Lightwood Park set for major upgrade

Liam Watson

Kingborough Lions United Football Club (KLUFC) has confirmed details of a new $6 million changeroom and clubrooms complex at Lightwood Park, with imminent construction representing a big boost for football in Tasmania.

KLUFC President Brian Downes said that once the new complex is completed, it will contain eight changerooms on the ground floor with added club rooms, catering facilities and seating upstairs, making football more accessible for 558 players and thousands more that either play or volunteer each month.

“Kingborough Lions United FC takes very seriously its role within the local football fraternity and the broader Kingborough community as a provider of quality facilities and the provision of opportunity for men, women, boys and girls to play football at levels,” Downes said.

“The new building and improved facilities will enhance participation and delivery of all services the club offers to the Kingborough community for many years to come.

“On behalf of the club, I would like to thank the State Government for their support committed during the recent election campaign and through the Levelling the Playing Field program, as well as the Kingborough Council for their contribution.

“Following a tender process, we’re delighted to announce local company Maveric Builders will build Stage 1 of the project, which is expected to be completed by late November.”

Downes added that local business Clennett’s Mitre10 has also signed on as naming rights sponsors of Lightwood Park.

“As a proud member of the local community, Kingborough Lions United FC is actively working with the local business community to attain and develop long term partnerships in conjunction with the investment,” Downes said.

“We’re thrilled to announce we have partnered with well-known and much respected local business Clennett’s Mitre10 who will be the new naming rights sponsor of Clennett’s Lightwood Park.”

Downes elaborated that the club were seeking a further $3 million funding from the Federal Government to finish Stage 4 of the project.

“The additional funding from the Federal Government will not only allow for the total completion of the new building, but will also allow for further improvements around the main ground including an improved playing surface, new lights to 500 lux standard and improved security and fencing,” he said.

Football Tasmania CEO Matt Bulkeley explained the improvements would greatly increase the likelihood of Lightwood Park being selected as a Base Training Camp for the upcoming 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

“With world-class facilities for Australian rules and cricket just across the road at the Twin Ovals, it’s wonderful that football will soon be able to follow suit in the Kingborough region, giving Lightwood Park the very best chance of being selected to host World Cup content,” Bulkeley said.

“I’d like to congratulate the club, and thank the State Government and Kingborough Council for getting this exciting project off the ground.”

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Female Football Week kicks off across Northern NSW

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Female Football Week has officially begun across Northern NSW, with a program of gala days, networking events and awards ceremonies running until Sunday May 17, marking a ten-day celebration that organisers say reflects both the growth of women’s football in the region and the work still required to sustain it.

The national initiative, now a fixture on the football calendar, provides a dedicated period of visibility for female participants across all levels of the game from players, coaches, referees to volunteers, whose contributions have historically received less recognition than their male counterparts.

NNSWF Participation and Women’s Football Officer Serena Carter said the week offered something for everyone connected to women’s football in the region.

“Female Football Week provides a fantastic chance to highlight the dedication and skill of female players, coaches, referees and volunteers across the northern NSW community,” Carter said. “There’s something for everyone to enjoy, from grassroots participants to elite competitors.”

Women’s football in northern NSW spans remote and regional communities where clubs operate on limited resources, alongside more established metropolitan programs with clearer development pathways. Female Football Week creates a moment of shared recognition across that spectrum and acknowledges the role volunteers play, from running the canteen to progressing through the pathway.

Northern NSW Football has recorded some of its strongest participation numbers in women’s and girls’ football in recent seasons, a trend that has placed increasing pressure on clubs and facilities to keep pace. The week’s events offer clubs an opportunity to showcase their commitment to diversity and inclusion at a time when that commitment is being tested by growth.

Football NNSW Releases Infrastructure Strategies as Participation Growth Outpaces Facilities

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Northern NSW Football has unveiled bespoke infrastructure strategies for each of its seven member zones, providing an evidence-based roadmap for facility investment across the region as continued participation growth exposes critical gaps in the sporting infrastructure available to support it.

The Member Zone Infrastructure Strategies draw on data across participation rates, population growth and existing facility conditions to map what each zone has, what it needs and where investment will have the greatest impact. Identified gaps include drainage, lighting and inclusive changerooms – the foundational infrastructure that determines whether facilities are functional, safe and accessible year-round.

NNSWF Government Relations Manager Gary Fisher said the strategies represented a significant step toward smarter, more targeted investment across the region.

“By bringing together key data on participation, population growth and existing infrastructure, these strategies give us a stronger understanding of where the needs are greatest and where investment will have the most impact,” Fisher said. “Ultimately we want to create more inclusive and accessible environments for everyone involved in the game while building stronger, more sustainable clubs and communities for the future.”

Northern NSW Football has previously noted that participation across the region is at record levels and still rising, with women’s and girls’ football a significant driver of that growth. Infrastructure that was built for a smaller and less diverse participation base is increasingly unable to meet current demand, let alone accommodate future growth.

The strategies are also designed to strengthen NNSWF’s alignment with government funding priorities, providing the evidence base needed to support grant applications and long-term facility planning across all seven zones.

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