $1.45 million of funding was secured by Federal Member for Cowper Pat Conaghan as an election commitment in 2019, with an additional $200,000 secured in 2022 to cater for increases in building and supply costs over the three-year period resulting from COVID-19 pressures.

Since that time, the hockey community raised another $200,000 for the finishing touches and local businesses and consultants have supplied $30,000 of works in kind.

Port Macquarie-Hastings Hockey Association president Simon Thresher praised the efforts of the community to get this new facility up and running.

"If it wasn't for the efforts of the community and government support, we wouldn't have this new state-of-the-art facility," he said.

Thresher said the region would now be able to bid for more high-level hockey events.

"It's fantastic to finally be able to have this clubhouse now officially opened," he said. "It's been a long and hard journey to get to this point and luckily it has opened just in time for the start of the season."

The new facility has already proven to be beneficial for the community with the NSW Over-55s Men's Masters locked in for later later this year.

Thresher said the event is set to attract 300 players and their families to the area.

"This will be the first time we host a Hockey NSW event," he said. "We have had a couple of Hockey NSW trial matches before but this will be the first time we host an actual state championship event.

"It just shows how important it is to have a state-of-the-art clubhouse in the community. We hope to book more events like this in the future."

Port Macquarie hockey player Oliver Dargan said the new facility has made it easier for players and spectators to access the fields.

"The club can now hold more people and the extra car park space makes it easier for people to attend our games," he said. "It will also bring more competitions to the area which will be better for the players too."

Mr Conaghan said the clubhouse benefits not only the hockey club but other sporting codes as well.

"It's a great clubhouse and it's something that Port Macquarie has needed for some time," he said.

"The facility extends to futsal and football clubs who train here, and it's a community resource that other clubs will be able to hire out as well."

Mr Conaghan said the new facility has been a long time coming.

"This was an election promise back in 2019 and due to COVID-19, floods and fires, it took a little bit longer to build," he said.

"Now that it's here, we can see that it's a first-class facility that is not just for hockey but for all of the community."

During the official launch, attendees commemorated the planting of six Buckinghamia trees and understory foliage as part of the Queen's Jubilee grant program that honours Queen Elizabeth II and her 70 years of service to Australia and the Commonwealth.

"A big thanks to Pat for securing the initial $10,000 grant through the Jubilee program, and also to our passionate members for contributing the additional $4,000 that was needed to purchase the full number of plants required for the project", Mr Thresher said.

"We selected the native Buckinghamia species as a fitting tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth Il.

"The trees have been planted as an attractive and environmentally friendly way to cover the landscape blisters in the carparking area, so they are not only beautiful but also very functional."

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