The lights from the former Katherine Sport and Recreation Club in Katherine are heading to Mataranka.
The NT Government has offered the lights to Roper Gulf Regional Council for use at the Mataranka Oval.
The council has decided to pursue the informal offer of the lights.
The council has written to the Government, via the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics, to accept the offer.
The council is now waiting on formal acceptance of the move.
“Council plans to erect these lights around the sports oval in Mataranka,” a council spokeswoman said.
While the lights may be offered free as a “gift”, the council needs to consider the estimated $200,000 cost for the removal and installation of the lights at Mataranka oval.
The Katherine club in Giles Street closed down two years ago after becoming insolvent.
After initially being considered by the NT Government as the location for a promised “community space” in Katherine, an investigation found the price tag for restoring the now rundown clubhouse too high.
The government last year offered the clubhouse, and the almost two hectares of grounds to developers.
Katherine Town Council has been told an announcement on a successful development application for the site is imminent.
In the launch of its development documents, the government said: “The site presents an opportunity for development for a range of uses.”
Besides the apparently shoddy condition of the building itself, there are problems with the land zoning for the site which would need to be changed.
Pre-election, Katherine MLA Sandra Nelson promised $250,000 from the NT government to develop an all-purpose community centre in Katherine.
The club’s board closed the doors of the club blaming poor governance and a decline in patronage.
Several sporting clubs, notably rugby league and rugby union, called the venue home and have mostly relocated for competition at least to Town Oval.
Katherine’s new community centre will instead be an extension of the Katherine sports pavilion.
A new concrete block extension will be attached to the toilets at the eastern end of the existing building.
The $250,000 promised by the incoming NT Government for the Katherine Sports and Recreation Club will instead be spent on the Don Dale pavilion at the sportsground.
Katherine Town Council has also promised $100,000 for the new centre.
Labor had identified a need in Katherine for an “all-purpose community centre” given the town has no town hall in a traditional sense.
Chris McLennan
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
