Lismore will reap the benefits of a world class baseball facility thanks to funding received under a joint NSW and Commonwealth Government tourism program, Member for Lismore Thomas George and Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan announced last week.
Lismore City Council in partnership with Baseball Australia and Far North Coast Baseball will receive $1 million to upgrade, revitalise and construct new infrastructure at the Albert Park Baseball Complex.
Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall said this project was one of the successful proposals under the $6 million allocated to NSW in the Tourism Demand Driver Infrastructure (TDDI) program for 2016-17.
“Tourism is one of the State’s strongest growth sectors, and this program delivers much-needed funding injections to help drive tourism in rural and regional NSW,” Mr Marshall said.
Member for Lismore Thomas George said the project has enabled Baseball Australia to commit to hosting events, competitions and training camps for the next five years.
“Albert Park will put Lismore on the world stage as home to Australia’s premier Baseball Hub which will be a terrific draw card for visitors to the region,” Mr George said.
Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan said this is another example of The Nationals delivering for the residents of Page and the North Coast.
“This project is a massive infrastructure investment for Lismore which will drive huge demand for the local tourism industry,” Mr Hogan said.
“Once the re-development is completed, it is estimated that Albert Park will generate over $9 million each year in the local economy and provide over $45 million in economic return over a five year period,” Mr Hogan said.
Baseball Australia spokesman Clinton Bown welcomed the news.
“Baseball Australia (BA) has been working with state and local government over several years to realise the first phase of this important funding announcement,” said Bown.
“Moving forward, BA will continue to work diligently to realise the full potential of the Albert Park Baseball Complex, appreciating the important role sports tourism plays for the Lismore region.”